WFP's Pacific Humanitarian Service flies vital medical supplies to Kiribati
News release | 28 April 2021
The Pacific
- 8 out of 20
- countries with the highest average disaster losses scaled by GDP are Pacific Island Countries
- US$ 284 million
- is the estimated average disaster losses per year in the South Pacific
- 1/3
- of the Pacific population - or 2.7 million people - cannot meet their basic human needs
The Pacific is one of the most vulnerable regions to natural hazards in the world – and climate-related disasters are increasing the threat. Of the 20 states with the highest average disaster losses scaled by GDP, eight are Pacific Island Countries. Average direct losses due to natural disasters in the South Pacific are estimated at US$284 million per year. In the medium to longer term, climate-related disasters are expected to increase in number and scale, especially in relation to El Niño/La Niña cycles.
Pacific Island Countries have enjoyed progress in recent decades, with an increase in life expectancy and a decline in infant mortality rates. However, economic growth has been well below the global average. Coupled with their small land size, remoteness, and fragile ecosystems, this creates significant challenges in managing risks related to natural disasters.
What the World Food Programme is doing in the Pacific
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Emergency preparedness and response
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WFP Pacific is engaged in several elements of emergency preparedness and response, which allows us and our partners to be effective, efficient and timely when crises erupt. This includes Inter-Agency support and coordination, coordination in emergencies through the Logistics, Food Security and Emergency Telecommunication Clusters, operational information management and Lessons Learned knowledge management.
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WFP common logistics services
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This includes regional engagement in the planning of emergency facilities and in gap analysis; and updating of national-level Logistics Capacity Assessments (LCAs). It also encompasses the Pacific Emergency and Response Logistics (PEARL) project - an initiative aimed at standardising humanitarian logistics training through the delivery of a regionally accredited higher education programme.
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Programmatic activities
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WFP conducts extensive regional food security vulnerability analysis and mapping, which helps to determine what kind of assistance is most appropriate in each context. Activities also include rapid assessment training workshops, the compilation of food security data sets and food security profiling for each Pacific Island Country – with the end goal of building disaster resilience.
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Country capacity strengthening
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Upon government request, WFP Pacific works to develop the capacity and knowledge of national authorities, staff and stakeholders at country-level to coordinate, design and lead preparedness, response, and resilience actions in its cluster lead areas of Logistics, Food security and Emergency Telecommunications.