Emergencies

Emergencies are described as “urgent situations in which there is clear evidence that an event, or series of events, has occurred which causes human suffering or imminently threatens lives or livelihoods, and which the government concerned has not the means to remedy; and it is a demonstrably abnormal event, or series of events, which produces dislocation in the life of a community on an exceptional scale.”

For more than 50 years, the World Food Programme (WFP) has provided emergency food assistance, often in conflict, post-conflict or disaster situations. To this day, WFP continues to assist millions of people displaced, rendered homeless or deprived of basic resources by cataclysmic events, whether man-made or natural, avoidable or not.

179,300+ people
received more efficient Emergency Relief food assistance from WFP, often in conflict, post-conflict or disaster situations

Innovations

© WFP/PRISM

PRISM

90 percent of all disasters in the last 20 years were climate-related. PRISM tracks the impact of extreme weather events and other disasters in order to design risk reduction activities and target responses. By bringing different data streams into a single interactive map, PRISM rapidly presents decision makers with actionable information on vulnerable populations exposed to hazards, allowing them to prioritize assistance to those most in need. PRISM grew from a country initiative in Indonesia and Cambodia, to an Asia-Pacific regional initiative. It is now a ready-to-scale platform led by WFP headquarters.

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© WFP/HungerMapLIVE

HungerMapLIVE

HungerMapLIVE uses near real-time monitoring and machine learning models to track and monitor food security around the globe. A range of new resources, i.e. Global, Regional and Country Insights and Key Trends, including deep dives on key drivers of hunger, are available and updated daily on the platform.

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© WFP/Patrick McKay

R2C2
(Rapid Response Connectivity Carrier)

R2C2 is a drone for communications in emergency response. It is a 90-meter communications tower packed into two suitcases. The Rapid Response Connectivity Carrier (R2C2) team worked with a drone manufacturer, a drone tether provider, and Ericsson Response, to design the first iteration of R2C2. The goals were to have a drone mounted connection system which could fly effectively indefinitely and provide a WhatsApp messaging through Wi-Fi to people in over a 1km radius.

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© WFP/Mehedi_Rahman

SHAPES
Shock and Assistance Platform for Economy-wide Simulations

An analytical platform that simulates the impact of shocks on households and the local economy combined with assessing the direct and indirect benefits of assistance. SHAPES allows to make complex economic simulations on-demand with a user-friendly interface, insofar being an innovative tool for food security analyses, program design, impact evaluation and early warning.

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© WFP/Cloud to Street

Cloud to Street

Cloud to Street is a remote sensing platform to map and analyze floods in real time. Using global satellite imagery, machine learning and cloud computing, it analyzes flooding on the ground and continuously estimates flood extents and impacts.

Cloud to Street has completed the life cycle within the WFP Innovation Accelerator and became part of the Alumni Programme.

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