Russia's Kamaz trucks support WFP operations in East and Central Africa
MOMBASA, KENYA – A contribution of 53 KAMAZ trucks and 10 trailers, donated by the government of the Russian Federation to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), have been handed over today in the port city of Mombasa. These trucks will be stationed in WFP’s Regional Logistics Hub in Kampala, Uganda and will assist its distributions and deliveries throughout the East and Central African region.
“It is imperative to our operations that we have the logistical capacity to move food quickly and reliably to where it is needed most,” said Brenda Behan, WFP’s Deputy Regional Director for East and Central Africa. “We are incredibly grateful to the Russian Federation for this generous donation which will enhance our fleet capacity in this region.”
“The Russian Federation is happy to contribute these trucks and support vehicles and parts to WFP in its regional hubs based in Kenya, and also in the United Arab Emirates, Ghana, and Uganda this year” said Dmitry Maksimychev, Russian Ambassador to Kenya “Russia believes our contribution will help WFP better assist vulnerable people more effectively, and represents a significant moment for the well-established, growing partnership between Russia and WFP in the area of logistical technologies.”
The trucks have a transportation capacity of 10-14 metric tons each and will be dispatched to Uganda within the coming weeks, along with a fuel tanker, two mobile training facilities and three containers of spare parts.
The vehicles are part of a Russian global contribution to WFP this year of 97 trucks and 30 trailers, accompanied by mobile workshops, spare parts and technicians. The entire donation is estimated at US$9.8m.
This donation comes in addition to Russia’s regular annual voluntary contribution to WFP.
These will be placed in Global Fleet’s three regional hubs in Ghana, UAE and Uganda to strengthen WFP’s transport capacity and enable WFP to continue reaching people in need. Additionally, KAMAZ will provide a three-year training programme for WFP’s fleet and workshop managers, mechanics and drivers.
In difficult operational environments, where needs exceed the capacities of local transporters, WFP deploys its own fleet of trucks to complete the last mile of the deliveries. These trucks are crucial to transport food to areas that are remote, insecure or lacking in infrastructure, where commercial transport capacity is lacking.
In support of WFP’s fleet operation, a dedicated team, WFP Global Fleet, is responsible for the oversight and management of the assets. Global Fleet trucks are deployed to fill critical gaps in the local transport capacity, stabilize transport rates in the event of increased insecurity, and to pioneer new routes.
In 2014, the Russian Federation donated 218 KAMAZ trucks to WFP. These specialized trucks, deployed to the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia and South Sudan, are enabling WFP to augment its transport capacity, thereby improving its emergency response significantly. Since their deployment, the trucks have transported more than 350,000 metric tons over the most demanding and complicated routes, covering 6.5 million kilometres.
These KAMAZ trucks have made a significant contribution to WFP Global Fleet due to their reliability.
# # #
The United Nations World Food Programme - saving lives in emergencies and changing lives for millions through sustainable development. WFP works in more than 80 countries around the world, feeding people caught in conflict and disasters, and laying the foundations for a better future.
Follow us on Twitter @wfp_media @WFP_Africa