The UNHRD Depot in Brindisi is the first in the UNHRD Network (United Nations Humanitarian Response Depot – a network of UN rapid response operational bases, managed by WFP/WFP as the lead agency of the logistics cluster). It was inaugurated in 2000 within the O. Pierozzi Military Airport and then relocated in 2014 to the new base in S. Vito dei Normanni, with the exception of medical kits, which remained at the airport as they are stored in a climate-controlled environment.Starting in 2006, WFP replicated the successful Brindisi model by creating the current Network to improve humanitarian response in emergency situations, establishing five additional depots in strategic locations: Europe (Las Palmas, Spain), the Middle East (Dubai, United Arab Emirates), Africa (Accra, Ghana), Latin America (Panama City, Panama), and Southeast Asia (Subang, Malaysia).The Brindisi base and Italy play a key role not only because Brindisi served as a model for other Network depots, but also because since 2023, the Base Manager also serves as Deputy Network Coordinator, while the Network Coordination Cell (NCC) and the Network Coordinator are based at WFP offices in Rome. Within the UNHRD Network, the Italian Government is the main donor for the Brindisi Depot (contributing €3,218,376 in 2024), while also utilizing WFP services for humanitarian transport operations. This initiative aims to ensure the annual operation and management of the Brindisi Depot, as well as the overall sustainability of the UNHRD Network, by financing the Base’s logistical and administrative services for rapid humanitarian response and the management of stored goods for shipment to countries affected by complex crises or disasters. The specific objective of the initiative is to ensure the proper management and full operational capacity of the UNHRD Depot in Brindisi, while contributing to the overall sustainability of the Network to provide aid to populations affected by natural disasters and/or complex emergencies caused by conflicts or other human-induced events. The Network’s 2024 financial statement closed at USD 14,810,580, with revenues from donor contributions and other funding sources fully covering costs. Regarding the Italian Government’s funding for 2024, the contribution to the Brindisi Depot was used to support base management costs and the progressive expansion of the new training and simulation area, notably in relation to the Food For Gaza initiative (two air shipments via Jordan totaling 100 tons of food and essential supplies), as well as interventions in three additional countries and crisis areas, totaling six shipments. For the 2025 request submitted by WFP to Italy, in addition to covering the so-called “running costs” of Brindisi, the proposal also includes the “pro-rata” contribution to the Network, generally calculated as a percentage of Brindisi’s management costs, with the exact amount varying according to the applied exchange rate (currently the Network share is 5% of Brindisi’s management costs), as well as indirect support costs (ISC) set at 6.5%. The funding requested from Italy to support the operation and management of the Brindisi Depot for 2025 amounts to €3,216,687. read more close