WFP LOGISTICS SUPPORT BRINGS RELIEF TO FLOOD-AFFECTED PEOPLE IN SURINAME

Last May, the President of Suriname, Chan Santokhi, made an appeal for assistance after he declared the districts of Brokopondo, Sipaliwini, Marowijne, Para, Saramacca, Coronie and Nickerie as disaster areas for a period of 90 days.

The WFP equipment will help the Government of Suriname to reach impacted communities, particularly those areas that are more difficult to access, addressing pressing logistics constraints. The WFP contribution was made possible by support from the USAID Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance.

“Increasingly, the Caribbean is seeing greater impacts from extreme weather events which place pressure on national systems in countries that are already facing multiple other challenges to meet the needs of the most vulnerable,” said Regis Chapman, WFP Representative and Country Director for the Caribbean Multi-Country Office in Barbados. “This donation is critical to the people of Suriname, and WFP stands ready to provide greater assistance as needed.”

WFP joined the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and sister UN agencies on the ground in Suriname to support the National Coordination Centre for Disaster Relief (NCCR), which is leading the national response and is focused on getting much needed items to affected districts. The logistics of the relief operation incorporates land, riverine and air transportation to ensure that supplies reach all of the impacted areas.

As the region enters the Atlantic hurricane season, WFP is working closely with its regional and national partners. In the Caribbean, WFP has been actively engaging with governments to provide emergency response equipment and strengthen national capacities.

According to the latest seasonal rainfall outlook for Suriname, a more severe Wet Season with above normal rainfall is expected for the period June – August 2022. An increase in the number of wet days and extreme wet spells can be expected. Flooding remains a major concern for June and July this year, especially in areas where parts of communities are already inundated.

The WFP Caribbean Multi-Country Office works with national, regional and international partners to strengthen resilience to the climate crisis and other risks. WFP also supports governments to provide direct assistance when events surpass national and regional capacities through food or cash-based transfers, and the delivery of emergency logistics or telecommunications services.

WFP Caribbean supports 22 countries and territories across the English- and Dutch-speaking Caribbean with a focus on vulnerability analysis and mapping, end-to-end supply chain management, shock-responsive social protection, food systems strengthening and climate risk financing.

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The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.

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For more information please contact

Carla Alleyne, WFP Caribbean Communications Officer, Email carla.alleyne@wfp.org