WFP EMERGENCY REPORT
Issued weekly by the United Nations World Food Programme
Report No. 1 / 2003 - Date 3 January 2003

This report includes:
(A) Asia Region: (1) DPR Korea
(B) Eastern and Central Africa Region: (1) Ethiopia, (2) Eritrea,
    (3) Burundi
(C) Southern Africa Region: (1) Regional Overview, (2) Lesotho,
    (3) Malawi, (4) Mozambique, (5) Swaziland, (6) Zambia, (7) Zimbabwe,
    (8) Angola, (9) Tanzania
(D) West and Central Asia Region: (1) Afghanistan
(E) West Africa Region: (1) Côte d'Ivoire (2) Sierra Leone


>From Francesco Strippoli, Director of the Office of Humanitarian Affairs;
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
Valerie.Sequeira@wfp.org at WFP Rome, telephone 39 06 6513 2009. 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)  Asia Region: (1) DPR Korea

1)  DPR Korea

(a)  A recent contribution of 9.5 million Euro to the WFP DPRK EMOP
10141.1 will significantly contribute to improve WFP's pipeline situation
over the next months. However, given the time required to deliver
commodities to DPRK, part of WFP immediate requirements for the first
quarter of the year remain uncovered. Additional pledges (mainly cereal)
are urgently required to supplement expected arrivals during the first
quarter of 2003.

(b)  Without immediate, additional contributions WFP will not be able to
reach some 2.9 million of the 4.5 million most vulnerable aid recipients
it is feeding. These at-risk beneficiaries include almost 2 million
children in nurseries, kindergartens and primary schools, 130,000
pregnant/nursing women, 550,000 elderly persons and 225,000 caregivers in
child institutions and hospitals. In addition, all Food for Work
activities must be suspended and some Local Food Production factories will
be forced to stop functioning towards the end of January.

(c)  Threshing of maize and paddy has been completed in most of the
visited provinces. A reduction of 15-20 percent in production is reported
in comparison with last year. Harvest of winter vegetables is reported to
have decreased by 15 percent in South Pyongan province. In some provinces
post-harvest tillage was suspended due to heavy snowfall. Lack of chemical
fertilizers has also been noted.



B)  Eastern and Central Africa Region: (1) Ethiopia, (2) Eritrea, (3)
Burundi

1)  Ethiopia

(a)  Results of the FAO/WFP Crop and Food Supply Assessment Mission to
Ethiopia in November-December were released on 30 December. The overall
agricultural performance in 2002 was poor, primarily due to unfavourable
weather conditions. Low producer incentives to invest following two years
of highly depressed grain prices also contributed to reduced production. A
prolonged dry spell of up to six weeks between the end of the Belg rains
and beginning of the main season (Meher) rains in affected areas disturbed
land preparation routines and delayed sowing dates. It also reduced the
sowing of heavier yielding, late maturing maize and sorghum crops in
favour of short-cycle crops such as teff, wheat and pulses that were
planted later in the season. Farmers already concerned about low returns
were deterred from investing in inputs, which resulted in falls in
improved seed and fertilizer use by about 70 percent and 17 percent,
respectively.

(b)  There was further disruption to the Meher season in some areas.
Unevenly distributed and lighter than usual rains necessitated replanting
following germination failure and reduced crop densities and affected
seed-set and grain-fill. Although these negative effects were noted to be
most severe in the lowland and other marginal areas of the country, the
major cereal producing zones in the central plateau were also affected,
seriously reducing grain production in the recognized surplus producing
areas by 20-30 percent. Poor rainfall in the eastern and north-eastern
pastoral areas reduced available forage and water, increased livestock
mortality rates, prompted unseasonal and early migration of herds and
flocks, and reduced livestock prices by as much as 50 percent in all
affected areas.

(c)  Grain prices remained severely depressed till about mid 2002. The
decline in prices was largely attributed to above average harvests in the
previous two years with little or no effective price stabilization
mechanisms. In the latter half of 2002 grain prices began to increase
sharply with the expected poor grain production. In October 2002, average
prices of maize, wheat, barley and sorghum were respectively 85 percent,
50 percent, 32 percent, and 25 percent higher than at the same time last
year. Consumers and producers alike are suffering from such severe price
volatility.

(d)  Overall, the FAO/WFP Mission estimates total pulse and cereal
production at about 9.27 million tons, comprising 8.92 million tons from
the Meher harvest and a forecast 350,000 tons from the Belg harvest in
2003. At this level, cereal and pulse production is about 25 percent below
last year's Ministry of Agriculture post-harvest estimates and 21 percent
below the average for the previous five years. As a result, the cereal
import requirement in 2003 is estimated at nearly 2.3 million tons.
Emergency food aid requirements for 2003 are estimated at 1.4 million tons
(1.3 million of which is cereals), most of which is expected to be
imported. The balance of the cereal import requirement will need to be
covered through commercial and concessional imports.

(e)  The FAO/WFP Mission report incorporates the results of the DPPC led
multi-agency teams, whose findings have already been released in the joint
Government/UN "Emergency Assistance Requirements and Implementation
Options for 2003" on 7 December. The total number of people in need of
emergency food assistance is 11.3 million. The full Special Report of the
Mission can be found on the Web at:
http://www.fao.org/WAICENT/faoinfo/economic/giews/english/alertes/sptoc.htm

(f)  According to the Drought Monitoring Centre in Nairobi, the erratic
rainfall which contributed to the dramatic decline in crop production in
2002/3 is partially attributed to a weak El Nino in the Horn of Africa
sub-region. In December unusual rains have been falling in central
Ethiopia, possibly related to the same phenomenon, with mixed impact. In
the north, farmers have used the rains to begin land preparation (Southern
Tigray) for the Belg season. In Central, Southern and Eastern Tigray,
rains have helped to alleviate water and pasture shortage. Further south
in the mid and highlands of Amhara Region (North Shewa), central Oromiya
Region and Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region (SNNPR)
rains may complicate ongoing harvests of the cereal crop teff. In the
lowlands of Oromiya Region, including East and West Hararghe, and Arsi,
areas hard-hit by the present drought, the rains have contributed to
better water and pasture. Further east, in Shinile and Jijiga Zones of
Somali Region, short rains expected in November were late but a few days
rain in December will have a positive effect on livestock-dependent
populations there that have been under extreme stress in December. In
general, rains occurring in December will not be used to plant crops with
the possible exception of Belg-dependent areas in the north-east and
transitional crops in the south-west (SNNPR), however they will have a
positive impact on pasture/ fodder and water availability for both humans
and livestock.


2)  Eritrea

(a)  WFP's current food stocks (20,000 tons) and expected arrivals (40,000
tons) will meet the needs of 888,000 drought and war affected people until
April 2003 under the emergency operations EMOP 10052 and 10049. The number
of beneficiaries targeted through EMOP 10049 was reduced from 700,000 to
400,000 people due to the lack of resources. Resourcing of the remaining
balances in both EMOPs (28,000 tons) and in the PRRO (62,000 tons) is
considered an urgent priority. Resourcing of the new Drought EMOP (130,000
tons) starting in May is also considered essential in order to avoid a
serious pipeline break.

(b)  WFP has proposed to its main Government counterpart, the Eritrean
Relief and Refugee Commission (ERREC), the use of the latest VAM Update to
identify the 400,000 most vulnerable persons to be targeted from January
to April under EMOP 10049. ERREC proposes to concentrate on Debub, Maekel
and Gash Barka area since the other three regions are expected to be
supported through a bilateral donation until mid-February and again from
April. Several NGOs have submitted proposals for food aid distributions
but no pledges have been confirmed so far.

(c)  WFP field staff noted systematic movement of people with their
cattle, camels and donkeys along the Aybab-Ghelab road in Anseba. Regional
Government officials confirmed that the movement was corresponding to the
seasonal migration of nomads to Shieb in the Northern Red Sea region in
search of grazing pasture and water for their livestock and families.
Given the severe impact of the drought throughout the Northern Red Sea,
these families are unlikely to find sufficient fodder and water in the
region.


3)  Burundi

(a)  Although WFP recently received over 1,500 tons of cereals in the
country, more timely deliveries are still necessary to cope with
distribution needs in the country. The quantities received added to the
cereal stocks in the country as well as those in transit and on port can
hardly cover distributions planned for the next two weeks.

(b)  During the last week of December, fighting reduced in most parts of
the country. One confrontation was reported in Kabezi commune, Bujumbura
Rural province. Armed bandits attacked two quarters in Kamenge and Bwiza
zones in the capital. Four people were killed during those attacks and
some households were systematically robbed.

(c)  WFP continued to undertake targeted and emergency food distributions
in collaboration with CARE and World Vision. From 23 to 29 December 2002,
over 23,600 people at risk of food insecurity received WFP assistance in
Karuzi and Kayanza Provinces. In addition, UNHCR reported having completed
distributions to around 8,400 Congolese refugees in Cibitoke Province
during the last week of December.



C)  Southern Africa Region: (1) Regional Overview, (2) Lesotho, (3)
Malawi, (4) Mozambique, (5) Swaziland, (6) Zambia, (7) Zimbabwe, (8)
Angola, (9) Tanzania

1)  Regional Overview

(a)  Recent contributions, totalling more than USD 25.2 million, have
significantly improved WFP's emergency operation funding situation. With
the new donations, the operation is now 62 percent resourced. From July to
November 2002, WFP in collaboration with its implementing partners
distributed over 200,000 tons of relief food to the six countries and, by
November, were reaching approximately 5.5 million beneficiaries with the
various programmes under the EMOP.

(b)  However, the emergency operation still requires USD 194 million to
make it through March 2003. In the short term, household food stocks
across large parts of the region will diminish even faster during the lean
season, which started this month and continues until the onset of the main
harvest in April. Over the coming months, millions of people whose food
stocks are exhausted will rely on WFP assistance.

(c)  There has been an outbreak of cholera in three provinces of Zimbabwe.
As one affected area is the major border-crossing town of Beitbridge in
Matabeleland South Province (237 cases reported and 2 deaths as of 6
December), there are concerns that cholera cases could appear in South
Africa.


2)  Lesotho

(a)  Reports from the field continue to suggest that the 2003 harvest will
be similar or worse than 2002. Reasons for pessimism include late
deliveries of farm inputs, December frost and hail storms, and less than
normal planting coverage of arable land.

(b)  From July-November 2002, WFP and implementing partners distributed
nearly 10,000 tons under the EMOP.


3)  Malawi

(a)  Flooding occurred in Karonga South District, reportedly destroying 50
hectares of crops including maize, pulses, cassava, and peanuts. WFP has
sent a team to further assess the situation.

(b)  WFP and the World Bank held preliminary discussions regarding
collaboration on school feeding programmes in Malawi.

(c)  WFP and UNHCR are continuing to watch closely the number of refugees
entering the country. UNHCR estimates that the average number of arrivals
per month is at 1,600. WFP is considering the need to revise food
requirements, following a UNHCR request, to address the needs of an
increased refugee caseload.

(d)  From July-November 2002, WFP and implementing partners distributed
approximately 77,000 tons under the EMOP.


4)  Mozambique

(a)  While the southern region of Mozambique registered some rainfall over
the last week of December, sporadic and insufficient rainfall was reported
from the central region. WFP pre-positioned two months worth of food
stocks in Chinde District, for distribution by GAA, in expectation that
the sole road to Luabo will be cut off during the rainy season.

(b)  WFP signed or renewed nine new LOUs with implementing partners, and
one LOU was extended. New LOUs were signed with Lutheran World Federation
for Mabalane District, ACRIDEC for Bilene District, and Associação Rural
Africana in Matutuine District.

(c)  WFP has rented a new warehouse in the port of Beira with a storage
capacity of 9,000 tons in order to store greater quantities of food aid in
transit to Zimbabwe, Malawi, and Zambia from the period of January to
March.

(d)  From July-November 2002, WFP and implementing partners distributed
nearly 11,000 tons under the EMOP.


5)  Swaziland

(a)  The delivery of commodities to NGO warehouses over the holidays was
slow due to the no-show of many casual laborers. WFP held a meeting with
the NDTF to organize additional labour to ensure the release of
commodities before 31 December. Between 24 December and 1 January, WFP
dispatched 470 tons of food to implementing partners. From July-November
2002, WFP and implementing partners distributed almost 7,000 tons under
the EMOP.


6)  Zambia

(a)  FEWSNET released a Food Security Emergency newsletter expressing
concerns about the declining food security situation in Zambia based on
low levels of commercial imports, rainfall patterns and high maize prices.

(b)  Allegations surfaced in both local and international media that
regionally procured maize being distributed in Chipata was contaminated.
Further inquiry showed that the reports were unsubstantiated. The Office
of the Vice-President is preparing a written report to clarify the matter.

(c)  The roads leading to rural distribution points are in very poor
condition with the onset of the rains. The situation is particularly
difficult in Itezhi-Tezhi district where roads pass through the Kafue
flats, which habitually flood during the rainy season.

(d)  From July-November 2002, WFP and implementing partners distributed
nearly 24,000 tons under the EMOP.


7)  Zimbabwe

(a)  Beef, chicken, bread, flour, maize meal, milk, and sugar continue to
be absent from supermarket shelves and fuel shortages are ongoing. In
addition, soft drinks and cigarettes are now becoming unavailable. There
have been shortages of cash reported as well, with banks restricting
withdrawal amounts.

(b)  GOAL implemented its first general food distribution of WFP food
during the last week of December in Makoni District.

(c)  WFP implementing partners distributed just under 20,000 tons during
the month of December in 32 districts. From July-November 2002, WFP and
implementing partners distributed nearly 75,000 tons under the EMOP.


8)  Angola

(a)  WFP's food pipeline remains weak. The cereals pipeline is now
expected to break in April followed by pulses in May. WFP has already
completed the buffer stocking of January food requirements in provinces
with difficult road access during the rainy season. (b)  UNHCR and WFP
jointly assessed the food security situation of 6,500 Congolese refugees
currently receiving food assistance in Luanda. It was agreed that
assistance would continue pending the organization of a verification
exercise by the end of February 2003.

(c)  In Bengo province, food distribution at Fazenda Santa Cruz Family
Reception Area (FRA) was completed to 3,100 persons. The rainy season has
increased constraints for road accessibility to the municipalities of Bula
Atumba and Nambuangongo, which had made deployment of the food to the FRA
particularly difficult.

(d)  In Benguela province, almost 1,700 children at risk or suffering from
malnutrition were assisted through nutritional feeding centres in Benguela
and Balombo municipalities. In Bié, WFP food distributions for the month
of December have been successfully completed in the areas accessible to
WFP, despite extremely poor road conditions. Approximately 340 people from
Ndele FRA have been registered in Kuito on their way to settle in their
places of origin.

(e)  In Kuanza Sul province, about 2,340 people returned from FRAs of
Ambuiva and Catofe, and Uamba and Val de Loge in Uige, to their area of
origin in Wako-Kungo. WFP, in collaboration with Movimondo, provided food
assistance to the returnees. WFP is boosting its presence in Zaire
province with a new field office being established in M'banza Congo to
allow stronger management and monitoring of WFP's programme, particularly
in light of further expected refugee returns from DRC during 2003.


9)  Tanzania

(a)  The Burundian repatriation was put on hold, while agencies are
focusing on the return of Rwandan refugees. As of 29 December 2002, almost
22,400 refugees had repatriated to Rwanda, out of a total refugee
population of 24,000. The Government and UNHCR organized a meeting in
Muyovozi and Mtabila camps to discuss repatriation process for Rwandese
refugee. 41 refugees residing in Kasulu repatriated to Rwanda.

(b)  From 16 to 29 December 2002, WFP distributed about 4,850 tons of
food, corresponding to a three-week ration, to over 521,800 refugees in
Ngara, Kibondo, Kasulu and Lugufu camps. WFP supplied 100 percent of the
standard food ration, except for cereals to all beneficiaries. In
addition, WFP continued to support various Supplementary Feeding
Programmes (SFPs), benefiting approximately 19,500 malnourished refugees.
>From 16 to 29 December, 550 refugees arrived in Tanzania from DR Congo and
Burundi, indicating a downward trend.



D)  West and Central Asia Region: (1) Afghanistan

1)  Afghanistan

(a)  The security situation was calm during the last week of December,
except in Mazari Sharif and Jalal Abad. In Mazari Sharif, UN road missions
to Sarbagh and Ruyee-DuAb in Samangan province were suspended due to a
recent mine accident that claimed five lives.

(b)  From 25 to 31 December, WFP assisted 305,000 vulnerable people,
providing them with nearly 2,000 tons of food through bakery projects as
well as Food for work (FFW) and Food for asset creation (FOODAC), Food for
Education and Supplementary feeding programmes. WFP also continued to
provide assistance to IDPs and refugees. WFP identified some 1.3 million
vulnerable people living in rural areas that could potentially become
inaccessible during winter. Some 70,000 tons of food would be required for
the identified areas. As of 30 December, WFP dispatched all food
commodities to implementing partners, and 11,200 tons were distributed to
the beneficiaries. The distribution of food commodities to beneficiaries
will continue during January and February 2003, in accordance with
distribution plans prepared by WFP Area Offices and implementing partners.

(c)  In Kabul, under an ongoing hospital feeding project in Ghazni city
for 170 tuberculosis patients, the mortality rate was reduced by 45
percent, and the number of patients was also reduced by 50 percent. Also
in Kabul, under a completed FOODAC project in Wardak province, a community
"karez" was cleaned, to increase the flow of potable water by an estimated
40 percent. Also an ongoing FFW project created employment opportunities
for 1,800 workers to clean a community reservoir. It is expected that the
project will contribute to reducing the incidents of water-borne diseases
in the community.



E)  West Africa Region: (1) Côte d'Ivoire (2) Sierra Leone

1)  Côte d'Ivoire

(a)  WFP is planning for January and February to provide assistance to
some 15,000 IDPs and their host families in rural Bouaké, 25,000 children
up to 6 years old in Bouaké town and 1,200 vulnerable families involved in
FFW. In addition, WFP will continue to supply food aid to ICRC-assisted
institutions (benefiting some 2,000 persons), as well as to 6,000
identified vulnerable persons assisted by the CNI, the monastery and the
Catholic Mission. This brings a total of planned caseload of about 56,000
individuals, involving some 640 tons of food on a monthly basis in the
Bouaké area. In-country stocks are insufficient to cover the food needs
for the next two months.

(b)  From 2 to 17 December, WFP, in collaboration with Action Contre La
Faim (ACF) distributed 355 tons of rice to 34,600 families with young
children in Bouaké. A Post Distribution Monitoring mission was carried out
among 400 families. The evaluation shows that an estimated 60 percent of
the families in Bouaké do not have any income, while the remaining 40
percent have lost 80 percent of their purchasing power. The quality of
food consumed daily has also decreased significantly. Vegetable oil and
pulses are too expensive and rare to find on the market. The families
assessed do not have any alternative sources of food and are using their
last savings. In addition to the nutritional imbalance, access to medical
facilities and drugs is very poor and expensive. Although the situation is
not yet critical, the combination of these factors is likely to have a
serious negative humanitarian impact, unless access to food and medical
support is restored. Finally, schools remain closed in the Bouaké area,
and most families cannot afford sending their children to Yamoussoukro or
other regions where schools are functioning.

(c)  Further an appeal made by the humanitarian actors presently in Daloa,
the local authorities have identified a site at the old Juanawana
monastery to be rehabilitated as an IDP reception centre. MSF-F will be
responsible for rehabilitating the site and setting up water and
sanitation infrastructures, while WFP is assessing the possibility of
assisting IDPs involved in the rehabilitation activities through a FFW
project. The new IDP reception centre is expected to host up to 2,500
IDPs.

(d)  WFP continued planned food deliveries of 130 tons to 16,400
registered IDPs in seven different sites in the Daloa area. Delivery to
Catholic Mission in Duékoué was undertaken on 28 December to 1,600 IDPs.
Distributions in Bonoufla and Zoukougbeu are still outstanding. The
deliveries were delayed due to severe difficulties with finding private
transporters willing to travel on the road due to frequent harassment at
the numerous roadblocks. WFP is planning to have a new sub-office
operational in Daloa by the second half of January.


2)  Sierra Leone

(a)  No new influx of Liberian refugees was reported from 16 to 29
December 2002 and the overall security situation remained stable.
Countrywide, WFP supported over 41,200 beneficiaries with 760 tons of food
aid from 16 to 29 December 2002, through vulnerable group feeding
programmes (refugees, resettlement, returnees and institutional feeding),
emergency school feeding, therapeutic feeding (TFC), supplementary feeding
(SFC), mother and child health (MCH), food-for-training and safety net
programmes. This included in particular the assistance given to over
13,500 Liberian refugees in Jembe and Gerihun Camps. WFP also assisted 130
IDPs resettling in the western area on 23 December.

(b)  WFP and the three NGO food pipeline agencies operating in Sierra
Leone are facing major breaks in their CSB pipeline during the month of
January. Without immediate action to remedy the CSB break, all TFC/SFP and
MCH programmes will have to reduce their rations. Additionally, WFP will
have to swap CSB for pulses in the refugee rations. WFP Country Office is
working closely with the Regional Bureau to address this matter. The late
arrival and clearing of vessels has placed strains on both the bulgur and
vegetable oil pipelines. A break in the salt pipeline is anticipated for
February if no confirmed contributions are made to the 2003 PRRO.


Note: All tonnage figures in this report refer to metric tons.

(End WFP Emergency Report No 1).

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