WFP EMERGENCY REPORT Issued weekly by the United Nations World Food Programme Report No. 32 / 2000, Date: 11 August 2000
This report includes: A) World Drought; B) Sudan; C) Horn of Africa: Kenya and Eritrea; D) Caucasus: Georgia and Armenia; E) DPR Korea; F) Latin America and Caribbean: Honduras, Nicaragua and Cuba; G) Middle East: Syria, Jordan and Palestinian Territory; H) Mozambique; I) FR Yugoslavia. From Francesco Strippoli, Senior Humanitarian Adviser. Available on the Internet on the WFP Home, Page or by e-mail from Zlatan.Milisic@wfp.org. For information on resources, donors are requested to contact Aleesa.Blum@wfp.org or Marius.deGaayFortman@wfp.org at WFP Rome, telephone 39 06 6513 2004 or 06 6513 2250. Media queries should be directed to Trevor.Rowe@wfp.org telephone 39 06 6513 2602. The address of WFP is Via Cesare Giulio Viola 68, Parco dei Medici, 00148 Rome, Italy. PART I - HIGHLIGHTS (Details below in Part II) A) World Drought - over 100 million people in over 20 countries suffer from drought; 16 million assisted by WFP; most seriously affected Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea; Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Pakistan; Armenia and Georgia; Honduras, Nicaragua, Cuba and Haiti; Iran, Jordan and Syria; several other countries including DPR Korea, China, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, Tanzania and Burundi also reporting drought; WFP drought related projects doubled in 2000 and are 20 percent of all emergency requirements; In Ethiopia, Kenya and Afghanistan WFP assisting 12 million people at USD 352 million; USD 700 million needed globally for drought mitigating projects, half available; more contributions urgently needed. B) Sudan - UN suspended relief flights to southern Sudan after bombing; WFP evacuated all staff from Mapel after subsequent bombing and issued public protest; suspension of relief operations feared to have serious impact on vulnerable population; WFP currently assisting over 750,000 people in south; influx of 20,000 displaced into Bentiu already with many people in need. C) Horn of Africa: Kenya - drought alarming; WFP operation funded 34 percent; new contributions urgently needed; WFP plan to distribute 30,000 tons per month to 3.3 million people; distributions and coordination going on generally smoothly; SO approved in support of EMOP; insecurity and incidents reported in several areas; expanded school feeding programme to assist over million children; Eritrea - 21,000 of 90,000 refugees repatriated; refugees temporarily in transit camps until they can return home; nutritional survey in Mekete camp indicates a malnutrition rate of 7.7 percent; low rate attributed to regular provision of food by WFP; seven mobile storage tents (rubb-halls) erected for storage of commodities. D) Caucasus: Georgia - worst drought in 30 years; worst hit eastern parts, Kakheti region most with reported harvest losses up to 95 percent; concerns also about seeds and water; FAO/WFP mission underway; first impressions that situation is more serious than foreseen; Armenia dry and hot weather not seen for 100 years; all ten provinces affected; some areas lost 60 percent of crops; prices increasing. government appeal to WFP for food aid E) DPR Korea - no rains from April to late July; damage to crops already done; no cereals available to WFP after August; two inter-agency missions found localised drought conditions; water shortages; FAO/WFP mission in late June identified localised drought; fears for next harvest; another FAO/WFP mission in September; WFP will ensure assistance to limited caseload during summer; families outside WFP caseload dependent on alternative wild foods. F) Latin America and Caribbean: Honduras - drought affecting southern region; joint WFP/Government assessment anticipates crop losses of 80-90 percent; prices already rising; 234,500 families affected by drought; WFP plans to distribute 3,228 tons of food aid to 10,111 most affected families through supplementary feeding of most vulnerable; Nicaragua - serious drought; losses of first harvest 13 percent; concentrated in regions traditionally vulnerable to natural disasters; in 11 municipalities losses exceed 60 percent of expected yields; small farmer households consuming only 1770 kcal; land-less families consuming 1300 kcal, 63 percent of minimum requirement, WFP in-country stocks only 500 tons; Cuba - drought in eastern provinces over last three years; crop failures on 99,000 hectares; this year three other provinces also affected; very little probability for recovery from ongoing drought. G) Middle East: Syria - worst drought in 40 years continuing second year; small-holder herders already lost 60 percent of assets; many might face destitution, poverty and hunger; malnutrition visible among children; WFP initially distributed 800 tons of wheat; operation extended to 23,688 tons, to assist 47,500 small herder households; only one third of requirement delivered so far due to lack of funds; new contributions urgently needed; Jordan - 1999 harvest poorest on record covering one percent of cereal requirement; drought continued into this year; WFP EMOP for 180,000 people; distributions done in March and July; 17,767 tons to be distributed under EMOP, until November; Palestinian Territory - protracted economic crisis; increased possibilities for instability; food insecurity particularly affecting most vulnerable WFP assistance target 104,000 people; distributions sporadic due to lack of resources, last distribution in May; next food available only in September; WFP operation funded 40 percent. H) Mozambique - 543,660 people assisted in July by WFP; beneficiary numbers and free distributions decreasing; FFW training under preparation; technical teams visit areas to review food needs in post-emergency period; beneficiary figures for new EMOP being assessed; most assistance to be through FFW; problems identified with resettlement program, authorities informed; road access problems persist; train options being reviewed; UN seminar on lessons learned planned for September. I) FR Yugoslavia - FAO/WFP mission report released; country facing increasing food shortages; considerable reduction in food supply and price increases expected; food security of low-income population jeopardised; combination of man-made and natural disasters reduced yields; wheat area for harvest 581,000 hectares; wheat harvest expected between 1.66 and 1.8 million tons. WFP currently assisting 700,000 people in Serbia and Montenegro, until end of year. J) South Asia Floods: India, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Nepal - floods have seriously affected transport, communications, property and crops in several countries. Millions of people are left homeless or displaced, mainly in India. Roads and bridges throughout the region have been severely damaged or cut. Most recently, in some areas people have reportedly started to return to their villages. WFP teams are a part of UN missions which are traveling to flood effected areas do review the situation and carry out assessments. PART II - DETAILS A) World Drought - information as of 9 August a) The number of people assisted by WFP due to drought has more than quadrupled in the last four years. More than 100 million people in over 20 countries currently suffer the effects of drought and over 16 million of those affected are assisted by WFP. The Programme is working in virtually all parts of the world to provide emergency food aid to people who have lost their crops or livelihoods due to drought. b) The Horn of Africa remains in the grip of a severe drought with more than 16 million people facing severe food shortages. Kenya alone is suffering from one of its worst droughts in recorded history. Ethiopia is very seriously affected as well, while the drought affects are also apparent in Eritrea, Djibouti and Somalia. In Central Asia, the drought is particularly severe in Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Pakistan. It is spreading to Caucasus, where serious crops failures are anticipated in Armenia and Georgia. Drought is currently also affecting Central America and the Caribbean, particularly Honduras, Nicaragua, Cuba and Haiti. The countries seriously affected in the Middle East include Jordan, Syria and Iran. Many other countries, including DPR Korea, China, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, Burundi and Tanzania are also reporting very dry climate, related reductions in agricultural production and shortages. c) Funding needed for WFP projects mitigating drought represents about 20 percent of the total emergency requirements for this year. Taking into account the steadily increasing global emergency requirements, drought-specific resource requirements have more than doubled in 2000. In three of the most extensive operations, in Ethiopia, Kenya and Afghanistan, WFP is currently spending more than USD 352 million to feed some 12 million people. d) Of the over USD 700 million that WFP needs to assist the drought affected population of the world during the year, only half has been made available by donors so far. Urgent new contributions are needed to maintain the provision of food aid to population most affected by the drought. B) Sudan - information as of 10 August a) Concerned about the safety of UN staff after warplanes bombed Tonj and Mapel, killing seven people and narrowly missing a UN relief plane, on 8 August the UN suspended relief flights into southern Sudan. Following two subsequent bombings of Mapel on 10 August, which involved 18 bombs that fell in the vicinity of relief agency compounds, WFP decided to evacuate all staff from the area and issued a public protest, claiming that the bombings were targeting relief agencies. WFP hopes to resume the operations as soon as the security situation allows this. b) It is feared that the suspension of relief operations will have a serious impact on vulnerable population of the area, especially as the early rains have failed and reduction in the local agricultural production is expected. WFP is currently assisting over 750,000 people in the south who are dependent on food aid. c) NGOs operating as a part of the Operation Lifeline Sudan (OLS) consortium accused the Government of carrying out 33 bombing raids on civilian targets in July. They expressed their concern over the security of humanitarian personnel and facilities, claiming that aid agency compounds and planes had been targeted and that the raids have already had an affect on relief operations in southern Sudan. d) An influx of displaced people into Bentiu, the capital of Unity state has greatly strained humanitarian and food availability situation in the town. About 20,000 people displaced by recent fighting had reached Bentiu in the last three weeks. This is an additional stress to limited resources in the town where large numbers of people dependent on humanitarian aid had already been located. C) Horn of Africa: Kenya and Eritrea 1) Kenya - information as of 7 August a) Drought situation remains alarming, with increasing reports of food insecurity even in traditional food surplus areas of the country, including the central highlands. WFP emergency operation in Kenya has so far been funded only by 34 percent and the food pipeline remains precarious for most commodities. Additional donor contributions are urgently needed, in order to provide adequate relief to those in need. WFP plan is distribute 30,000 tons of food aid each month between July and December, to 3.3 million Kenyans most affected by the drought. b) General distributions in all operational areas are going on generally smoothly, without major obstacles. Technical problems in regard to transportation of relief cargo caused some delays in the deliveries to final distribution points, but the problems were quickly resolved. In certain locations, July was the first month in which distributions took place under the EMOP, so some minor problems were expected. Coordination is working well. For each district, WFP food monitors have been appointed to coordinate all food aid distributions under a new, single distribution system, regardless if the food is provided by WFP, the Government or NGOs. c) Special Logistics Operation in support of the ongoing emergency operation, aimed at road repairs and rehabilitation, has been approved by WFP. At the moment, tender documents are being prepared. Funding source for this special operation still has to be identified. d) Clan fighting in the north of Wajir is forcing movement of some people southwards. Most WFP beneficiaries have moved to safer locations and are afraid to return to their home areas to receive food rations. Problems were experienced with the provision of security escorts in Wajir and two WFP security officers will visit the location to address the issue. There are increasing reports of insecurity along the road from Lokichoggio to Lodwar and Kakuma. On 31 July, an empty lorry was stopped 10 km south of Lokichoggio and the driver killed. e) WFP has had a regular feeding programme in the country for several years, that has been supporting schools in twenty arid and semi-arid districts. The Expanded School Feeding Programme (ESFP), started this year, assists schools within these regions that were previously not targeted, as well as schools in traditionally non-arid districts that have been adversely affected by the drought. A total of 847,000 children were targeted by WFP during the second term of this year and some 1,051,800 children are expected to benefit from the school feeding during the third term. In all the schools visited by WFP field teams, it was reported that the programme had stabilised daily attendance. Involvement and contributions to the ESFP by the parents are considerable and include off-loading of all food commodities, provision of storage and cooking utensils and engagement of cooks and watchmen. Firewood and water is normally brought by the pupils. 2) Eritrea - information as of 8 August a) Some 21,000 of the 90,000 Eritreans who fled into eastern Sudan to escape the war with Ethiopia have been voluntarily repatriated since July 25, from Shagareb (12,000 people), Lafa and Gulsa camps. The refugees were repatriated to Guluj, Tesseney, Gergef and Tebeldia, where they will be temporarily housed in transition camps until they can return to their homes, mostly located in areas still under Ethiopian control. b) A report of a nutritional survey carried out by SCF-UK and the Ministry of Health in Mekete camp near Afabet indicates a malnutrition rate of 7.7 percent (6.9 moderate and 0.8 severe). The low malnutrition rate is attributed to the regular provision of food aid to the IDPs by WFP, prior and after their arrival to the camp. c) Seven mobile storage tents (rubb-halls) have been erected in Keren, Forto, Kieru, Dighe, Afabet, Kotobia, and Adikesh for storage of WFP commodities. D) Caucasus: Georgia and Armenia 1) Georgia - information as of 10 August a) The country is facing the worst drought in 30 years (on the record according to some sources), that has already seriously affected agricultural production and caused a steady increase in food prices. Water shortages in rural areas are a serious concern as well. The worst affected areas are eastern parts of the country. In Kakheti region, the most affected region of the five, some 450,000 people have reportedly lost up to 95 percent of their wheat and sunflower harvest and many have already exhausted their coping mechanisms. There is also a concern about seed shortages for the next planting season, in November. Fodder for livestock is also in short supply and its price has reportedly increased threefold. Water shortages b) FAO/WFP Crop and Food Supply Assessment mission is currently underway, to review the affects of the drought and identify food aid and other related needs. Field teams of the Mission will visit all five regions of the country. The first impressions are that the situation is more serious than foreseen, with food security of large part of the population deteriorating rapidly. A need to provide food aid and seed inputs is already apparent. 2) Armenia - information as of 10 August a) Following the dry and hot weather not seen for the past 100 years, the Government reported substantial damages to the agricultural sector and food economy of the country. All ten of the country's provinces are affected, though to varying degrees, with some areas loosing up to 60 percent of the crops. Around 100,000 tons of grains are expected to be lost. Prices of agricultural products are increasing. The most critical sectors identified by the Government are the lack of seeds and water for irrigation. b) Most recently, the Government appealed to WFP to provide food aid for the population most affected by the drought. WFP is currently in contact with FAO in regard to the launching of an assessment mission to determine the extent of damage and relief needs. E) DPR Korea - information as of 9 August a) There have been almost no rains in the country during April, May, June and most of July. Some rainfall has fallen since, but damage to the crops has already been done. This is of particular concern, as no cereals will be available to WFP after August due to lack o funds. Two inter-agency missions visited areas close to Pyongyang to assess the situation and found localised drought conditions and paddy fields that were muddy or dry and cracked. The recent rainfall has eased the situation to an extent, but in much of the country there is still no standing water in the rice fields and the reservoirs producing electricity for irrigation pumps are filled well below capacity. Further inter-agency visits are planed to monitor the situation. b) Food availability was assessed by the FAO/WFP Crop and Food Supply Assessment mission in late June. Its findings indicated that drought conditions have affected double cropping and raised fears that the present unfavourable conditions will affect the next harvest of maize and rice, which normally provide cereals for distributions during winter and early spring. Another FAO/WFP mission will take place in September, after the harvest. c) WFP will ensure that the beneficiaries of its ongoing projects, mainly children, nursing and expectant women and the elderly, are not affected by food shortages during the summer. However, as there are no cereal pledges for the period after August, WFP urgently requires new contributions to ensure subsequent distributions. Many families who fall outside the WFP beneficiary caseload, mainly those of industrial workers, are now entirely dependent on alternative wild foods, which often have little nutritional value and can cause stomach problems. The school attendance has been affected, as children accompany their parents in search of food. The situation is most serious in the mainly industrial north-east of the country, where WFP has been targeting an additional 4,477 tons of food over the summer months, primarily through food-for-work. F) Latin America and Caribbean: Honduras, Nicaragua and Cuba 1) Honduras - information as of 9 August a) Drought has been affecting the southern region of the country since June. The most affected departments are Francisco Morazan, El Paraiso, La Paz, Choluteca and Valle. WFP and the Government undertook a joint assessment in the affected areas, in late July, to determine the effects of the drought. The assessment revealed that crop losses of maize and beans are expected between 80 and 90 percent. Maize and beans are the most important crops in these areas and their prices at local markets have already increased by 20 and 30 percent. b) The population affected by the drought is around 234,500 families, of which 136,200 live below the poverty line. The majority of the population depend on labour opportunities in the agricultural sector as their main source of income and the drought has seriously reduced these employment opportunities, endangering the livelihoods of those who rely on it. c) WFP plans to distribute 3,228 tons of food aid (maize, rice, beans, canned fish and vegetable oil) to 10,111 most affected families, during five months between August to December. This assistance will be mainly distributed through supplementary feeding programmes for children under five, pregnant and nursing mothers and elderly persons. 2) Nicaragua - information as of 9 August a) Serious drought is affecting the country. The Ministry of Agriculture has estimated the losses of the first harvest of the year at 13 percent of the total crop yield. While the overall losses are not very alarming, the problem is that the they are concentrated in the regions traditionally vulnerable to natural disasters, those affected by the El Nino Drought in 1997 and Hurricane Mitch in 1998. Highest losses were reported in the departments of Nueva Segovia, Madriz, Esteli, Leon, Chinandega, Carazo, Rivas, Jinotega and Matagalpa, mainly affecting maize and beans crops, which are the staple food for most rural families. In 11 municipalities of these departments, the losses exceed 60 percent of the expected crop yields.. b) WFP has undertaken a Household Food Economy Assessment to evaluate the situation. The results from this assessment will be available shortly. Preliminary findings show that small farmer households are already consuming food below the minimum requirement, at around 1770 kcal per person per day, while the land-less families are consuming an alarmingly low energy intake of only 1300 kcal, 63 percent of the minimum requirement. These findings need to be verified through another survey with a larger sampling size. WFP response to the situation will be guided by the recommendations of the Household Food Economy Assessment. c) WFP capacity to respond quickly to any request for emergency assistance is currently very low, due to the lack of available food commodities. The existing protracted relief and recovery operation is facing serious problems with resources, with only 500 tons of food available for distribution. 3) Cuba - information as of 9 August a) An intense drought has been affecting the five eastern provinces of Cuba over the last three years, causing major crop failures on over 99,000 hectares of land. The production of milk and meat has also dropped considerably. The drought has seriously affected the food security of many Cuban families. This year the drought is also affecting the provinces of Pinar del Rio, Ciego de Avila, Camaguey. The Meteorology Institute of Cuba informed that the total expected rainfall, combined with the accumulated precipitation from December 1999 to June, allows very little probability for the recovery from the ongoing drought. b) In 1998 and 1999, WFP provided emergency food aid to the drought victims in the five eastern provinces through an emergency operation valued at USD 27.2 million. WFP contributed USD 20.5 million and the Government USD 6.7 million. This operation benefited 257,300 drought affected people, but finished in December 1999. G) Middle East: Syria, Jordan and Palestinian Territory 1) Syria - information as of 9 August a) Rainfall data indicates that the worst drought in 40 years is continuing for the second consecutive year. Productive assets and coping mechanisms of many affected people have been depleted. It is estimated that small-holder herders have already lost about 60 percent of their assets and, by the end of August, their losses are expected to be even higher. It is feared that many might face the prospects of destitution, poverty and hunger. Signs of malnutrition are visible among children and the health authorities report their increasingly weakness. Worsening food security situation of the drought-affected population is evident. b) The Government has intervened within its limited resources to relieve the drought victims. WFP initially executed an emergency operation in September 1999, distributing some 800 tons of wheat. As this assistance fell far below the actual requirements, WFP approved a larger operation and appealed for 23,688 tons of wheat flour, in order to assist 47,500 small herder households, about 329,000 people, at a total cost of the operation at USD 6.3 million. So far, WFP has been able to deliver only one third of the quantity appealed for, some 7,890 tons, and continues to appeal to donors for the remaining quantity, which is urgently needed to assist the most vulnerable drought-affected population. 2) Jordan - information as of 9 August a) The 1998/99 winter in Jordan was the driest one on record, as well as the subsequent harvest, which amounted to 10 percent of the average production and covered only one percent of the domestic cereal requirement. Drought conditions continued into the 1999/2000 crop season and the production has again been limited by poor rainfall. b) An emergency operation of WFP is currently in place for 180,000 most affected people, aimed at supplementing food available from other sources and facilitating recovery through preservation of assets. The emergency operation was approved in July 1999, but the food aid distributions started only in March as the first donor contributions were confirmed only in December. The second cycle of WFP distributions was effected in July. Relief food rations have been provided to 168,000 persons, while the remaining 12,000 persons have been receiving food assistance through participation of their family members in productive activities. A total of 17,767 tons are to be distributed under the EMOP, which is expected to terminate in November, at a total cost of USD 4.4 million. 3) Palestinian Territory - information as of 10 August a) The protracted economic crisis in the Territory is rooted in an uncertain political environment. Following the breakdown of negotiations between the Palestinian Authority and Israel, at the end of July, the possibilities for instability have increased. Hardship and food insecurity, in both the Gaza Strip and West Bank is particularly affecting women-headed households, disabled, elderly and people living in institutions. These groups have weak purchasing power and limited coping mechanisms. WFP assistance aims to ensure that their basic food needs are met. Distributions are targeted to the destitute and poorest households enrolled in the safety net scheme (100,000 people) and selected NGO-operated institutions for handicapped, orphans and abandoned children (4,000 people). b) Due to lack of resources, the last WFP food aid distributions were in May and no food has been available for WFP distributions in June, July and August. Some 2,000 tons of wheat flour and 200 tons of vegetable oil are currently in transit, expected to become available for distribution at the end of August. These quantities are expected to cover most food aid needs in September and October. Funding for an additional 1,500 tons of wheat flour has also been secured, but further donor contributions are required for the subsequent period. WFP operational requirements for the relief operation have so far been covered only by 40 percent. H) Mozambique - information as of 7 August a) In July, WFP distributed food to 543,660 people. The number of WFP beneficiaries in Gaza and Maputo decreased compared to the past months, while in other areas it remained at the previous level or increased. WFP expects further decrease of beneficiary figures after a review in Sofala, Manica and northern Inhambane. Free food aid distributions are to be reduced from 1 August as the situation generally continues to improve. In a meeting held on 3 July in Xai Xai, WFP requested rehabilitation project proposals that can be integrated into WFP's development activities designed to mitigate disasters. A first training session on the identification, implementation and management of food for work (FFW) activities is being prepared by WFP, with the support of the INGC and the National Roads Administration. b) Following the recommendation by the Vulnerability Analysis Group, two teams of technical experts from INGC and WFP visited areas in Maputo, Gaza, Inhambane, Sofala, and Manica provinces to gather information on food needs in the critical post-emergency period. The districts visited were generally at an advanced stage in the identification and formulation of recovery projects, but some areas still require some relief. The main causes of food insecurity are loss of crops and reduced fishing opportunities. c) Beneficiary figures for the planned new emergency operation are being assessed. Most of the assistance will be in the form of FFW, but there will be a need for some relief distributions in areas where poor harvest is expected due to continuing high water levels. d) Problems have been identified with the resettlement program. It seems that the displaced do not wish to stay in the allocated locations and prefer to go back to their home areas, which are exposed to flood risks. Some resettlement areas are within already existing communities, while in others the soil is reportedly of a poor quality so people are reluctant to invest work. There are also reports that some families are awaiting the reconstruction materials, but do not plan to build in the locations allocated to them. The problems have been brought to the attention of the authorities. e) Road access problems persist in many areas and WFP still has to use trucks with a maximum capacity of 10 tons. Considerations are being made to send 300 tons of food by train from Beira (via Zimbabwe) to Mabalane and Mapai in northern Gaza. f) The United Nations plans to hold a seminar in the beginning of September to discuss the lessons learned from the flood relief operation in Mozambique. I) FR Yugoslavia - information as of 10 August a) The FAO/WFP Crop and Food Supply Assessment mission report has been released, following the field visits of the mission to Serbia and Montenegro, in late June and early July. According to the report, Yugoslavia will be facing increasing food shortages, as drought and economic problems have cut crop yields. A considerable reduction in food supply and further price increases are expected in the coming year. This will jeopardise the food security of the low-income population. b) The availability of food at low controlled prices is inadequate and is further decreasing, while an increasing amount of food is being channelled to the higher priced, more loosely regulated market. At the same time, salaries and wages are decreasing. Food already accounts for a significant proportion of the household budgets. c) The combination of man-made and natural disasters, including damages from last year's bombing, sanctions, floods, water logging and drought, have reduced average yields. The report estimates that the wheat area for harvest has fallen in this year to 581,000 hectares, from 619,000 in 1999 (and 800,000 in 1991). The wheat harvest is expected at between 1.66 and 1.8 million tons. d) WFP is currently assisting around 700,000 refugees and other vulnerable people in Serbia and Montenegro, under an emergency operation expected to last until the end of the year. J) South Asia Floods: India, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Nepal 1) India - information as of 11 August a) The South West Monsoon caused floods in 11 states. Large parts of the country received excessive rainfall. Although the waters are receding at the moment, the river levels in Assam, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal states are still over the danger mark. The worst affected states are Assam and Bihar. The official death toll caused by the floods is 426 persons. There is an acute problem of safe drinking water. Gastrointestinal diseases are expected to increase. The military have been involved in helping the affected population. State Government of Asam has asked for international assistance. WFP is trying to identify possible food for work projects that would mitigate the affects of the floods and provide emergency food rations to some of the affected population. 2) Bhutan - information as of 11 August a) Due to heavy rains, several areas in the south along the border with India have been severely flooded. This is said to be the worst flood on record in Bhutan history. Phuentsholing and Pasakha are the most affected areas. The main water supply has been cut off, because the water pipes broke. The road between Phuntsholing and the capital Thimphu is closed. The implications of the road closure are already felt in Thimphu, with lack of fuel, food and other essential items. The Government is making all efforts to clear and repair the road. The communication between India and Bhutan was re-established on 9 August. Water supply is the worst reported problem and actions to intervene to prevent water-borne diseases, such as cholera and typhoid are urgently needed. The Bhutan Ministry of Finance has sent a letter to the United Nations, requesting USD 300,000 emergency assistance to meet the most immediate requirements. Indian Government is distributing water to the people of Phuntsholing, under Indo-Bhutan friendship relations. 3) Bangladesh - information as of 11 August a) Several rivers have risen to dangerous levels, though their further raise has slowed down most recently. Road connections in some areas are cut, but the traffic via boat is being used as a substitution. Most people have remained in their home areas, since the floods are an annual event. The worst affected areas are Manikganj, Munshiganj, Rajbari, Faridpur, Sirajganj and Narayanganj districts. Of considerable concern to public health is the outbreak of Dengue Fever epidemic, reportedly of unprecedented dimensions with related losses of life already reported 4) Nepal - information as of 11 August a) Landslides and floods triggered by incessant rains have caused damage to the eastern parts of the country. The worst affected area is Jhapa, located 290 km south-east of Kathmandu. Some 260 houses are underwater in this area. Notes: - Due to the scope of global WFP emergency operations and limited space of this report, some important WFP operations that had been regularly mentioned in the past weeks have not been included in this report. They will be included in the report next week, again. - All tonnage figures in this report refer to metric tons (End WFP Emergency Report No. 32 / 2000 of 11 August, 2000) distributed by - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Volunteers in Technical Assistance Disaster Information Center lists: www.vita.org/listsub.htm sitreps nat-dsr web: www.vita.org fireline - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - World Food Program Reports: http://www.vita.org/disaster/wfp