Look back at WFP’s ebola response in 2014
In March 2014 WFP began providing food to patients, suspected cases, and isolated ebola-affected villages in Guinea. As the outbreak quickly spread, similar country-specific responses were launched in July in Sierra Leone and Liberia at the request of Governments and partners. By August,
WFP had provided food to over 97,000 people across the three countries. As the number of cases surged, WHO declared a health emergency and requested WFP to scale up its assistance alongside the health response. On 25 August WFP launched the regional Emergency Operation ensuring food and nutrition support to care for the infected and to contain the spread of ebola in West Africa.
Since the beginning of the regional operation, WFP has dispatched over 33,000 mt of food to cater for the basic needs of nearly 2.4 million patients in treatment centers, survivors, isolated households and communities in areas of intense and widespread transmission. In areas of intense transmission, assistance is provided at the request of health authorities and partners for an initial one month period.
4 pillars of WFP support:
Delivering food and nutrition support alongside the health response;
Mitigating the impact of the health emergency on food security;
Ensuring the movement of partner staff and materials; and
Providing common services and infrastructure support for health partners.
In numbers
To date, in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone:
More than 2.38 million people reached since the end of August 2014 with 35,000 mt of food;
4,603 responders transported by UNHAS, with two planes and one helicopter in operation; and
27,583 m3 of cargo transported since September 2014