The majority of the humanitarian aid transported by WFP Logistics moves by sea. On any given day, the agency’s Ocean Transportation Service (OMLS) will have 30 ships at sea, carrying critical foodstuffs for distribution in more than 80 countries worldwide. Having such a large number of vessels at sea at any one time allows WFP to reroute cargoes to unexpected emergencies when required.
The Ocean Transportation Service arranges all ocean transport related to WFP shipments of food aid. To do this it works with a selected group of shipbrokers and freight forwarders. The job requires detailed planning and coordination. Decisions on how to shop food and when to consolidate cargoes all affect the overall cost of an operation and so have to be studied carefully.
The Ocean Transportation Service moves cargoes from 60 load ports to 75 discharge ports across five continents. In 2007, it moved 1.9 million metric tons of cargo around the world with a freight value of more than USD 220 million.
