The United Nations World Food Programme Humanitarian Air Services second time participation to the Dubai Airshow (15-19 Nov 2009)

With the support and assistance received from Fairs and Exhibition (F&E), The United Nations World Food Programme (UN/WFP) will be participating for the second time to the Dubai Airshow,

Where emergencies are sudden, roads unusable or ground conditions dangerous, UN/WFP turns to the skies to get food in fast.

UN/WFP relies on airlifts to get food into some of the world's most hostile and inaccessible places, or to remote areas where much of the infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, for example in the wake of the cyclone which hit Myanmar in 2008.
But WFP Humanitarian Air Services also known as WFP/Aviation doesn't just transport food cargos. It also provides air transport for humanitarian aid workers involved in assessments and food distributions. And it doesn't just serve WFP. As a result of the expertise it had gained over many years, in 2003 WFP was given the responsibility for providing safe, reliable and cost-efficient air transport for all UN agencies involved in relief operations.
Working on behalf of the humanitarian community, WFP Humanitarian Air Services operated 48,000 hours in 2008, transporting 361,000 passengers and 15,200 metric tons of cargo globally.
WFP Aviation does not own or directly operate aircraft. Instead it provides air services by chartering aircraft to meet the needs of emergency and humanitarian support for UN Agencies and other cooperating partners.
WFP Aviation operates in 16 country offices for regular operations. They are in charge of day-to-day standard and emergency operations including planning flight schedules, booking passengers and cargo and ground handling. WFP Rome headquarters provides centralized support and ensures that the air service operation is effective and cost-efficient.

Through our first participation to the airshow in 2007, we have been able to take our message to significantly more flight charter companies over the last two years," said Cesar Arroyo, head of UNWFP Aviation Safety Unit.

Dubai Airshow, organized by F&E Aerospace, set a precedent in corporate social responsibility in 2007 by being the first exhibition to donate space to the UNWFP, which charters aircraft and sources logistical assistance from hundreds of contractors to deliver aid in times of disaster and crisis and have once again re-affirmed and demonstrated their commitment to the United Nation's humanitarian relief World Food Programme (UNWFP) by more than doubling its free-of-charge exhibition space for this year.

As a result of a high-profile exposure during the airshow, The United Nations World Food Programme Aviation aims to increase the number of air service providers used for aid programmes.

About UN-WFP:
WFP has managed air operations in support of its activities for over 20 years. Although it was originally and predominantly for the delivery of large quantities of food by cargo aircraft in Ethiopia, Somalia, Angola and Sudan, it soon became necessary to coordinate passenger flights to facilitate the movement of WFP staff involved in the relief operations notably for assessments and food distributions. It was only in 2003 though that with the aim of establishing common services, WFP officially received the mandate from the High Level Committee on Management (HLCM) to provide air services to the UN Humanitarian Agencies and their Cooperating Partners as and when required.
Types of WFP Aviation Services:

Traditionally, WFP Aviation has contributed towards humanitarian mandate by:
- Operating air cargo services to deliver humanitarian goods, including food, medical supplies, equipment and other essential non-food items to the required areas.
-Operating air passenger services to transport humanitarian workers to access affected locations in order to provide the necessary assistance.
-Providing air transport for medical and security evacuations
Throughout the past few years, aviation has been adapting to changes in requirements by moving from a history as cargo carriers for humanitarian operations to increasing capacity for the transport of personnel.

Leila Tanem
United Nations World Food Prgramme
Aviation Safety Unit (UAE)
Free Zone of Sharjah Intl airport
Building Y 1 Office 100
POBOX 120390
Sharjah- UAE
Leila.tanem@wfp.org
Tel: +971 6 5574799
Fax: +971 6 5574796

This release was published on openPR.