156 mt of cargo 8,789 mt of cargo* (excl. airdrops) Jan 2014 Jun % 22%

Transcription

1 WFP Aviation 8 December 2012 Operational Volume Snapshot 1, Issue 1 HUNGER NEWS January - June 2014 Amount of cargo transported in the first half of 2014 increased by 56 times compared to same period last year Jan 2013 Jun 2013 Jan 2014 Jun charters performing 11 airlifts 46 charters performing 250 airlifts 156 mt of cargo 8,789 mt of cargo* (excl. airdrops) 12 countries 21 countries * 7,600 mt of food and 1,189 mt of relief supplies Level 3 Emergencies Jan 2014 Jun 2014 Syria 16% of the 8,789 mt of cargo transported for the humanitarian community (excl. airdrops) Central African Republic 22% airdrops into South Sudan South Sudan 53% Over 90% of the cargo was transported to L-3 Emergencies. What are the challenges in delivering life-saving cargo in such precarious conditions? Challenges Lack of airports and/or appropriate local cargo-handling facilities Administrative bottlenecks Availability of suitable aircraft vis-à-vis airport limitations Availability of specialized aircraft (for airdrops) Cost variations on the charter market during emergencies Security conditions Funding constraints due to simultaneous emergencies Success factors In-depth knowledge of market trends Strategic planning and risk management Preparedness (list of accredited service providers and air brokers) WFP s reputation on the charter market Experienced crew and knowledge of operational areas Strong relationships with local authorities Effective coordination Page 1

2 WFP/Carlos Botta, Afghanistan United Nations Humanitarian Air Service Afghanistan: SO Passenger segments* 10,304 Passengers transported* 6,700 Cargo (mt) 38 User organisations served 129 Regular destinations 23 Medical evacuations 7 Security evacuations 2 - On 3 June, UNHAS facilitated the evacuation from Chaghcharan to Kabul of one CRS staff who had suffered a head injury and required urgent treatment. I want to take the opportunity to extend my sincere appreciation and gratitude on behalf of the CRS Afghanistan team for all of your outstanding support and hard work today. I know that we did not have much time to complete the [required UNHAS] processes, but your flexibility and understanding were greatly appreciated. It means a lot to us and certainly to the family of our injured colleague. Please pass along our gratitude to all of your colleagues who went above and beyond the normal call of duty today, including the pilots and flight crew who had to deal with a very difficult situation on the airstrip in Chaghcharan. William Schmitt, Country Representative Afghanistan, Catholic Relief Services, UNHAS Afghanistan introduced Sar-i-Pul as a new destination on the regular schedule in response to the humanitarian community s request, following flash floods in the region triggered by heavy rains. - The most recent floods hit Guzargah-e-Nur district in the province of Baghlan, killing dozens of people and forcing thousands to abandon their homes. With roads to the area blocked and bridges destroyed, in June UNHAS mobilized a helicopter flight for aid workers to the affected area to conduct assessments and plan further assistance. - A charter flight from Islamabad to Quetta and back was conducted on 1 May on behalf of UNHCR Pakistan to facilitate the visit of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Mr Antonio Guterres, to Balochistan province. UNHAS, Afghanistan - During the first half of 2014, UNHAS C.A.R. encountered enormous challenges. The security situation remained extremely volatile and impacted severely on the delivery of aviation fuel (Jet A-1) by surface transport into the country. In spite of this, fuel was airlifted from Douala and Nairobi to ensure that aid workers had continued access to remote destinations to carry out their work. - The total number of evacuations facilitated between January and June 2014 already exceeded the overall number for the entire year In addition to the 12 medical evacuations UNHAS conducted, 11 flights were performed to relocate 50 humanitarian staff from various field locations to the capital due to high tension in the remote areas of humanitarian interventions. - Special flights were provided to support donor and diplomatic missions within C.A.R. as well as to Yaoundé and Douala, Cameroon. Kristalina Georgieva, the EU Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response and Valerie Amos, the Under-Secretary-General for Central African Republic: SO Passenger segments 9,193 Passengers transported 5,594 Cargo (mt) 143 User organisations served 89 Regular destinations 25 Medical evacuations 12 Security evacuations 50 Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator travelled with UNHAS on their official visits to areas of humanitarian interventions. * The difference between passenger segments and passengers transported arises from the fact that one and the same passenger might be routed through multiple segments to get to the final destination. Hence, passenger segments reflects the total number of passengers transported, including transits. This distinction is used throughout this document. Page 2

3 Malack Sarl/Khalifa Mabrouk, Chad Chad: SO Passenger segments 24,548 Passengers transported 13,190 Cargo (mt) 72 User organisations served 128 Regular destinations 19 Medical evacuations Following a recommendation from the User Group Committee, a cost recovery mechanism was introduced in April This made UNHAS Chad align with all other UNHAS operations. Subsequently, the number of no-shows has decreased drastically from 12% to less than 4%. - Thanks to the support from the UK, the Tissi airstrip is being rehabilitated. This will ensure continued access to this region by fixed-wing aircraft during the rainy season. - UNHAS continues to be the main means of transport for NGOs and UN agencies present in the country. This has become even more crucial since ICRC closed its supplementary air service in December In this context, also the number of medical evacuations facilitated for organizations such as MSF increased significantly. Rehabilitation works of the Tissi airstrip. - The nominal booking fee was reviewed in March, based on the recommendations of the Humanitarian Country Team. The fee was increased from US$ 100 to US$ 300 on long routes (Kinshasa to/from Goma, Bukavu, Kalemie and Lubumbashi). However, shorter routes remain unchanged. The modification of the booking fee aims at increasing the financial sustainability of the operation. - In view of the change of its mandate, the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission discontinued services provided in the western part of the country. Consequently, UNHAS DRC took up more responsibilities to ensure that operational standards are maintained by working closely with Civil Aviation Authorities. UNHAS is currently developing a strategy to meet the resultant rising costs of its operation. - Since 2012, one MI-8 helicopter out of the ECHO-funded stand-by fleet has been used in Goma to provide dedicated air services for ECHO partner agencies in eastern DRC. This service was fully funded by ECHO. With effect from 1 August 2014, the helicopter will be fully integrated into the UNHAS fleet and funded by USAID. Ethiopia: SO Passenger segments 4,178 Passengers transported 3,719 Cargo (mt) 20 User organisations served 35 Regular destinations 7 Medical evacuations 49 Democratic Republic of the Congo: SO Average fleet size 4 Passenger segments 19,419 Passengers transported 11,645 Cargo (mt) 155 User organisations served 201 Regular destinations 32 Medical evacuations 4 Security evacuations 25 Both USAID and the international community s interventions in the DRC depend heavily on your services, and they are in very capable hands. Rajiv J. Shah, USAID Administrator, USAID, In March 2014, UNHAS Ethiopia facilitated a joint mission of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and the WFP Executive Director, visiting South Sudanese refugees in the western part of Ethiopia. - Following the massive influx of South Sudanese refugees into Ethiopia and considering the poor road access to refugee camps, UNHAS started operating a MI-8 helicopter as a dedicated service for UNHCR in March. - WFP started food delivery through airlifts and airdrops from Western Ethiopia to remote areas of South Sudan in March. Although these are dedicated WFP operations, the expertise of UNHAS staff enables the daily transport of 200 mt of food to beneficiary areas. Page 3

4 WFP/Hugo Mvumbi, Niger Mali: SO Clashes in Kidal in May 2014 and violent demonstrations in Gao further limited the movement of aid workers into these areas. The continuation of UNHAS flights enabled the delivery of urgently needed humanitarian assistance to beneficiaries. - UNHAS Mali expanded its service in June 2014 by introducing Menaka as a new regular destination. High insecurity in the Gao-Ansongo-Menaka axis had rendered this location inaccessible by road. - UNHAS facilitated three medical evacuations from various remote locations to Bamako for Oxfam GB, MSF-F and WFP as well as one security relocation from Goundam in the Timbuktu region to Bamako for NRC, following clashes in May. - In June, a USAID delegation relied on UNHAS Mali to travel within the country. The USAID/OTI Country Representative thanked UNHAS Mali, saying: Average fleet size 2 Passenger segments 8,135 Passengers transported 5,156 Cargo (mt) 21 User organisations served 107 Regular destinations 9 Medical evacuations 3 Security evacuations 1 I wanted to say thank you for your help getting us to and from Mopti last week. The retreat was fully a success and could not have been done without your help. Thanks for running such a professional shop!! Joel Hirst, USAID/OTI Country Representative Mali, 2014 Mauritania: SO Average fleet size 2 Passenger segments 2,470 Passengers transported 1,247 Cargo (mt) 7 User organisations served 42 Regular destinations 6 Medical evacuations 8 - With support from the USA, the rehabilitation of 1,200 metres of the Bassikounou airstrip was successfully completed. Consequently, access to beneficiaries in the Mbera refugee camp can now be facilitated during the rainy season. In addition, the rehabilitated airstrip will significantly reduce passengers travel time from the capital. - Current challenges faced by UNHAS Mauritania include runway incursions in Kaedi and Bassikounou. UNHAS Mauritania is working in collaboration with the Civil Aviation Authorities to find a solution to the situation. Further, heavy sandstorms and strong winds severely affect visibility for air traffic. - An extension of the project starting from mid-august is under preparation. In this context, the fleet is being reviewed. - At the beginning of 2014, a Performance Management evaluation mission was carried out to assess the effectiveness and efficiency of the UNHAS operation in Niger. - As a result of the analysis, the fleet composition was changed from one Dash-8 aircraft to two Beechcraft 1900s. This has enabled a more reliable flight schedule for the humanitarian community and, simultaneously, reduced operational costs by approximately 10%. Niger: SO Average fleet size 2 Passenger segments 8,170 Passengers transported 4,473 Cargo (mt) 33 User organisations served 165 Regular destinations 6 Medical evacuations 2 - Between 26 May and 2 July 2014, representatives of various humanitarian organizations travelled with UNHAS Niger on the ECHO-led missions during the hunger gap: the period between harvests. Head of Office DG ECHO Niger travelling with UNHAS during the hunger gap. Page 4

5 Oxfam/Abbie Trayler-Smith, South Sudan UNSOA/Bonifacio Bonavente, Mogadishu, Somalia Somalia/Kenya: SO Average fleet size 8 Passenger segments 31,426 Passengers transported 20,073 Cargo (mt) 203 User organisations served 137 Regular destinations 12 Medical evacuations 17 year with a facelift of the runway and the aircraft parking area. - In June, UNHAS performed a special flight on behalf of UNODC from Galkayo to Nairobi to transport eleven crew members of a ship that had been held hostage by pirates since Three staff of the NGO International Aid Services (IAS), who were held hostage since 2012 and released by their kidnappers at the beginning of June, travelled on the same flight. - Following the AMISOM offensive against the al-shabaab militant group in south-central Somalia, UNHAS performed flights to the newly accessible towns of Wajid and Hurdur to facilitate needs assessment missions for ACF, DAI, WFP, WHO and UNICEF. In addition, UNHAS Somalia/Kenya operated allcargo flights to these locations to deliver life-saving food and vaccines for WFP and UNICEF respectively. - In April, UNHAS commenced a major rehabilitation project for the airstrip at Kakuma Refugee Camp. In coordination with the Kenyan Civil Aviation Authorities, new facilities have been built to improve passenger handling and safety around the airfield. This will continue during the second half of the UNHAS, Somalia South Sudan: SO With a fleet of twelve aircraft, comprising ten fixed-wing and two helicopters, UNHAS South Sudan facilitates humanitarian access to hard-to-reach locations in challenging environments. Additional helicopters will be deployed in mid- July to augment the fleet and increase the humanitarian response capacity during the rainy season. Since the inception of the crisis, air asset augmentation has been prioritised to meet the travel needs created by the surge of humanitarian activities. Average fleet size 12 Passenger segments 36,073 Passengers transported 26,123 Cargo (mt) 689 User organisations served 291 Regular destinations 40 Medical evacuations 128 Security evacuations 1,222 - As a result of increased demand for humanitarian access, UNHAS has augmented the frequency of flights to five destinations and opened thirteen new destinations, mainly in Jonglei, Unity and Upper Nile States. On average, UNHAS South Sudan performs 135 flights per week to 40 scheduled destinations. - In spite of the increasing demand, UNHAS faces a constraint to further expand the fleet due to ramp congestion in the main bases of Juba and Rumbek. Notwithstanding, plans are underway to re-open the base in Malakal, which was closed due to the conflict in December Keira Knightley travelling with UNHAS when visiting South Sudan with Oxfam. Page 5

6 WFP/Nabil Tarish, Yemen Sudan: SO Average fleet size 7 Passenger segments 21,068 Passengers transported 11,823 Cargo (mt) 112 User organisations served 91 Regular destinations 42 Medical evacuations 13 - The Government of Sudan recently opened a new airport in El Geneina. With its 2,994 metres long runway, the airport allows UNHAS to provide air services to this location with a 37 -seat jet aircraft, thus considerably reducing travel time for passengers and increasing operational efficiency. - The deteriorating security situation in Darfur led to a disruption in Jet A-1 fuel supply for UNHAS Sudan s West Darfur operation. However, UNHAS maintained uninterrupted air access for the humanitarian community to affected populations, thanks to its fuel reserves and collaboration with UNAMID. - UNHAS Sudan, in consultation with the user organizations, revised the regular schedule by discontinuing regular flights on Saturdays, effective as of April. This action, while not affecting the total number of passengers transported, would save costs to an estimated amount of US$ 1 million. - In addition to the regular service, 16 special flights were performed to support high level delegations, humanitarian emergency response missions, needs assessments, rapid response, donor missions, etc. Many thanks to you and the rest of the UNHAS team for the - as usual - excellent UNHAS service today in support of the IASC ED mission to Nyala. UNHAS efficiency and client orientation was much appreciated by all. Many thanks again. Ivo Freijsen, Acting Head of Office, UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Khartoum, Sudan, During the first six months of 2014, the security situation in the country remained fragile and highly unpredictable. Following recent attacks on the diplomatic community in Sana a in May and the latest outbreak of fighting in northern Yemen, the country has experienced further deterioration of the already precarious humanitarian situation. - A restriction on staff movements and the shortage of fuel severely hampered the WFP air passenger service in Yemen. Moreover, several flights to Sa ada had to be cancelled as security clearances from the Government could not be obtained. Yemen: SO Average fleet size 1 Passenger segments 555 Passengers transported 472 Cargo (mt) 3 User organisations served 19 Regular destinations 3 Medical evacuations 0 - In April, the operation introduced the use of the electronic Flight Management Application (e-fma). This enhanced monitoring and brought the Yemen operation abreast with all other UNHAS operations. Arrival of WFP flight in Sa ada from Sana a. - In June, two special flights were organized for the Emergency Directors of FAO, IOM, IRC, OCHA, UNDP, UNHCR, UNICEF and WFP on the routes Sana a Sa ada. WFP Aviation Global Emergency Response: SO WFP has maintained two ECHO-funded MI-8 helicopters for global emergency response in Uganda since In 2012, one of the helicopters was deployed to Goma to provide dedicated air services for ECHO partner agencies in eastern DRC. The helicopter, which was fully funded by ECHO under a Technical Service Agreement, transported 871 passengers and 51 mt of cargo, and performed 4 medical evacuations between January and June Given the increased needs for air assets in South Sudan, the second helicopter was deployed to Rumbek in mid-april 2014 to support the Logistics Cluster in transporting emergency relief supplies for humanitarian actors in the country. By the end of June, this helicopter had transported 162 mt of cargo, 95 passengers and carried out 2 medical evacuations. Page 6

7 Financial snapshot as of 3 July 2014 (in US$) Country Approved budget in 2014 Estimated funds carried forward from 2013 Generated cost recovery in 2014 Contributions registered in 2014 Additional needs in 2014 Shortfall in 2014 Afghanistan 20,238,873 4,884,180 1,692,201 5,160,544 8,501, % C.A.R. 14,281,174 2,661,444 1,431,778 7,194,627 2,993, % Chad 23,054,492 3,011, ,912 7,399,551 12,003, % DRC 25,035,879 6,034,321 2,689,897 2,398,833 13,912, % Ethiopia 7,683,345 1,887, ,177 3,526,627 1,809, % Mali 9,554,875 2,622, ,389 2,194,998 4,288, % Mauritania* 4,366,360 2,184, ,773 1,539, , % Niger 7,596,855 3,477, , ,866 2,535, % Somalia/Kenya 35,480,703 6,329,978 7,125,503 2,597,666 19,427, % South Sudan** 50,530,450 10,485,660 3,558,685 17,573,974 18,912, % Sudan 33,991,387 7,172,558 1,843,720 15,650,194 9,324, % Yemen 2,247, , , , , % Global 6,058,373 3,840, , ,906, % Total 240,119,858 55,187,392 21,271,783 66,549,584 97,111,099 N/A * Project extension starting from mid-august under preparation. ** A Budget Revision is under preparation. Not yet approved. Thanks to the following donors for their generous contributions between January and June 2014 Canada CERF European Commission Humanitarian Aid & Civil Protection Germany Ireland Japan Luxembourg International Humanitarian Aviation Summit (IHAS) The International Humanitarian Aviation Summit was held in Toledo, Spain on May The IHAS, organized by WFP Aviation in collaboration with the Spanish Guild of Commercial Aviation Pilots (COPAC), brought together more than 40 aviation service providers and other stakeholders from all over the world to discuss pressing issues in the humanitarian aviation sector. One of the highlights of the event was the signing of a Letter of Intent between COPAC and WFP to facilitate closer cooperation in the areas of capacity building and implementation of new technical solutions to support humanitarian air operations. Sweden Switzerland United Kingdom United Nations 1 United States of America For more information: WFP Aviation Information Unit wfp.aviationinformation@wfp.org World Food Programme Via C.G. Viola, 68/ Rome, Italy Tel: The UN logo indicates Pooled Fund contributions, including CHF, ERF and HRF. Page 7