On 04 SEP 2007, a Category 5 hurricane, ‘Felix’, hit the coast of the Northern Autonomous Region (RAAN) in Nicaragua. WFP responded immediately by distributing emergency relief from existing stocks and launched an immediate response emergency operation (IR-EMOP) to assist 38,000 victims, and a nine-month emergency operation (EMOP) to assist 80,000 persons with a general food distribution (GFD) followed by a supplementary feeding programme (SFP) for 35,000 beneficiaries. WFP also planned food for work (FFW) for 55,000 persons. It is unlikely that the under-funded protracted relief and recovery operation (PRRO) could have achieved the same results. The EMOP was resourced 90 per cent against the appeal. A no-cost extension to NOV 30 2008 was made. The evaluation objectives were: first, to assess the achievement of objectives, the effectiveness of the means employed, and account for expenditures; and second, to draw lessons to improve hurricane responses in Nicaragua and the region, make recommendations, and highlight good practice. The evaluation used stakeholder discussions, particularly beneficiary perspectives, field observations and secondary data. Some WFP staff were no longer in post and some key informants were not in country, but the evaluation is confident that it succeeded substantially in establishing the facts and securing valid interpretations. The anticipated lack of baseline data on location-specific nutritional status and food security data was a limitation.
