Food aid – risk reduction and crisis prevention

Combating undernourishment and malnutrition is a priority for the SDC. With food aid, it uses humanitarian resources to save lives and alleviate suffering.

The SDC's focus

As a contracting party to the Food Assistance Convention, Switzerland provides food aid and contributes to improving global food security. In this area, Swiss Humanitarian Aid works closely with the UN World Food Programme (WFP) and NGOs in particular. In 2018, Swiss contributions to the WFP totalled over CHF 75 million and benefited some 27 countries. Over 50% of the contributions addressed hunger crises in Africa, with the rest being spent in the Middle East, Asia, as well as Haiti and Colombia.

In recent years, the Swiss Confederation's food aid programme with Swiss dairy products has been converted into a new, more flexible arrangement, with the aim of reaching as many people in need as possible. In 2017, the SDC supported programmes run by 20 NGOs and three Swiss representations in 16 countries by supplying milk powder worth CHF 7 million from Switzerland. A further CHF 13 million went to the WFP. From 2018, all the funding is being channelled to the WFP. For Algeria and North Korea, where milk powder is the best means of intervention, the WFP purchased the products in Switzerland at the export price.

In addition, compensation of CHF 7 million is earmarked to support nutrition projects in the current dispatch period (2017–20). This money is primarily intended for NGOs that previously received support in the form of milk powder supplies from Switzerland.

Background

Over 820 million people in the world are undernourished. The deterioration in the global food situation is predominantly due to long-running conflicts, often exacerbated by climate shocks such as droughts and floods. The worst-affected areas are conflict zones in sub-Saharan Africa, including Somalia, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and north-eastern Nigeria, as well as Yemen and the wider Middle East. People in these countries are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance and rely on food aid.

The WFP works mainly with cash payments. These are used to promote the marketing of locally produced food, with the recipients free to choose how this is done.

The international community is increasingly trying to boost the crisis preparedness of people at risk of hunger, by means of targeted action.

Current projects

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SOM, SomReP Bridging Phase

01.10.2024 - 31.12.2025

SomReP aims to foster sustainable livelihoods and increase the resilience of (agro-) pastoralist communities to climate shocks across Somalia. By supporting vulnerable communities to better cope with ecological disasters SomRep makes an important contribution to mitigate key drivers of fragility in Somalia and thereby promotes Switzerland’s interest to strengthen stability and economic develop ment in the Horn of Africa region.


Zimbabwe El Nino Response 2024

01.08.2024 - 31.07.2025

Zimbabwe’s 2023/24 agricultural season was hit by a severe El Nino induced drought, leading to wide-spread food insecurity. This initiative contributes to life-saving assistance to meet emergency needs of families affected by the drought. With Switzerland’s contribution, World Vision aims to deliver targeted cash transfers and protection support to 13’100 households during the lean hunger season until the next harvest.


Kenya: Empowering refugees and host communities in Dadaab through market-led solutions (EMPOWER)

01.07.2024 - 30.06.2028

The project envisages to unlock the potential of displacement-affected communities (DACs) by providing access to capital, skills development, market opportunities and entrepreneur-friendly policies. The project aims to deliver on long-term economic growth, self-reliance and decreased dependency of DACs on aid. This sustainable approach offers a pathway out of poverty and towards thriving entrepreneurial livelihoods in Kenya.


Résilience pastorale Niger 2024-2025

01.07.2024 - 31.08.2025

Au Niger, les déficits fourragers et l’insécurité entrainent une perte de bétail pour 80% de la population qui pratique l’élevage. L’aide alimentaire n’est pas suffisante et non adaptée dans le temps. La Suisse contribue à couvrir les besoins alimentaires des populations pastorales en cette période de soudure pastorale 2024 et à asseoir les bases pour le renforcement de la résilience via la société civile pastorale.



UNHAS - Accès aux bénéficiaires en Afrique de l’Ouest

01.03.2024 - 31.12.2027

Dans un contexte d’insécurité alimentaire croissante et d’accès humanitaire précaire au Sahel, le service aérien humanitaire des Nations Unies (UNHAS) permet d’accéder aux populations dans le besoin grâce à un transport sûr et rapide de personnes et de biens. La contribution à UNHAS permettra d’atteindre les populations vulnérables dans les régions reculées ou enclavées et d’assurer le suivi des programmes suisses.


Accelerating the implementation of international commitments towards locally led humanitarian action 2024-2025

01.02.2024 - 30.06.2025

Locally led humanitarian action, development and peacebuilding (LLHDP) receives greater attention in international cooperation. Switzerland has a long tradition in working on LLHDP but lacks a coherent approach in taking this further. Through initiatives under this credit proposal SDC is making a meaningful contribution to the implementation of international commitments and efforts on LLHDP. This includes greater goal setting and progress on LLHDP, action-oriented research and catalytic actions to address specific blockages across the sector.


2024 Additional allocation to WFP Country Strategic Plans (NHF)

01.01.2024 - 31.12.2024

The war in Sudan entered its second year. Sudan is facing a major humanitarian catastrophe. The conflict also affected neighbouring countries, in particular Chad and South Sudan who are already struggling with a dire humanitarian situation that pre-existed before the conflict broke out. The consequences of the war exacerbated the acute food insecurity situation in those countries. With additional funding, SDC reinforces WFP’s emergency response to deliver life-saving food and nutrition assistance in Sudan, Chad and South Sudan.


CAR, UNICEF, Rapid Response Mechanism (RRM) 2024

01.01.2024 - 31.12.2024

The Central African protracted crisis (conflicts, violence, climatic and epidemiological shocks) persists and affects over 50% of the population. Coordinated by UNICEF with the support of UNOCHA, the RRM provides humanitarian monitoring and initiates emergency actions following a human or natural shock. Switzerland’s contribution makes it possible to respond effectively and efficiently to urgent humanitarian needs, in its commitment to Good Humanitarian Donorship.


Sudan Conflict Affected-Populations Lifesaving Emergency Response (SCALE)

01.01.2024 - 31.12.2025

The conflict that broke out in Sudan on 15 April 2023 has led to a severe humanitarian crisis. Through the SCALE project, Mercy-Corps (MC) provides vulnerable conflict-affected and displaced individuals with Multipurpose Cash Assistance (MPCA) as well as food security and livelihoods support to meet their basic needs and enhance their coping capacities. SCALE adopts a nexus approach, leveraging MCs existing development and peacebuilding programming. Working alongside local partners, the project aims to amplify the voices of conflict-affected women and demonstrate the power of collective influence and action to address priority needs.


2024 Additional Allocation to World Food Programme (WFP) Country Strategic Plan Haiti

01.01.2024 - 31.12.2024

Against historic levels of food security due to conflicts, climate change and COVID-19, Switzerland supports annually operations of the World Food Programme (WFP) to provide humanitarian and development assistance. Haiti has one of the world’s highest levels of chronic food insecurity. Currently, 50% of the population, or close to 5 million people, are food insecure. With additional funding, SDC reinforces WFP’s response to support the Government in developing sustainable solutions to hunger and malnutrition.


WFP Country Strategic Plan 2024 Malawi - Allocation of SDC Funding to El Nino Response

01.01.2024 - 31.12.2024

Against historic levels of food insecurity due to conflicts, climate change and COVID-19, Switzerland annually supports about 40 SDC priority countries operations of the World Food Programme (WFP) to provide humanitarian and development assistance. It funds WFP Country Strategy Plans, incorporating all programmes or projects, based on affected population needs and potential synergies with other local partners, especially national governments and civil society.

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