Download List of Priority Operations Facing Critical Shortfalls

WFP Aviation Operations
As of July 2007
(Not in order of priority)
Global
Ad-hoc Air Services
WFP Aviation offers one-time air services, also known as Ad-hoc Air Services, to respond to a specific purpose or
mission requirement as stated by a particular client. This service is arranged by the Aviation Section in Headquarters
upon request of either a Country Office, or another UN agency or government for humanitarian reasons. Funding is
provided directly by the client, who is generally the user of the service.
The Aviation Section normally uses the Aviation Special Account to pre-finance the ad-hoc services, while awaiting
payments from clients. This enables WFP Aviation to provide the required service relatively swiftly.
From the beginning of the year until July 2007, WFP Aviation Section provided Ad-Hoc air freight service charters and
Executive passenger service charters to 2 internal and 5 external clients for a total cost of US$1,669,128. The internal
clients are generally WFP Country Offices, which channel requests through the Regional Bureau. External clients
include other UN agencies, governments, implementing partners and donors. Transport was arranged for a wide variety
of locations, including Chad, Somalia, Nepal, Central African Republic, Yemen, Pakistan and Sudan.
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East & Central Africa (ODK)
Somalia UNCAS – Humanitarian Air Service in support of Relief Operations in Somalia
The unstable political situation in Somalia has resulted in a high level of insecurity, which continues to make the
availability of a humanitarian air service crucial to:1. Support relief programs and deliver humanitarian assistance in Somalia
2. Ensure aircraft capacity remains continuously available in Somalia and in Kenya for medical and security
evacuations.
Since 1996, UNCAS (United Nations Common Services for Somalia), a common air service was established by three
UN Agencies, namely UNDP, UNICEF and WFP, and later joined by UNHCR. UNCAS has been managed jointly by
the said agencies with WFP being in charge of the chartering and operational arrangements. A Board of Directors has
since then exercised the overall management.
From its start, UNCAS has functioned on a full-cost recovery basis with Users and notably the founding agencies
covering the totality of the cost under established sharing modalities. Rates established on a seat-per-mile basis
established in 1999 have remained equal with founding agencies either covering deficits or carrying forward possible
surpluses at end of each year.
In 2005 and 2006, UNCAS has transported an average of 864 passengers and 9 metric tons of urgent cargo per month.
Currently, UNCAS operates four aircrafts namely 2 B-200, 1 Dash 8 and 1 Caravan. From January until July 2007, the
aircraft have flown almost 3,120 hours, and transported over 8,300 passengers and nearly 420 metric tonnes of cargo.
During July, the aircraft have flown over 525 hours carrying more than 10 metric tonnes of cargo and nearly 1,530
passengers.
The necessity to operate regular services to remote locations, with inherent low load factors to ensure continuity of the
delivery of humanitarian assistance, has always made the service highly expensive in spite of continuous operational
adjustments in view of optimizing the cost-efficiency ratio.
The recent events in Somalia, including the resurgence of hostilities, destruction of aircraft and piracy on the high seas,
further compounded by increasing aviation costs and unfavorable exchange rates, have highlighted the restrictions of the
existing cost-sharing mechanism. WFP has estimated that a 35% increase of already prohibitive ticket prices would be
immediately needed to ensure financial sustainability of the operation. Such an increase would prevent access to the
service to most of the Users thus putting UNCAS at risk of financial collapse due to resulting and continuously
deteriorated load factors. To cater for this situation, CERF and Australian funds have recently been allocated to UNCAS
to subsidize transport rates and ensure continued access to the service by all agencies.
A Special Operation (SO) is expected for release in August 2007 to obtain contributions from donors to pursue much
needed operations during the next two years at a similar level and at a limited cost for the users, set at a maximum of
US$ 600 per ticket, by covering the planned shortage of financing. Contributions are also sought to support the
conversion of UNCAS into a standard WFP/UNHAS – Humanitarian Air Service in line with ICAO and internal WFP
auditors’ recommendations.
Technical Support Agreement to Provide Air Services for UNHCR - Kenya
In line with the official mandate WFP received from the High Level Committee on Management (HLCM) in 2003 to
provide air transport services to the UN Humanitarian Agencies and their Cooperating Partners as and when required,
WFP Aviation has chartered an aircraft, namely a B-200, on behalf of UNHCR for the transportation of passengers out
of Nairobi.
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This Technical Support Agreement (TSA) is fully funded by UNHCR. WFP manages the aircraft for UNHCR, yet local
aircraft following services and field staffing structure are provided by the UNHCR office in Kenya. The average monthly
cost for this service is US$ 49,500, which includes the payment for contracted flight hours and the Aviation Management
Cost Recovery (MCR) fee. These WFP costs are recovered from UNHCR through WFP invoices.
From the beginning of the year until June 2007, the aircraft flew nearly 990 hours, and transported 3,280 passengers and
over 980 metric tonnes of cargo. During June, the aircraft has flown almost 50 hours carrying nearly 2 metric tonnes of
cargo and almost 315 passengers.
Technical Support Agreement to Provide Air Services for UNHCR – Tanzania
In line with the official mandate WFP received from the High Level Committee on Management (HLCM) in 2003 to
provide air transport services to the UN Humanitarian Agencies and their Cooperating Partners as and when required,
WFP Aviation has chartered an aircraft, namely a C-208, on behalf of UNHCR for the transportation of passengers out
of Mwanza.
This Technical Support Agreement (TSA) is fully funded by UNHCR. WFP manages the aircraft for UNHCR, yet local
aircraft following services and field staffing structure are provided by the UNHCR office in Tanzania. The average
monthly cost for this service is US$ 37,750, which includes the payment for contracted flight hours and the Aviation
Management Cost Recovery (MCR) fee. These WFP costs are recovered from UNHCR through WFP invoices.
During July 2007, the aircraft has flown nearly 56 hours carrying over 5 metric tonnes of cargo and 290 passengers.
From the beginning of the year until July, the aircraft flew more than 420 hours, and transported almost 2,100 passengers
and 45 metric tonnes of cargo.
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Western Africa (ODD)
Chad SO 10560.0 – WFP Humanitarian Air Service in Chad in Support of EMOP 10559.0
Chad is a large country, three times the size of France, with extremely poor roads and infrastructure. The insecurity
resulting from border conflicts and from acts of banditry is increasing and has now reached such a level that relief
workers in the region can no longer travel safely by road to reach their areas of operations. In addition, there is a
shortage of adequate commercial airlines and other air services in Chad. Consequently, a WFP/HAS air service is crucial
to the provision of an effective humanitarian response in Chad. An agreement with UNHCR in December 2006 was
signed to permit WFP to be solely responsible for all flights from N’djamena as of January 2007.
Hence, this particular SO started 1 January 2007 with the overall objective operating a passenger air service which
enables the movement of members of the humanitarian community and donor representatives to/from those areas where
they are providing humanitarian assistance which are not accessible by other reliable means. The Chad SO operates
through funding received from donors.
Taking into account the current situation in Darfur and Eastern Chad, it is expected that the humanitarian operations in
Eastern Chad will continue at least until mid 2008, and air services in support of the WFP emergency operation, EMOP
10559.0, will be required.
WFP/UNHAS had initially chartered 3 aircraft, namely a B-1900, a C-208 and a B-200 (this aircraft has been chartered
under a TSA signed between UNHCR and WFP, and fully funded by UNHCR). The SO has been recently revised to
temporarily include 2 Mi-8 helicopters for the 3-month rainy season. However, the contracting of the helicopters will not
begin until additional donor funding is secured.
The project has sufficient funding to operate until 31 December 2007. The monthly funding requirement is US$373,900.
For the TSA signed with UNHCR, WFP manages the aircraft and provides the local aircraft following services. The
average monthly cost for this service is US$ 169,555, which includes the payment for contracted flight hours as well as
the cost of WFP’s operational support structure. These WFP costs are recovered from UNHCR through WFP invoices.
From the beginning of the year until July 2007, the aircraft in Chad flew more than 1,800 hours, and transported over
13,400 passengers and nearly 34 metric tonnes of cargo. During July, the fleet has flown nearly 270 hours carrying more
than 6 metric tonnes of cargo and over 2,250 passengers.
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Central African Republic SO 10562.0 – Provision of safe, efficient and sufficient air transport services to the
humanitarian community in Central African Republic
The insecurity in the Central African Republic (CAR) resulting from acts of banditry, the presence of militants hostile to
the current regime, foreign militants and armies as well as the general proliferation of small arms has now reached such a
level that relief workers in the region can no longer travel safely by road to reach their areas of operations.
Consequently, air travel is crucial to the provision of an effective and timely humanitarian response to internally
displaced persons, and host populations in the whole of the CAR which has been on the increase throughout the first half
of 2007. CAR is a large country with extremely poor roads/infrastructure. With the onset of the rainy season in June,
many roads are closed as they are not maintained; beneficiary access will further be complicated. In addition, given the
lack of adequate medical facilities and the instability in CAR and in the region, such as turmoil in Chad and troubled
elections in DRC, the air service would also be used for medical and security evacuations. The killing of a NGO aid
worker in the north of CAR in early 2007 and the lack of reliable and security-cleared commercial flights have further
consolidate the need for air travel within the country.
To cater to the significant raise in humanitarian presence, aircraft services have also augmented their activities. The air
services cover nearly the entire country in addition to cross-border flights to Yaoundé (Cameroon) and N’djamena
(Chad). With the arrival of more than 2,600 Sudanese refugees in the eastern part of the CAR, the flight schedule has
been revised to include a new location, Sam Ouandja, which is currently sheltering the refugees, and WFP/UNHAS is
the only available and safe way to reach the location.
More recently, a WFP Aviation Quality Control (QC) mission has identified that an improved strategy for air operations
in the Central African Region is required to better employ all assets, including those chartered by UNHCR. Hence,
additional coordination must take place to connect the operations in the Central African Republic, Chad and Congo –
Brazzaville.
In line with the results of the above QC mission, the project budget is currently being revised to include the
reinforcement of the aviation structure and provision for the second aircraft.
The project currently operates on partial cost recovery basis and has sufficient funding to operate until 30 September
2007. The monthly funding requirement is US$155,076.
1 aircraft, namely a C-208 is chartered by WFP/UNHAS for this operation.
In July 2007, the fleet has flown over 95 hours carrying more than 4 metric tonnes of cargo and 280 passengers. From
the beginning of the year until July, the aircraft flew approximately 570 hours, and transported over 1,350 passengers
and nearly 20 metric tonnes of cargo.
Technical Support Agreement to Provide Air Services for UNHCR - Congo Brazzaville
In line with the official mandate WFP received from the High Level Committee on Management (HLCM) in 2003 to
provide air transport services to the UN Humanitarian Agencies and their Cooperating Partners as and when required, in
June 2007 WFP Aviation has chartered an aircraft, namely a LET-410, on behalf of UNHCR for the transportation of
passengers out of Brazzaville.
This Technical Support Agreement (TSA) is fully funded by UNHCR. WFP manages the aircraft for UNHCR, yet local
aircraft following services and field staffing structure are provided by the UNHCR office in Kenya. The average monthly
cost for this service is US$ 196,024, which includes the payment for contracted flight hours as well as the cost of WFP’s
operational support structure. These WFP costs are recovered from UNHCR through WFP invoices.
The aircraft started flying in July 2007. During the month, the aircraft flew over 72 hours, and transported 150
passengers and nearly 10 metric tonnes of cargo.
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West Africa Regional SO 10061.3 – Air Passenger Service in West Africa Coastal Countries: Guinea, Sierra
Leone, Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire
In October 2001, WFP started SO 10061, establishing a passenger aircraft service which facilitates the movement of
humanitarian personnel and urgently needed non-food items between Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia. In October
2002, this air service was extended to include Cote d’Ivoire. The WFP air operations continue to be vital to humanitarian
operations in the region. A continued lack of security-cleared commercial flights in the involved countries, the closure
of UNAMSIL and the subsequent reduction of DPKO flights (including the ending of service from Freetown to
Monrovia and Accra) has resulted in the User Group Committees (UGC) of each country requesting that WFP extend the
service of SO 10061.3 in order to continue providing air services in 2007.
SO 10061.3 remains a key pillar of the WFP strategy in West Coastal Africa by allowing safe and fast movement of
humanitarian actors within the most important operational bases in the four countries. A lack of this service would
jeopardise the humanitarian activities for the relief and development in the West African Coastal region.
The SO has sufficient funding to operate until 28 February 2008, yet the project must still repay the Immediate Response
Advance (IRA) of US$1,857,100 from future contributions. The monthly funding requirement is US$384,683.
The base of the operation was relocated to the more-central (and now secure) Monrovia (Liberia). The change of base
and the fleet enabled further improvements of the service through two weekly rotations within Guinea, Liberia and the
Ivory Coast. WFP/UNHAS utilizes 2 aircraft, namely a B-1900 and a C208.
From the beginning of the year until July 2007, the fleet flew over 1,000 hours, and transported more than 50 metric
tonnes of cargo and 6,500 passengers. During July, the aircraft flew nearly 155 hours carrying almost 960 passengers
and over 3 metric tonnes of cargo.
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Sudan Regional Bureau (ODS)
Sudan SO 10181.3 – Provision of Humanitarian Air Services for Sudan
The sustained conflict situation in Western Sudan, the peace process between the North and the South and the potentially
tense situation in the East will require the continued presence and assistance of UN agencies, Cooperating Partners and
the attention of the international community. The provision of these common flight Services comprised in this SO is
endorsed by the Country Team and outlined in the UN Country Work Plan for 2006.
The peace process and the continuing humanitarian assistance operation in Darfur has seen a dramatic increase in
demand for passenger air services and the upward trend is expected to continue as humanitarian activities for peace and
rehabilitation in the South expand. The significant size of the humanitarian aid community working in Sudan combined
with, at times, a precarious security situation which allows only extremely limited access by surface means, demands a
continued and augmented humanitarian air transport capacity. Compounding the situation is the rainy season, when due
to limited access by surface means, air transport becomes the only viable transport option available. At this point,
domestic commercial passenger air services are not as readily available to all locations required by the humanitarian aid
community.
To streamline air operations, South Sudan operation was in the process of merging with the North Sudan operation
during 2006. As at the end of July 2007, WFP/UNHAS has 30 aircraft, namely 14 C-208 (one of which has been
chartered under a TSA signed between UNHCR and WFP, and fully funded by UNHCR), 5 DHC 8, 2 DHC 6, 2 DHC 5,
1 B-1900 and 6 Mi-8.
Sudan SO operates on a partial cost recovery basis with funding received from donors as well as fixed routing nominal
fees charged to the users of the air operations. The project has sufficient funding to operate beyond 31 December 2007.
The budget revision for extension in time and budget increase is in process. For the TSA signed with UNHCR, WFP
manages the aircraft and provides the local aircraft following services. The average monthly cost for this service is US$
72,000. These WFP costs are recovered from UNHCR through WFP invoices.
In July 2007, the fleet has flown over 1,300 hours carrying more than 70 metric tonnes of cargo and nearly 10,300
passengers. From the beginning of the year until July, the aircraft in Sudan flew over 17,800 hours, and transported more
than 103,600 passengers and nearly 2,700 metric tonnes of cargo.
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Asia (ODB)
Afghanistan SO 10514.0 – United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS)
WFP/UNHAS, under the supervision of the UNHAS Board Chaired by WFP with administrative and logistics support
provided by WFP, was established as a UN interagency common service to provide safe, efficient, responsive and cost
effective passenger and cargo air transport services for the humanitarian and development community involved in the
rehabilitation and reconstruction of Afghanistan. It must be noted that aviation services are provided to DPKO/UNAMA,
including the refuelling of DPKO/UNAMA aircraft and helicopters.
Afghanistan SO operates on a full cost recovery basis with income generated from the sale of air tickets. The rate covers
the operational funding requirement.
WFP/UNHAS initially had 3 aircraft, namely a B737, a B-1900 and a DHC-8-300. The DHC-8-300 was released in
April 2007. In June, a DC-9-32 was chartered and another B-1900 was allocated from the Sudan air operation to the
Afghanistan operation from 18 June until the end of its contract, 20 August 2007. The B737 has been contracted on an
ad-hoc basis.
During July, the aircraft flew nearly 230 hours carrying almost 3,500 passengers and more than 76 metric tonnes of
cargo. From the beginning of the year until July 2007, the various aircraft flew approximately 1,480 hours, and
transported nearly 600 metric tonnes of cargo and over 27,000 passengers.
Asia Bureau SO 10407.0 – WFP Air Support of Humanitarian Relief Operations in Response to the Indian Ocean
Tsunami
In the wake of the tsunami of 26 December 2004, this humanitarian air service was set up to provide a vital transport link
between communities suddenly isolated as a result of destroyed roads, bridges, and other transport infrastructure. The
air service also became an essential component of the international community’s response to the islands of Simeleu and
Nias, after a subsequent earthquake on 28 March 2005 devastated large parts of those islands.
Until the end of 2006, the air service carried passengers and cargo to the islands of Simeleu and Nias, and from Banda
Aceh to Calang and Meulaboh, utilizing three aircrafts (two helicopters and one fixed wing aircraft).
The project has sufficient funding to operate until 31 December 2007.
The SO was extended to the end of 2007. Thus, the services will continue based on one B-1900 fixed wing operation and
subject to flight clearances from the Indonesian Civil Aviation Authority. This will not permit flights to and from
Calang, or locations without suitable runways.
From the beginning of the year until July 2007, this single aircraft flew almost 510 hours, and transported over 16 metric
tonnes of cargo and 6,700 passengers. During July, the aircraft flew nearly 67 hours carrying almost 680 passengers and
2 metric tonnes of cargo.
Sri Lanka SO 10564.0 – Provision of Humanitarian Air Services in Sri Lanka
Due to closure of the land route between Colombo and Jaffna, the UN Country Team requested WFP to establish an air
cell and to provide an air service to the humanitarian community in Sri Lanka. The UN Humanitarian Air Service
(UNHAS) includes passenger and cargo movement as well as special flights needed for assessments or medical/security
evacuations.
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The air service is provided on a partial cost recovery basis as per specific financial terms outlined in a separate MOU.
The associated costs specified in the agreement cover WFP staffing requirements to run the air cell and the costs of
chartering the aircraft.
WFP/UNHAS utilizes 3 aircraft from locally registered air carriers, namely a FK27/500, a BE55 and a BELL 206, for
this ad-hoc security operation.
The project has sufficient funding to operate until 31 August 2007 and the monthly funding requirement is US$87,751.
During July, the aircraft flew nearly 4 hours carrying 7 passengers and more than 6 metric tonnes of cargo. From the
beginning of the year until July 2007, the various aircraft flew almost 85 hours, and transported nearly 90 metric tonnes
of cargo and 880 passengers.
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