World Food Programme (WFP)

The World Food Programme (WFP) is the world largest humanitarian organization which has been assisting about 150 million food insecure people in over 80 countries in 2022 alone.

It has a dual mandate covering both humanitarian and development aid. It provides food assistance to countries during emergencies and on a long-term basis in-kind or in cash and vouchers. It supports economic and social development of countries in need through technical assistance. WFP helps for instance governments establish or strengthen national disaster risk management, social protection, school feeding, climate action or agriculture resilience-building programmes. The organisation supports as well UN agencies, bilateral donors, and NGOs in their humanitarian interventions by providing passenger and cargo air services or storage. It serves as sectorial coordinator and leader of IASC Clusters on Food Security (with FAO), on Logistics as well as on Emergency Telecommunications.

Food Security & Livelihoods is one of the four priorities of SDC Humanitarian Aid for 21-24. Switzerland commits itself to the world food security under the Food Assistance Convention whose aim is to improve the ability of the international community to respond to emergency food situations and other food needs of developing countries.

Three criteria condition Switzerland’s contributions to the WFP operations:

• Needs in relation with affected population and financial gaps identified;
• Cooperation with of a Swiss representation locally;
• When feasible, synergies with other SDC-funded organisations.

Switzerland is one of the top funders of WFP's emergency fund, the Immediate Response Account, a sort of revolving facility to support short-term operations.

Besides financial allocation, Switzerland is also an important partner in terms of human resources. The SDC regularly provides experts from the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit for programming or coordination. Specialists are deployed for emergency preparedness, protection or cash-and voucher programs.

On the policy level, Switzerland is an active member providing inputs to strategic documents presented at the WFP Executive Board. Switzerland is part of the List D, the group of countries including USA and Western Europe.

For more information on the collaboration between SDC and WFP, please consult the Factsheet: