On 17 November 2016, Operation Atalanta’s Force Commander, Dutch Commodore Luyckx, visited the Croatian Autonomous Vessel Protection Detachment (AVPD) currently deployed aboard World Food Programme (WFP) ship MV Douro.

The WFP vessel is chartered to carry humanitarian aid for displaced people in Somalia, and needs to sail close to the Somali coast in order to deliver its aid cargo to Somali ports.

The Force Commander addressed the Croatian Team and thanked them for their contribution to Op Atalanta; “Your support is invaluable and over the coming months will ensure thousands of tonnes of food-aid reaches the areas that need it most in Somalia.”

As a counter-piracy operation, Op Atalanta is mandated to not only provide protection to vessels but also to deter and disrupt piracy in the seas off the Somali coast. The AVPD means a warship escort is unnecessary for MV Douro; the Detachment provides a vital extra capability and means EUNAVFOR’s warships can continue their counter-piracy patrols.