Ebola Crisis in West Africa Logistics Support WFP 2014

October 2014 - On August 8 2014 the World Health Organization declared the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak in West Africa an international health emergency. The Ebola outbreak started in Guinea and spread to Liberia and Sierra Leone. There have been over 10 000 cases of Ebola virus in Guinea Liberia and Sierra Leone to date including close to 5 000 deaths. The current outbreak is unprecedented in terms of its scale geographic reach humanitarian impact as well as its social and economic repercussions. The number of cases and deaths surpass all previous Ebola epidemics combined. With DFATD’s support the United Nation’s World Food Programme (WFP) is helping to reduce and control the spread of the Ebola virus in West Africa by responding to the logistical needs of the humanitarian community. Project activities include: (1) establishing logistics staging areas in Accra national hubs in Monrovia Freetown and Conakry and forward logistics bases in the affected countries to accelerate the delivery of life-saving items such as medical supplies and personal protection items; (2) providing humanitarian air services and strategic airlift; (3) providing support for inter-agency logistics coordination and telecommunications infrastructure; (4) increasing supply chain capacity; and (5) implementing strategic preparedness measures.

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) increased delivery of humanitarian assistance to the affected population through the transportation of life-saving cargo such as medical equipment and supplies personal protection items and other humanitarian goods; and (2) enhanced logistics and telecommunications capacity provided to the humanitarian community. The expected ultimate outcome is lives saved suffering alleviated and human dignity maintained in countries experiencing humanitarian crisis or acute food insecurity.