Safety Nets Alert Platform

The World Food Programme’s (WFP) Safety Nets Alert Platform (SNAP) is a demand-driven and innovative online platform that uses state-of-the-art analytical tools to produce food security early warning and enhance risk management and social protection. SNAP helps devise timely and evidence-based policies and interventions in support of the most vulnerable.

The Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia regions face extraordinary challenges to food and nutrition security. These regions are exceptionally vulnerable to global food price shocks due to the high dependency on food imports. Socioeconomic shocks can result in a disproportionate burden for the most vulnerable, due to imperfect safety nets. Other countries face these issues too. The International Labour Organization’s (ILO) World Social Protection Report 2017-2019 estimates that 4 billion people worldwide are left without social protection. Most developing countries have also limited capacities to anticipate shocks, assess potential impact and provide targeted support. SNAP fills the need of having in place an agile monitoring system that can enhance early warning, risk management, and social protection.

Reduced funds in governments to respond to crisis and poor targeting require better organized and properly analyzed data, which is identified as one of the main challenges WFP, partners, and governments face when preparing for or responding to a shock. There is a lot of data that is not properly used for evidence-based planning, especially in emergencies when time and resources are limited.

WFP’s Safety Nets Alert Platform (SNAP) bridges this gap. It translates data into easy-to-read information for decision-makers to take rapid actions and prepare interventions in support of vulnerable populations, based on best available evidence.