WFP EMERGENCY REPORT Issued weekly by the United Nations World Food Programme Report No. 41 / 2000 - Date 13 October 2000
This report includes: (A) Palestinian Territory (B) Southeast Asia Floods: Cambodia, Vietnam (C) Central Asia Drought: Afghanistan, Georgia (D) DPR Korea (E) Horn of Africa: Ethiopia, Kenya, Eritrea (F) Great Lakes: DR Congo, Republic of Congo, Burundi (G) Sierra Leone (H) Southern Africa: Angola, Namibia From Francesco Strippoli, Senior Humanitarian Adviser. Available on the Internet on the WFP Home Page (www.wfp.org), or by e-mail from Zlatan.Milisic@wfp.org. For information on resources, donors are requested to contact 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. (A) Palestinian Territory (a) The recent outbreak of violence between Palestinians and Israelis has escalated sharply. Following the deaths of two Israeli soldiers on 12 October, Israeli armed forces shelled positions in the Palestinian Territory (Ramalla and Gaza). Since the clashes started at the end of September, around 100 Palestinians have been killed and up to 3,000 wounded. UN agencies are relocating their non-essential international staff from Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. (b) The entry points for goods between Israel and Gaza Strip/West Bank have been closed for more than two weeks and local markets are showing signs of shortages. Furthermore, thousands of Palestinians who depend on daily wages earned in Israel have been unable to work. (c) Ongoing WFP PRRO for vulnerable groups is implemented mainly through the Ministry of Social Affairs of the Palestinian Authority. Between June and September, resource constraints caused a break in distributions and recent arrivals of WFP food allowed the distributions to be resumed in early October. Beneficiary families in the Gaza Strip have been receiving their food rations but security conditions have not allowed distributions to re-start in the West Bank. WFP food stocks in the Territory and in-transit will meet the requirements only until December. (d) Donor contributions are urgently needed to avoid further breaks in the food pipeline. Current target population of WFP is 104,000 vulnerable people, who are households headed by women, disabled, elderly with no assets or income and those living in institutions (elderly, handicapped, and orphans). Monthly requirements for the WFP operation are 1,200 tons of food (valued at around USD 400,000). If the closures continue, relief food needs are expected to increase. The Palestinian Authority has requested additional assistance to meet the emergency food requirements of families affected by the closures or directly by the recent clashes. A UN Humanitarian Task Force is co-ordinating the emergency requirements. (B) Southeast Asia Floods: Cambodia, Vietnam (1) Cambodia (a) A UN appeal was launched for USD 10.7 million to assist the flood victims over a period of six months. WFP part of this appeal is around USD 8.6 million. WFP emergency operation (EMOP) was approved on 10 October to provide 15,315 tons of food aid to 500,000 people. (b) Since the floods turned into a national emergency, WFP has been an active partner in the relief efforts. It was able to intervene even before the UN Appeal, through its existing protracted relief and recovery operation (PRRO), which has a nation wide presence and a delegated authority EMOP approved in late September for USD 200,000. These two projects have been complementary to the new EMOP. (c) Through the contingency reserve of the PRRO operation, WFP has made available 1,540 tons of food. Some 720 tons have already been distributed to 56,362 beneficiaries and 840 tons will be provided to an additional 93,381 persons in some of the worst hit areas such as Kampong Cham, Prey Veng, Kandal, Kampong Thom, Siem Reap, Kampong Chhnang, Kratie and Kampot. WFP has also just concluded a purchase of 1,774 tons of rice and will purchase additional 5,000 tons under the PRRO. At the sea port of Kampong Som, the first trench (6,400 tons) of a rice contribution of 14,770 tons is being off-loaded. (d) The delegated authority EMOP was approved on 26 September, for USD 200,000 to provide immediate assistance to flood victims while the details of a larger operation were being worked out. WFP is currently procuring 806 tons of rice under this EMOP. (e) As a member of the national Emergency Response Group, WFP has been tasked to coordinate with appropriate line ministries a sub-group on Food Security and Infrastructure. This technical working group has proposed that all food aid be channelled through WFP. (f) WFP has developed a temporary flood database which is updated daily with information collected by WFP assessment teams in the provinces. (2) Vietnam (a) Following the effects of the floods, WFP approved a delegated authority EMOP for USD 200,000 in mid-September. A total of 945 tons of rice is currently being purchased under this EMOP, to be distributed to most affected people in Long An (210 tons), An Giang (315 tons) and Dong Thap (420 tons). First deliveries of the rice are expected around 16 October. Relief distributions are expected to start shortly after and to continue until December. While the WFP intervention is being prepared, IFRC and Vietnam Red Cross (VNRC) have been making their own local purchases of food and distributions are also taking place from the strategic reserve stocks of the Government. (b) Rice provided by WFP will be delivered by the supplier to provincial centres and directly handed over in selected districts for onward transportation and distribution. WFP will closely monitor all distributions. (c) Disaster Management Committee chaired by the UN Resident Coordinator has been meeting periodically, to review the overall response to the emergency. WFP also maintains close contacts with IFRC, VNRC, Disaster Management Unit of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs. (d) WFP is currently participating in discussions coordinated by OCHA regarding possible issuing of a UN appeal to cover three to four months rehabilitation phase, which would coincide with the next cropping season and end in April. (C) West and Central Asia Drought: Afghanistan, Georgia (1) Afghanistan (a) Internally displaced persons (IDPs) fleeing drought-affected areas in Ghor, Badgis and southern Faryab continue to arrive to Herat. Around 30,000 people are currently living at two sites in the city, most in the open or under plastic sheeting. Rains that began ten days ago have exacerbated their already difficult conditions and hampered the construction of mud shelters. UNCHS will carry out a shelter construction project, which will involve some IDP participants who will be paid with food-for-work rations provided by WFP. (b) WFP has been transporting large quantities of wheat into the worst affected areas of Ghor Province, for distribution in coming weeks. Over 2,200 tons of food have been dispatched from Herat in the past ten days. Logistical difficulties and time constraints are considered the greatest obstacles to the efforts to avert large-scale famine in Charkhcharan this winter. Relief distributions, likely to start in three weeks, are planned jointly with ICRC which is contributing oil, pulses, blankets and clothing. (c) Food distribution programme involving 4,500 tons of wheat for 14,000 families is underway in Jawand district of Badgis province (north of Charkhcharan), as well as a distribution of 2,300 tons in Qadis, both priority areas with difficult access. In Jawand, only a small number of villages are accessible by road. (d) In north-eastern Takhar and Badakhshan provinces bordering Tajikistan, some 13,000 of the estimated 72,000 IDPs are without shelter. Distribution of wheat to 5,500 families (50 kg per family) was completed this week in Faizabad, Keshem, Dasht-I Qala, Khoja Bahauddin and Rustaq. Further assistance will be prepared once the longer-term intentions of the IDPs become clear. (2) Georgia (a) WFP staff visited all eight districts of Kakheti region and four districts of Mtskheta-Mtianeti region. Parts of Kakheti region experienced hail damage at the end of September, which caused significant damage to grapes, fruits and tobacco that survived the drought. Most of the households interviewed were mainly consuming bread and vegetables. The price of hay has increased by 540 percent and that of bran by 160 percent, since July. Many pastoralist households fear that they will be unable to keep all of their cattle during the winter due to hay shortages. Government officials estimate a 30 percent decrease in livestock during the winter. (b) Low price of grapes, due to overall low demand in Kakheti region, has further aggravated the income of subsistence farmers who have already lost their other crops due to the drought. Despite the recent relatively favourable weather conditions in Kakheti region, only 15-24 percent of the land has been ploughed, due to the severe shortage of wheat and barley seeds. (D) DPR Korea (a) Assessment of damages by the Typhoon "Prapiron", that hit the north-east coast at the end of August, continued. Damages have been recorded in the provinces of North and South Hamgyong, Ryanggang and Kangwon, mainly affecting the infrastructure. The Government estimated the damages to be in the region of USD 6.1 billion. WFP has been participating in a working group convened by OCHA to coordinate responses by UN agencies and NGOs. An inter-agency mission to assess the damage has been formally requested by the UN and the Government response is awaited. (b) In addition to the 400 tons of food immediately allocated for emergency food-for-work projects, WFP will provide monthly food aid rations to 336,000 people made homeless by the typhoon, while they rebuild their houses. (c) Harvest is believed to be well underway in many areas, but there are varying reports on its size this year. Weather conditions have been particularly unfavourable this year, with low rainfalls at the beginning of the season and strong tropical storms in late August and early September. The extent of the damage to the crops will only be known following the FAO/WFP Crop and Food Supply Assessment mission, which starts on 14 October. (E) Horn of Africa: Ethiopia, Kenya, Eritrea (1) Ethiopia (a) The beginning of October marks the end of meher rains, the main rain season in most of Ethiopia. The meher harvest will be even more important than normal this year, since the earlier and shorter belg rains failed in many parts of the country, as well as the belg dependent crops. In most parts, the meher rains arrived late and were erratic and shorter than normal. Deyr rains started in Gode (Somali region). Rains have also been reported in Afder, Liben and Korahe zones. (b) In its October to December 2000 Climate Outlook, the Drought Monitoring Centre in Nairobi indicates high likelihood of near to below-normal rainfall in the south-west. The report warns that the accumulated rainfall deficit in areas which have been experiencing drought for several seasons may not be off-set even in case of normal rainfall conditions. (c) SCF-UK reported that the overall food security situation in the Northeast Amhara remains poor, but the nutritional status has improved over the last year in most areas surveyed. This improvement is mainly attributed to regular relief assistance and improved area targeting. Nevertheless, the belg harvest in the region was poor and damaged by the kiremt rains, household livestock assets have been considerably reduced and the vulnerability of households in the worst-affected areas has risen. (d) Elders of several villages in Gode, Adadle and Duhun districts have approached WFP claiming that they live too far away from any distribution sites and asked for food aid. WFP is addressing the issue through the DPPC, local authorities, and field monitors. (e) A Joint Emergency Operational Review in the Somali Region started on this week, involving the Government, UN, NGOs and Donors. The general objective of the review is to assess relief operations in response to the drought. The mission is also expected to identify drought-related relief needs for the October- December period and to recommend an operational contingency plan in case the September-October deyr rains fail. (f) The Multi-Agency food needs assessment is under preparation. The assessment will start in early November and continue until mid-December. Twenty-two teams will visit locations throughout the country. FAO/WFP Crop and Food Supply Assessment mission will take place simultaneously with this needs assessment. (g) With an estimated 50 percent of IDPs in Tigray and Afar having voluntarily moved back to their places of origin, the threat of land mines continues to be a primary concern of WFP. (h) Emergency Food Security Reserve situation (on 3 October): (i) 205,064 tons of uncommitted stocks, (ii) 106,564 tons under withdrawal and (iii) 163,931 tons due from outstanding loans. Analysis suggest that there will be limited carry-over stocks into the next year, since the requirements from the early months of this year were not fully met (i) WFP/FATS is planning to move 100,000 to 120,000 tons from Djibouti to Ethiopia in October, at a daily average of 3,500 to 4,500 tons. About 1,250 long-haul trucks are currently operational, as well as all 140 short-haul trucks. (2) Kenya (a) WFP EMOP for 3.4 million drought victims in 19 districts of Kenya is currently funded by 76 percent. Of the total funding shortfall at the beginning of this EMOP phase, of 180,720 tons, donor pledges have been received for 137,341 tons. The overall EMOP requirement is actually 221,456 tons (including the carry-over stocks from the previous EMOP phase). (b) Household food security in Samburu district is reportedly improving, due to regular availability of relief food. However, the malnutrition rate in the district is still around 31 percent. The worst affected areas are Baragoi/Nyiro and Wamba/Waso divisions. Large scale migration of herders was reported into areas around Loroki and Kirisia divisions, where relatively good rains were received in July and August. All other Samburu areas remain dry. (c) In Machakos, the American Red Cross is distributing seeds and fertilisers to 125,632 beneficiaries currently receiving relief food supplied by WFP. (d) The market trends in Wajir district have taken a new turn with the price of livestock and its products increasing, mainly due to the expected short rains. (e) In certain distribution centres in Garissa food was reportedly distributed first to clans and then to beneficiaries and all households received equal ration sizes. This was a deviation from the agreed targeting system, currently being addressed. The incident demonstrates the ongoing misconceptions about the new commodity based targeting distribution (CBTD) system in some areas. (f) Further training of all WFP field monitors is scheduled for the first week of November. The training is expected to strengthen their skills in community participation and participatory rural appraisal techniques and enable them to assist relief committees and partner agency field staff in understanding the dynamics of the CBTD system. (g) Security incidents were reported in Wajir and Moyale and tensions indicating possible incidents in Maralal area of Samburu District, Garrisa and the newly created Ijara District. (3) Eritrea (a) Ministry of Health reported that a nutritional survey involving 1,125 children found severe malnutrition in drought affected areas of Hagaz (17 percent), Habero (16 percent) and Geleb (8 percent). Distributions of WFP-supplied food are currently underway in these areas, which are accessible with difficulty due to the state of the roads. The Ministry also reported that 29 of 46 severely malnourished children in the clinic in Mekete camps have been discharged and that the health and nutrition situation there seems to have stabilised to a degree due to regular provision of food aid commodities. Diarrhoea, malnutrition, pneumonia, jaundice and conjunctivitis are still prevalent in the area, however. (b) A crop performance survey was carried out in three administrative areas of Habero sub-zone. Lower yields are expected this year, mainly due to erratic rains. The survey also indicated that some fields remain unploughed, due to the lack of animals and manpower. (c) The rains continue to decline in the Northern Red Sea and Anseba regions. High and widespread rainfall continues in Gash Barka with Hykota receiving the highest fall (91 mm). (d) A vulnerability analysis and mapping mission is being planned by WFP, to collect and analyse basic socio-economic data and vulnerabilities and review some possible intervention strategies for the future. (e) A total of 2,753 tons of food was distributed to 164,862 beneficiaries during the week, including distributions of a monthly rations to 160,866 war-affected persons in Debub, Gash Barka and the Northern Red Sea regions (2,552 tons) and 90-day rations to 3,996 drought-affected persons in Anseba (201 tons). WFP in-country stocks include 13,127 tons of food. (f) Post-distribution monitoring survey in Filfile (Habero, Anseba region) confirmed that the beneficiaries received the expected food aid rations and were well informed about the targeting criteria. In Hurum, post-distribution monitoring confirmed that the 3,449 drought-affected persons received their rations, but in some cases the food was re-distributed to include those who did not receive any ration. WFP monitoring team in Arietai (Debub region), confirmed that the war-affected beneficiaries received full rations as planned and the majority were aware of their food entitlements. (F) Great Lakes: DR Congo, Republic of Congo, Burundi (1) Democratic Republic (DR) of Congo (a) WFP is very concerned about the deteriorating humanitarian situation. The entire socio-economic fabric of the country has been ruined, infrastructure is non-existent, areas that used to produce surplus food are no longer producing any and the roads have been destroyed. Around 16 million people, about one-third of the population, are believed to be affected by food shortages, with two million of them facing critical lack of food. (b) At the beginning of the year, about one million people were thought to be displaced by the civil war that has drawn in at least five other countries from the region. This number has increased to 1.4 million in June and 1.8 million in September, as a result of new fighting in Kivu region and Equateur province. (c) Aid agencies have been facing overwhelming obstacles in trying to save lives among these displaced Congolese and tens of thousands of Angolan refugees. The movement around the country is impeded by continuing fighting and it is extremely difficult to obtain travel permission from the authorities. (d) WFP is currently assisting some 350,000 people most in need. While the security seriously hampers the access, funding situation is not very good either. Supplies often arrive late. There are fears that serious food shortages might occur in the next two months. (2) Republic of Congo (a) WFP just approved a new EMOP to assist 50,000 refugees from the DR Congo, currently located in the northern parts of the country. A total of 2,048 tons of food are to be provided to the refugees, over a period of 6 months. WFP is very concerned that some of these and reportedly many more DR Congo refugees in the area are currently inaccessible due to insecurity. (b) About 200 tons of food has been supplied to Niari and Bouenza regions as seeds protection rations, to be distributed to 7,500 vulnerable families in support of the upcoming crop season. A total of 562 tons of food were distributed by WFP in the country during September, to 35,851 beneficiaries, through general distributions, food-for-work activities and supplementary feeding centres. In-country stocks of WFP include 1,763 tons. (c) Access became possible in the southern part of the country and WFP carried out monitoring activities travelling by road through the following localities: Kinkala, Mindouli (pool region), Dolisie (Niari region), Loudima, Nkayi, Madingou (Bouenza region), Sibiti, Komono, Mossendjo, Makabana (Lekoumou region) and Pointe-Noire (Kouilou region). (3) Burundi (a) Security remained tense with heavy fighting and human casualties in Tenga area (Bujumbura Rural). Fighting was also reported in Cankuzo, Ruyigi, Gitega and Makamba provinces. Incursions of rebels from Tanzania were reported in eastern and southern parts. (b) WFP participated in a Donor meeting organised by the UN Country Team to launch "Plan d'Urgence" of the humanitarian community in Burundi and mobilise USD 100 million for its implementation. The meeting was also attended by the Government and NGOs. The UN Country Team emphasised two points: (i) the immediate need for funds to address the IDPs needs and preparation of refugee repatriation by rehabilitating infrastructures and reinforcing local capacities; (ii) the necessity to disassociate humanitarian agenda from the political and military process and negotiations. Some donors indicated pledges after the meeting. (c) Some 9,424 school children in Kirundo province benefited from 70 tons of WFP food, through a school feeding programme in the northern part of Burundi. The programme will provide wet rations at schools and dry rations for weekends to 60,000 children over a period of 190 days, mainly in drought-affected regions where school attendance has been significantly reduced due to hunger. Other WFP interventions during the past two weeks included ad-hoc distributions for 15,538 beneficiaries in Bujumbura Rural, seeds protection rations for 167,499 people in Makamba and Mwaro (victims of drought) and Bujumbura Rural (former regrouped persons), 1,419 DR Congo beneficiaries in Cibitoke and repatriated refugees from Tanzania in Ngozi and 118 tons through feeding programme for 9,425 most-vulnerable Burundians, including orphans, chronically ill and disabled. (d) Household food economy assessment teams conducted rapid assessments in three sites in Gitega province, met with the Governor of Muramvya province regarding the nutritional situation in seven sites formerly assessed by WFP, and conducted full assessments in two sites in Karuzi province and follow-up assessments in two sites in Kayanza province. (G) Sierra Leone (a) Fighting in the border area continued. UNAMSIL reported that Kassire, Tombo and Kychom villages in Sierra Leone were bombarded from Guinea. (b) WFP distributed 50 tons of food to 4,000 Sierra Leone returnees moved to the new resettlement areas in Lungi. More returnees arrived to Lungi while the distributions were taking place. They will be provided with a two-week emergency food ration after the numbers have been verified. Up to date, 9,949 Sierra Leone refugees returned to Freetown from Conakry, and 6,029 crossed the border into Lungi area. (c) WFP provided 31 tons of food to 450 malnourished children and 2,500 vulnerable IDPs enrolled in MSF-B emergency programme in Bambuna, with the assistance of UNAMSIL helicopters as the roads are inaccessible due to insecurity. MSF-B reported that food security situation in Bambini is deteriorating and malnutrition rising among children and adults. (d) Inter-agency verification exercise was completed at Mile 91 and the beneficiary figures for IDPs residing in 28 villages around Mile 91 reduced from 38,000 to 30,887. The situation in the area seems to be stabilising. (e) WFP distributed 167 tons of food to 12,389 IDPs in Blama camp. An additional 2,228 new IDP and 536 returnees from Liberia that arrived during the last month will also be assisted. (f) Although WFP reduced its relief interventions by 50 percent in view of the cereals shortfall, it is estimated that 500-700 tons are still needed to meet the revised requirement until the end of the year. WFP therefore temporarily handed over to WVI and CRS the responsibility for some of its projects, to ensure that the main emergency activities are implemented. Current in-country stocks of WFP are 5,322 tons. (g) A UN Security Council mission visited Sierra Leone to discuss the peacekeeping operation and humanitarian situation in the country. (H) Southern Africa: Angola, Namibia (1) Angola (a) Confirmed donor contributions for the WFP operation that is assisting the war-affected population in Angola have reached 56 percent of the requirement. (b) Small-scale ambushes and attacks characterise the overall security situation. Incidents were reported during the week in Bengula, Bie, Huila, Lunda Norte, Lunda Sul, and Malanje. (c) A team composed of Government ministries MINADER and MINARS¸ and NGOs German Agro Action and HORIZONTE is scheduled to travel next week to Dombe-Grande in Bengula to evaluate vulnerability and food security of IDPs living in Senje and Mohaningo resettlement camps. (d) Commodity prices in Kuito (Bie) market have doubled and in some cases tripled during the last month, as the "lean season" is commencing. The number of new Pellagra cases during September was 132, compared to 100 in August (which was double the number from July). This is the same level as that of one year ago when the illness was first reported in the city. (e) WFP and Norwegian Refugee Council, in cooperation with MINARS, carried out registration of new IDPs in Camucuio and Cassimbas (Huila). A total of 300 new IDPs were registered (65 in Camucuio and 235 in Cassimbas) who fled from Handja, Chongoroi municipality (Benguela) due to a military attack in the last week of September. (f) WFP and MINARS registered 117 new IDPs in Missombo, 18 km south of Menongue (Kuando Kubango). They arrived in separate groups, mainly from Mutenga and Kuelei. The most vulnerable received food rations at the same time of the registration. MINARS informed reported additional IDPs since. An estimated 600 IDP families have already moved out from Kuando Kubango capital into agricultural area identified by MINARS and MINADER. These families are receiving agricultural kits, seeds and food rations. (g) Following the arrival of 522 new IDPs in Saurimo (Lunda Sul) last week, 246 additional IDPs were registered this week. The IDPs came from Cozoua, Mualengue (Dala municipality) and Mona-Quimbundo (Sauromo municipality), due to insecurity there. A mission composed of the provincial government, MINARS and WFP visited resettlement camps in Samulondo, Luari and Candembe (Lunda Sul). (h) A meeting was held with partners responsible for communal kitchens and community infant programme in Malanje, to clarify future operation in the context of WFP strategies planned for the next year. A similar meeting took place with partners working with IDPs. (2) Namibia (a) General food distribution took place on 2-3 October, with new modified rations. A total of 13,285 refugees from Angola were assisted during the distribution, which went relatively smoothly. A few minor incidents took place as a result of clashes between different ethnic groups. (b) WFP identified a new warehouse in Okahandja with a capacity of 1,800 tons, which is located 135 km from the camp on the way to Windhoek. Note: All tonnage figures in this report refer to metric tons (End WFP Emergency Report No 41) 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