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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Fonds humanitaire régional pour l’Afrique de l’Ouest et du Centre (FHRAOC)

01.11.2024 - 31.10.2025

Le Sahel central est confronté à une crise humanitaire prolongée, complexe et multiforme, marquée par des déplacements de population, l’insécurité alimentaire, des épidémies et les effets du changement climatique (inondations, sécheresse). Par cette contribution, la Suisse soutient le Fonds humanitaire régional pour l’Afrique de l’Ouest et du Centre, ce qui permettra de répondre aux crises humanitaires dans la sous-région et de mener un plaidoyer efficace dans la localisation et la protection.


Somali Resilience Programme (SomReP)

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.


Faso Yafa : Média de communication de masse contre la stigmatisation

01.10.2024 - 31.12.2026

En juin 2024, le gouvernement annonçait plus de 3 millions de personnes déplacées internes du fait de la crise sécuritaire, accentuant les tensions et les conflits dans les zones d’accueil. Avec le projet Faso Yafa, la Suisse soutient la production et la diffusion via les radios communautaires, d'informations humanitaires utiles à ces personnes déplacées et leur donne un espace de parole. Elle soutient aussi le dialogue entre personnes déplacées et communautés hôtes, luttant contre la stigmatisation et renforçant la cohésion sociale.


Chad, IFRC Emergency Flood Response 2024

01.09.2024 - 30.06.2025

This contribution aims to support the IFRC and its members in contributing to meeting the urgent needs of people affected by the floods in Chad. Through the provision of integrated assistance such as shelter and food, health and care, including WASH services, and the strengthening of protection and prevention, the security and weII-being of communities affected by the disaster will be improved, the impacts of the emergency mitigated, and prevention of future disasters strengthened.


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.

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