WFP - World Food Programme

Published purpose

January 2021 - The WFP-managed United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) provides essential air services for the humanitarian community to very remote and very challenging locations. In doing so, it facilitates the implementation and monitoring of humanitarian interventions in numerous life-saving thematic areas. In most countries requiring humanitarian assistance, challenging security situations, long distances and poor road conditions impede surface travel. Also, adequate commercial air operators do not serve most of the destinations the humanitarian community needs to reach. As such, aid workers rely on UNHAS to provide access in situations where reaching isolated communities is not otherwise feasible. This project operates in Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mali, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Yemen. With GAC’s support, UNHAS is helping to facilitate access to isolated communities. Project activities include: (1) providing air transport to passengers undertaking humanitarian work; and (2) delivering light cargo for humanitarian agencies and conducting emergency medical and security evacuations.