WFP Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific - 2016 SPRs RBB 2016 SPRs by country | Page 289

Standard Project Report 2016
and strengthen the Government of Fiji's emergency preparedness and response mechanisms to mitigate the effects
of disasters on vulnerable populations. During the TC Winston operation, these partnerships were expanded and
built on to support the government-led multi-sector response addressing the needs of cyclone-affected
communities.
As lead and co-lead agency of the Logistics, Emergency Telecommunications, and Food Security Clusters, WFP
worked with government counterparts to provide technical assistance, advisory services and facilitate humanitarian
response coordination. WFP engaged with ministries, sub-regional entities and other stakeholders before and
during the TC Winston response, in order to strengthen the programmatic skills and technical competencies of the
Government's personnel and cooperating partners. WFP regularly contributed to inter-cluster meetings, providing
strategic guidance to partners in all sectors.
Summary of WFP Operational Objectives
Initial estimates of the humanitarian impact of Tropical Cyclone Winston indicated significant devastation over 12
geographical areas, and 40,000 people requiring immediate assistance with food, shelter, water supply and
sanitation, and health services. WFP support was initially provided by logistics and information and communications
technology (ICT) teams already on the ground, engaged in capacity development activities as part of the WFP
Asia-Pacific emergency preparedness and response (EPR) strategy designed to strengthen the capacity of national
institutions to better coordinate, prepare and respond to emergencies. Following an official request for support from
the Government, WFP launched two emergency operations to provide life-saving assistance to meet the food and
nutrition needs of populations most severely affected by the cyclone.
Immediate Response Emergency Operation (IR-EMOP) 200952, approved budget USD 714,300, was launched
from 1 March to 30 May 2016 to: 1) deploy a versatile response team to reinforce the coordination mechanisms of
the Food Security and Livelihoods, Logistics and Emergency Telecommunications Clusters; 2) provide
programmatic and technical advisory services and information management support; 3) undertake rapid market and
telecommunications assessments; and 4) initiate a joint food assistance programme through cash-based transfers
(CBT) with the Government to meet the food needs of an initial 7,000 critically affected people for two months.
Emergency Operation (EMOP) 200957, approved budget USD 3.3 million, which ran from 21 March to 31
October 2016, aimed to complement the Government's response efforts and provide emergency food assistance
through CBT to 72,000 vulnerable people living in the areas worst affected by the cyclone. The EMOP also aimed to
strengthen the capacity of the Government and humanitarian partners to sort, pack and store relief items, and
enhance the Government's disaster management and communications capacities.
Fiji, Republic of the Fiji Islands (FJ)
5
Single Country IR-EMOP - 200952