IR-PREP - Emergency preparedness activities in support of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) El Niño Logistics and Coordination Centre (LCC)

This Operation expired in July 2016

As a result of El Niño, southern Africa has seen the driest growing season in 35 years between October 2015 to January 2016, which is causing a highly precarious food security situation, to be further compounded if the poor harvest forecast for the end of the coming growing season materializes.

According to experts, it is highly probable that this El Niño event will be followed by a La Niña event, which will bring with it normal to above normal conditions in parts of the southern Africa region, starting in the last quarter of 2016.

In response to a request for support from the SADC Sectreatriat, made to UN Agencies, to operationalise the LCC, WFP in Southern Africa have agreed to aid in increasing the capacity of the LCC by providing experts to assist and guide the LCC towards its intended objectives. In so doing WFP intends to strengthen the preparedness and readiness of WFP and its partners, improve coordination, and maintain a role in the addressing the impacts of El Niño.