WFP Global Passenger Air Service, the only solution for humanitarians stranded in the Latin American region
Latin America and the Caribbean continues to record the world’s COVID-19 worst numbers, battling to flatten its curve while racking up persistently high infection levels and dramatic mortality rates. Of the 15 countries with the highest death rate in the world, 11 are in Latin America.
As travel restrictions in the region suspended commercial flights as part of a comprehensive array of measures designed to combat the pandemic, WFP immediately implemented a response plan activating flights to Colombia, Venezuela, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala and Haiti.
Most humanitarians and health workers active in the region either remained stuck with no chance to travel abroad, either could not report back to their duty stations from their homes in Europe, North America and other countries. Espedito Nastro is one of them.
Espedito is a Food Security Analyst assigned to the position of Research Assessment and Monitoring (RAM) Officer in Panama. He is among those WFP colleagues who remained stuck in Italy, while the country was gripped by a severe lockdown from March to May.
When WFP launched the network of flights in Latin America and the Caribbean, Espedito finally returned to Panama and conducted a crucial assessment mission in Venezuela. “WFP Global Passenger Air Service was the only option to reach Panama City. I flew to Mexico via Paris from Rome, and I then took the WFP connection to Toluca. From there, I flew to Honduras, where I met some other colleagues on the plane and we then reached Panama.” He has met many humanitarians through his journey, who all recognized the WFP’s efforts to provide the necessary solutions for passengers who have been stranded in different countries through the region. “Solutions have been found for a large number of stranded passengers.” Says Espedito, acknowledging the work as well done by WFP with the authorities to either clear passengers through immigration formalities, enter the appropriate quarantine arrangements, or organize flights to repatriate staff to their home or onward destinations.
