Contribution 2019 to the World Food Programme’s Immediate Response Account (IRA)

Founded in 1961, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) is the world’s largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger and undernutrition. Responding to emergencies and saving lives and livelihoods – directly and by strengthening country response capacities – form the major part of WFP’s operations.

Ending hunger remains a significant global challenge which must be achieved in the context of increasingly complex and protracted humanitarian needs. It requires WFP to act as a part of a system by helping to shape the way in which partners interact and relate to each other. WFP’s Strategic Plan (2017-2021) is responding to these challenges by fully aligning its activities to the Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2 and 17 mainly. In addition, humanitarian emergencies require WFP to react fast in life-threatening situations, often before the necessary financial contributions are available. It is here where the Immediate Response Account (IRA) steps in. The IRA is replenished with donor contributions and through allocations being revolved. IRA-financed assistance can be deployed within 24 hours of the onset of a crisis.

WFP reaches over 90 million people with food assistance in 83 countries each year, mostly women and children. Around 16’000 people work for the organization, most of them in remote areas, directly serving the hungry poor.

WFP’s vision 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. Without food, there can be no sustainable peace, no democracy and no development.

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 objective of the IRA is to enable WFP to provide immediate food assistance, including logistics and other non-food items, in life-threatening emergency situations.

Outcomes (objectives) of the planned phase:

WFP provides emergency food assistance in the aftermath of natural or man-made disasters and supports food assistance programmes that bridge the gap between relief and recovery, helping communities build a better future. In addition, WFP’s longer-term approaches to hunger, such as building community resilience and promoting the scale-up of social protection and cash-based interventions, help the transition from recovery to development.

The objectives of WFP are aligned with the Agenda 2030, whereas WFP will prioritize SDG 2, on achieving zero hunger; and SDG 17, on partnering to support implementation of the SDGs.

The non-earmarked contribution of the Immediate Response Account is channelled to underfunded emergencies.

Principaux résultats attendus:   WFP fights hunger in least-developed and low-income countries where victims of conflicts and natural disasters, refugees, displaced people and the hungry poor face severe food shortages. The frontline stretches from sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East to Latin America and Asia-Pacific. We expect WFP to reach over 90 million people worldwide again.

Principaux résultats antérieurs:  

Since its inception, the Immediate Response Account (IRA) has repeatedly proved to be one of the most effective relief response mechanisms.

In 2018, WFP has allocated about USD 144 million out of the IRA to assist 39 countries and regions.

Given the dire humanitarian situations on the ground and the funding gaps, the largest amounts of IRA funding were allocated to Bangladesh, DRC, Somalia, State of Palestine, and Colombia.

Phase 12 01.01.2019 - 31.12.2019   (Completed)