World Food Programme Fighting Hunger Worldwide

WFP Food Monitor, Charles Egambi, is based in Dadaab, the largest refugee camp in the world. In such remote locations, humanitarian workers rely on radio communications not only to coordinate essential food distributions, but also to monitor the security of colleagues in the field.

While the number of people arriving to Dadaab from Somalia has decreased since the emergency started in August, there are still over 1,000 new arrivals each day.

All WFP field vehicles are equipped with high-frequency radio equipment, including this antenna, which enables communications over long distances. With this equipment, staff travelling through the expanding refugee camps in Dadaab can communicate with their colleagues in Nairobi.

WFP works closely with a number of implementing partners in the field. In Dadaab, the non-governmental organization CARE distributes food supplies to beneficiaries on behalf of WFP.

WFP uses a satellite network called ‘FoodSat’ to communicate across the globe. FoodSat enables cheap and efficient voice and data communications between WFP operations. WFP IT Assistant James Muthumbi is responsible for maintaining the FoodSat in Dadaab.