Founded in 1961, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) is the world’s largest humanitarian agency saving and changing lives, delivering food assistance in emergencies and working to improve nutrition and build resilience.

WFP plays a key role globally and in the MENA region, where it provides emergency response and life-saving assistance to millions of people, including in the oPt.

Switzerland focuses its support to WFP operations in its own priority countries through annual contributions softly earmarked to WFP offices and related Country Strategic Plans (CSPs).

WFP has launched an emergency appeal “State of Palestine emergency”, to which SDC contributes. While WFP has provided emergency food and cash assistance to over 630K people across Gaza and the West Bank, 478K displaced people in UN-designated shelters in Gaza have received fresh bread through WFP. However, fuel shortages have drastically hindered the capacity of bakeries. More humanitarian assistance needs to immediately get into Gaza, to respond to current needs, specifically to respond to food insecurity. Accordingly, “food security” is the biggest sector in need as per the Flash Appeal (UN OCHA) for the current crisis, with USD 303 M required, targeting 2.34 M of people in need.

WFP’s mission is a world in which every man, woman and child has access at all times to the food needed for an active and healthy life.

The vision for 2030 underlying WFP’s strategic plan for 2022-2025 is that the world has eradicated food insecurity and malnutrition (SDG 2 - Zero Hunger) and national and global actors have achieved the SDGs (SDG 17 - Partnerships for the Goals).

The overall goal of WFP is providing immediate food assistance in life-threatening situations while supporting countries in ensuring no one is left behind.

The goal in the framework of the current additional credit is to respond to the current crisis in Gaza with emergency response and life-saving assistance.

1. People are better able to meet their urgent food and nutrition needs
2. People have better nutrition, health and education outcomes
3. People have improved and sustainable livelihoods
4. National programmes and systems are strengthened
5. Humanitarian and development actors are more efficient and effective

Expected results:  

Key outputs of the planned phase: WFP fights hunger in 82 least-developed and low-income countries where victims of conflicts and natural disasters, refugees, displaced people and the hungry poor face severe food shortages.

In the framework of the present additional credit, WFP will deliver emergency assistance and life-saving aid, in terms of food provision, support for livelihoods and cash-based transfers to the benefit of the affected population.

Results from previous phases:  

• In 2020, WFP surged operations against the COVID-19 pandemic that pushed 124 million people into extreme poverty; it provided assistance to 115 million people in 84 countries (53%♀; 20% 0-6 year old) and it strengthened social protection systems in 78 countries.
• WFP is the laureate of the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize.
• Despite the record level of funding, the vast needs resulted in a 2022 funding gap against approved requirements of 34 percent, equal to USD 7.2 billion. This is the largest funding gap registered in WFP’s history in absolute terms. All prospects confirm that requirements will only keep increasing.
• Until June 2023, WFP had provided crucial food assistance to 350K Palestinians each month and facilitated aid to nearly a million Palestinians in collaboration with other humanitarian partners through its cash-based transfers platform.
• In the framework of the present crisis, WFP has provided emergency food and cash assistance to over 630,000 people across Gaza and the West Bank. Out of these, 478,000 displaced people in UN-designated shelters have received fresh bread through WFP contracted bakeries and canned tuna when available.

Phase 4 01.11.2023 - 31.12.2023   (Completed)