The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) have launched a pioneering Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA) Risk Mapping Package for the Food Security Cluster, which coordinates food security responses during and after humanitarian crises in 34 operations worldwide. Developed under WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain’s two-year Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) Championship on Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse and Sexual Harassment, this tool aims to help humanitarians better protect vulnerable communities and address gaps in existing SEA guidance.
Unlike many existing SEA resources that are complex, resource-intensive, or too generic for field operations, the new package provides simple, visual, and context-adaptable materials that can be used in meetings, trainings, and planning sessions without requiring additional resources or lengthy assessments. This approach integrates PSEA into day-to-day humanitarian programming, making safeguarding a practical and operational priority. Similar packages have also been developed for Logistics, Emergency Telecommunications, Health, and Shelter Clusters under the IASC Championship.
The initiative underscores the commitment of WFP and FAO leadership to make PSEA a core standard in humanitarian action. Executive Director Cindy McCain emphasized that humanitarian workers have a responsibility to prevent sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment, and that this practical tool enables partners to identify and manage SEA risks effectively during frontline operations. FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu highlighted the tool as a tangible example of collective action prioritizing protection, dignity, and rights.
The package equips Food Security Cluster Coordinators to identify and address SEA risks within sectoral activities, strengthening safeguards across the humanitarian system. It was developed in collaboration with Empowered Aid, a participatory research initiative based at the Global Women’s Institute at George Washington University, focused on preventing SEA in aid delivery.
WFP Director of Emergencies Ross Smith noted that as humanitarian programmes face resource constraints, the risk of SEA rises, making it crucial to embed risk identification into routine sectoral work. FAO’s Rein Paulsen emphasized that the tool allows clusters to identify and address SEA risks early in emergency response and resilience-building activities, ensuring that assistance does not harm the communities served.
The SEA Risk Mapping and Mitigation Package, featuring adaptable checklists and practical workshop materials for different clusters, is now available on ReliefWeb for use by humanitarian actors globally.
