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WFP Lebanon Fuel Operation Progress Report (September 2021 - March 2022)

Countries
Lebanon
Sources
Logistics Cluster
+ 1 more
Publication date

Highlights

In mid-2021, the fuel and electricity shortages that Lebanon faced as a consequence of the economic crisis became critical, threatening the provision of essential services. Many hospitals and public water supply and wastewater treatment facilities were forced to reduce services, jeopardizing public health and safety amidst the economic crisis and COVID-19 pandemic. In response, WFP supported WASH and Health facilities through fuel provision to ensure continuity of their operation and that people continue to have access to their services.

In Numbers

  • 10.4 million litres of fuel distributed in total

  • 622 facilities reached across all 8 Governorates in 26 Districts

  • 272 Health Facilities

  • 350 Water Stations

CHALLENGES AND MITIGATION MEASURES

Oversupply of fuel: A number of facilities were receiving fuel through sources other than WFP, without concrete means of coordination at a ministerial or sectoral level.
This led to duplication of efforts, and in turn, has challenged the efficiency of the operation. In addition, the limited storage capacity at most of the facilities necessitated multiple visits per month in order to deliver their monthly requirements, which posed challenges at the coordination level.

Data availability and accuracy: Following the identification of discrepancies in some of the received data for various locations, WFP utilized its superintendent contracted company to conduct on-site assessments to ensure accuracy of the information communicated by the fuel suppliers. In addition, WFP delegated one of its staff to support the data collection and cleaning processes at the Health Sector.

Fuel suppliers’ coverage: The operation had a slow start due to limited logistics capacity of fuel suppliers. This led WFP to increase its resources and contract additional transportation companies to support the operation, allowing for larger quantities of fuel to be delivered in a timely manner. Accessing certain locations however remained relatively challenging due to insufficient transportation capacity, occasional security incidents, as well as turbulent weather conditions.

Volatile fuel prices: Fluctuating international fuel prices, particularly following the Ukraine crisis, have affected WFP’s ability to procure the planned quantities of fuel via available funds. The price of diesel nearly doubled since the beginning of the operation in September 2021 (USD 56 cents/litre) till its closure in March 2022 (USD 1.094 cents/ litre). As a result, WFP had to closely monitor fuel prices and adjust its delivery targets on a weekly basis to ensure funding limits are not exceeded.