This report includes: A) East Africa 1: Regional Operation for Burundi, Rwanda, Zaire and Tanzania B) East Africa 2: Somalia C) West Africa: Regional Operation for Liberia, Cote d'Ivoire and Guinea and Emergency Operation for Sierra Leone D) Former Yugoslavia
>From B. Szynalski, Director, Operational Policy and Support Division. For information regarding resources, donors are requested to contact Ms. B. Karlstrom Dorph, Director, Resources Division, WFP Rome (Ph. 39 6 5228 2500)
PART I - HIGHLIGHTS
A. EAST AFRICA 1: REGIONAL OPERATION FOR BURUNDI, RWANDA, ZAIRE AND TANZANIA
1. Burundi: a) Security worsens - restricted access north out of Bujumbura hampers staff and food convoy movement and WFP national staff residence robbed and burned; b) WFP resumes operations in Gitega and IDP distribution in Muyinga province; c) WFP conducts food security assessment in the north and assessments of IDP conditions in the northwest; d) Funding urgently needed to continue Twin Otter aircraft operation.
2. Rwanda: a) Food delivery, monitoring and evaluation constrained by landmines in border areas; b) WFP undertakes market survey in Gisenyi; c) WFP assembles warehouse for timely food delivery to returnees at Butare Transit Centre; d) WFP-supported FFW housing construction programmes under way.
3. Zaire - Bukavu: a) Attacks on Bwina camp cause exodus; b) Closure of border with Burundi could lead to cereal shortage by May; c) Bridge providing only access to Nyangezi camp collapses.
4. Zaire - Uvira: a) 2,200 Burundians flee fighting in Cibitoke province to Luvungi camp; b) 230 Burundian refugees from Bubanza province arrive at Kibogoye camp; c) Influx from Burundi 100 - 150 people per day; d) Burundi border closure also affects WFP/Uvira operations.
5. Tanzania: No agency identified yet to take over management of Keza camp.
B. EAST AFRICA 2: SOMALIA
1. Update: WFP Executive Director meets with WFP/Somalia country office in Nairobi for brief on current operation.
C. WEST AFRICA: REGIONAL OPERATION FOR LIBERIA, COTE D'IVOIRE AND GUINEA AND EMERGENCY OPERATION FOR SIERRA LEONE
1. Liberia: a) Security deteriorates, with renewed intense fighting in Monrovia during the past few days; b) Looting by fighters once again targets equipment of UN and other relief organizations; c) WFP emergency food distribution in Monrovia on hold awaiting improvement of security; d) WFP logistic base established on-board a chartered vessel; e) Some theft from WFP and CRS warehouses at the port.
2. Sierra Leone: a) Improvement in nutritional status due to resumption of general food distribution and selective feeding programmes with WFP air-lifted commodities; b) WFP provides emergency rations to 140 people displaced to Bo town and 5,000 displaced to Magburaka and Makeni.
D. FORMER YUGOSLAVIA
1. Bosnia-Herzegovina: Although tensions in the region increased, the food aid situation was further improved by the arrival of significant new stocks for Bosnia-Herzegovina and Macedonia and by the confirmation of a USD 29 million donation for Bosnia-Herzegovina.
PART II - DETAILS
A. EAST AFRICA 1: REGIONAL OPERATION FOR BURUNDI, RWANDA, ZAIRE AND TANZANIA
1. BURUNDI
1.1 Security continues to deteriorate throughout the country, seriously effecting WFP operations. Increasingly hazardous conditions on the road leading north out of Bujumbura hamper movement of both staff and food convoys. The WFP national staff residence in Ngozi was robbed and burned during the night of April 29. Local staff members had been moved from this house last week due to mounting tension in the neighborhood. 1.2 WFP/Burundi and women's associations signed agreements to implement new literacy projects for displaced women in Cibitoke and Bujumbura Rural and income-generating projects for displaced widows in Mutimbuzi.
1.3 Central Burundi: WFP will resume operations in Gitega May 2 - staff had been pulled out April 17 due to security problems in the area.
1.4 Northern Burundi: IDP distribution in Muyinga province resumes this week in the five remaining IDP sites previously inaccessible due to insecurity. Food security assessments were initiated this week by the WFP Food Security Advisor, in collaboration with the provincial administration. 1.5 Northwest Burundi: WFP field officers carried out an evaluation mission to Bubanza province on April 23 to assess the conditions of displaced persons following a recent ad hoc distribution. Due to violence, a complete evaluation had to be curtailed. 1.6 Bujumbura Rural: A WFP team visited two camps in Maramvya to assess the food and agricultural situation in the area following the three ad hoc distributions in 1996. Displaced persons at these sites consider WFP to be one of their primary sources of food.
1.7 The WFP Country Director and the Humanitarian Coordinator of UN activities in Burundi called a meeting with donors and humanitarian agencies to discuss the serious funding shortfall for the Twin Otter aircraft operation. Further contributions are urgently required if the service is to be continued. 1.8 In-country stocks are 6,701 mt, covering about five weeks.
2. RWANDA
2.1 Serious security concerns remain present throughout the western prefectures.
2.2 Newly laid landmines in several border areas, especially in the prefecture of Cyangugu, are affecting the activities of WFP and other aid agencies in the west, as local transportation companies are refusing to deliver food and non- food relief, and monitoring and evaluation activities are constrained.
2.3 The total number of Zairian refugees in Rwanda reached 6,984 this week. The new refugee camp "Petit Barriere" near Gisenyi, where almost half of the refugees have been transferred, can host up to 10,000 persons.
2.4 As a consequence of refugee influxes from Masisi, prices of food commodities at local markets in Gisenyi have risen. WFP will undertake a market survey to quantify the rise and its impact on food security in the area.
2.5 WFP has begun to assemble a rubb-hall warehouse to ensure a permanent presence of food supplies and facilitate timely food distributions to returning refugees from Burundi at the newly constructed Butare Transit Centre in Musange.
2.6 WFP-supported food for work (FFW) housing construction programmes: In the Northeast, construction of 760 houses has started. In Kibuye, a project for 250 houses is expected to start soon, and in Kibungo, construction of 1,500 houses for old caseload returnees resettling in the Nasho area (Rusumo Commune) is under final preparation.
2.7 During the past week, transit centres in Rwanda received a total of 435 returnees from neighbouring countries: 242 from Zaire, 112 from Burundi, 5 from Tanzania and 76 from Uganda.
2.8 WFP Rwanda received 462 mt of food and distributed 778 mt, assisting 47,000 beneficiaries. The current in-country stocks of food commodities as of 29 April are 8,130 mt, covering six weeks.
3. ZAIRE - BUKAVU
3.1 General security situation remains tense. Continued attacks on Bwina camp on Idjwi island have caused a migration of refugees to other parts of the island.
3.2 Although the stock situation has improved with the increased transport capacity from Uvira and Goma camps, access along the southern route has been restricted since April 15 with the closure of the Burundi border with Zaire. (The border opened only temporarily from April 26-29.) This could lead to a shortage of cereals by the end of May if the situation is not resolved.
3.3 During the reporting week, Bukavu received a total of 1,498 mt (919 from Goma and 579 from Uvira).
3.4 A bridge providing the only access to the Nyangezi Mulwa camp collapsed. The FFW programme to rehabilitate the Chimanga road continues.
3.5 UNHCR and WFP field offices have agreed to monitor future food distribution jointly to help partners improve their distribution systems and to minimize diversion of supplied rations.
3.6 39 refugees returned to Rwanda, compared to 23 last week.
4. ZAIRE - UVIRA
4.1 Some 2,200 Burundians arrived at the camp of Luvungi in Uvira from northwest Burundi April 29, apparently fleeing heavy fighting in Cibitoke province. Refugees appear to be in good health, with no malnutrition reported. 4.2 An additional 230 Burundian refugees from Bubanza province crossed the border to Kibogoye camp April 29 and 30. 4.3 During the past several months, the influx from Burundi to Uvira camps has been approximately 100 to 150 people per week.
4.4 The official closure of the border between Burundi and Zaire continues to affect WFP/Uvira operations, especially the transport of food commodities and supplies. 4.5 Uvira's in-country stocks are 1,030 mt, sufficient for about 11 days.
5. TANZANIA
5.1 Correction to last week's WFP Emergency Report (No. 16): actual caseload figure for Tanzania as of 21 April 1996 was 628,985, not 123,357.
5.2 A mission comprised of the Ministry of Home Affairs, WFP, UNHCR and the US Embassy visited Mziwa, the proposed site in Karagwe for the settlement of "intimidators" removed from the camps by the Government of Tanzania (GoT). GoT will not accept responsibility for management of the camp unless the intimidators are convicted.
5.3 In Chabalisa II camp in Karagwe, the nutritional survey of children under five years of age found the malnutrition level to be satisfactory at 2 percent weight for height. A similar exercise will be conducted next week in Kagenyi and Umukariro camps.
5.4 The NGO responsible for the management of Keza camp in Ngara is likely to pull out by the beginning of June. No agency has been identified yet to take over.
5.5 During the week, 11 refugees have voluntarily repatriated from Ngara camps, compared to eight last week.
5.6 As of 28 April 1996, the refugee population is 629,349.
B. EAST AFRICA 2: SOMALIA
1. Update
1.1 On April 30, the WFP Executive Director met with the WFP/Somalia country office staff in Nairobi for a brief on the current operations.
1.2 Insecurity continues, with militias of General Aideed and Osman Atto fighting for control of the most strategic parts of Mogadishu and surrounding areas. The main port in Mogadishu remains closed since the pull-out of UNOSOM one year ago, as do all WFP sub-offices in the south. The last sub-office to close was Luuq in March of 1996.
C. WEST AFRICA: REGIONAL OPERATION FOR LIBERIA, COTE D'IVOIRE AND GUINEA AND EMERGENCY OPERATION FOR SIERRA LEONE
1. LIBERIA
1.1 Heavy shelling started in the evening of April 29 on the BTC barracks, and fighting has since continued downtown, as well as in the outskirts of Monrovia towards Sinkor and Congo Town. Fighters have been setting fire to houses and buildings, and continue harassing the civilian population as well as looting UN and NGO vehicles.
1.2 Movement of displaced persons is reported from Paynesville towards Bushroad Island and the port area, which have been relatively safe during the past days.
1.3 The Greystone camp in Mamba Point is hosting over 20,000 displaced in dire need of medical assistance, water, sanitation and food.
1.4 WFP food distribution has been put on hold since the fighting resumed. Assessment of the security situation was carried out May 3 to determine accessible locations for resuming the relief operation. The feasibility of a joint WFP/CRS food needs and security assessment and emergency food delivery by ship to Buchanan is also under consideration.
1.5 During the period April 14-27, WFP had completed the distribution of over 1,300 mt to about 176,000 beneficiaries, mainly displaced persons and vulnerable groups in hospitals and clinics. WFP had also initiated delivery of the first instalment of 210 mt to ten communities in Logan Town for 111,600 residents as part of an extended food distribution to cover some 692,000 people in and around Monrovia as emergency and contingent relief aid.
1.6 The WFP-chartered vessel m/v Hollgan Star arrived in Monrovia on May 3 with 17 mt of medical supplies for CRS and ACF, a medical doctor from WHO, 4,500 gallons of diesel fuel, spare parts and 200 blankets.
1.7 The WFP logistics team has established a temporary base on-board another WFP-chartered vessel, m/v Panther, anchored in the Monrovia port, including communication facilities to support evacuation of staff.
1.8 The port is still under ECOMOG protection, but some theft was reported during the night of April 27-28 from both WFP and CRS food warehouses. WFP lost some 8 mt of assorted food commodities.
1.9 WFP is coordinating with the NGO community in both Freetown and Abidjan for resuming cross-border food delivery to up-country Liberia as soon as possible, contingent on security assurances and NGOs being present to implement nutritional and/or targeted feeding programmes.
2. SIERRA LEONE
2.1 Sierra Leone's delegation to the peace talks with the rebel front (RUF) left Freetown on April 28 for Abidjan.
2.2 After talks April 22-23 under the auspices of the United Nations and the government of Cote d'Ivoire, the "Yamoussoukro Communique" was signed by President Kabba of Sierra Leone, RUF leader Sankoh and President Konan Bedie of Cote d'Ivoire to reaffirm commitment to a peaceful resolution of the conflict and to a just and lasting peace in Sierra Leone.
2.3 Due to stable low malnutrition rates in the Bonthe area and improved security on the mainland, people are moving to the mainland from Bonthe and the caseload has dropped from 30,000 to 10,000. CARE is evaluating the extent of its activity in Bonthe.
2.4 Institutional and targeted vulnerable group feeding and general distribution in camps in Freetown is in progress. A total of 73 mt of WFP food were supplied between April 23-30 to implementing partners.
2.5 AICF concluded a nutritional survey in Bo and Western Area camps between January and March 1996. Improvement in nutritional status was due in part to the resumption of general food distribution and NGO selective feeding programmes using WFP air-lifted commodities.
2.6 Following the attack by RUF on Taiama in southern Sierra Leone on April 28 and 29, WFP provided an emergency ration of cereal and vegetable oil to 140 persons newly displaced to Bo town.
2.7 WFP also provided an emergency ration of 26 mt of bulgur wheat and 3 mt of vegetable oil to 5,000 new IDPs in Magburaka and Makeni in northern Sierra Leone.
2.8 Current WFP stock levels: cereals - 8,359 mt; vegetable oil - 293 mt; corn soya blend - 2,857 mt; and pulses - 1,246 mt.
D. FORMER YUGOSLAVIA
1. BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA
1.1 Civilian freedom of movement was severely constrained and clashes occurred around the Inter-Entity border lines. Security and access for humanitarian aid, however, were good. The decision of some NGOs in Central Bosnia to withdraw from food aid distribution may adversely affect food security of vulnerable groups in the region.
1.2 The WFP distribution cycle for the month of April is nearly complete, with more than 1,300 mt of wheat flour released from the mills in Central Bosnia during the reporting week.
1.3 A vessel carrying 18,000 mt arrived in the Croatian port of Ploce on May 1. This includes more than 11,000 mt of wheat flour and 3,300 mt of wheat grain for processing and distribution in Bosnia-Herzegovina - almost two thirds of the monthly requirements for the country as a whole.
1.4 A donation for more than USD 29 million has been confirmed and called forward. It will include nearly 37,000 mt of wheat grain and 19,000 mt of wheat flour available for distribution in late summer and early autumn.
2. SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO
2.1 Onward delivery of the recently unloaded stocks in the Montenegrin port of Bar proceeded satisfactorily.
3. CROATIA
3.1 WFP direct deliveries from Finland to Sector East, where distribution is ongoing, continued through the week.
(End WFP Emergency Report No. 17 of 1996 - May 3, 1996)