Report No. 08 of 1997 Date: 21 February 1997
This report includes: A) Burundi, Rwanda, Zaire and Tanzania
B) Uganda C) Sudan D) Kenya E) Somalia F) Sierra Leone
G) Tajikistan
From P. Ares, Chief, Programming Service. Available on the
Internet at WFP Home Page http://www.wfp.org/ or by e-mail from
HicksDeb@wfp.org (fax 39 6 5228 2837). For information regarding
resources, donors are requested to contact Mr. F. Strippoli or
Ms. A. Blum, WFP Rome (telephone 39 6 5228 2504 or 5228 2004).
PART I - HIGHLIGHTS
(Details below in Part II)
A. EAST AFRICA: REGIONAL OPERATION FOR BURUNDI, RWANDA, ZAIRE AND
TANZANIA
1. Eastern Zaire
a) WFP airlift from Mwanza (Tanzania) to Kisangani started 17
February.
b) Zairean refugees seek refugee in Southern Sudan, Zambia and
Tanzania.
c) WFP starts air deliveries to new camp set up in Kalima to
accommodate refugees who fled Shabunda.
d) Zairean forces bomb Bukavu by air on February 17, killing and
injuring civilians.
2. Tanzania
a) Kigoma now hosts over 220,000 refugees.
b) Drought impact: twenty-four districts in Tanzania face serious
food shortages.
3. Rwanda
a) President of State Council assassinated, and other security
incidents reported.
b) Food distribution resumed in several prefectures and key
expatriate WFP and other UN staff back to duty stations.
4. Burundi
a) Joint WFP/DHA/FAO/UNICEF missions to assess situation in main
regroupment camps; new ones continue to be established.
B. UGANDA
1. Update
a) One Sudanese refugee killed and six mutilated during rebel
attacks on camps.
b) Assistance to displaced and war-affected Ugandans in northern
districts ongoing.
C. SUDAN
1. Update
a) UN Consolidated Inter-Agency Appeal for Sudan for 1997 launched
in Geneva on February 18. WFP requirements total USD 40.3 million
for food assistance to an estimated 2.65 million persons.
D. KENYA
1. Drought update
a) Kenyan Government lifts import duty on maize; 90 percent of
current cereal import needs of 770,000 metric tons to be covered by
commercial imports.
b) Government drought relief efforts already in place.
c) WFP emergency operation (EMOP 5803) approved on 21 February,
for 24,700 metric tons of food, valued at USD 12.4 million.
E. SOMALIA
1. Update
a) Somalia Food Security Task Force (UN agencies/donors/NGOs)
continues to monitor drought situation in all regions of the
country.
F. SIERRA LEONE
1. Update
a) WFP emergency operation for Sierra Leone (EMOP 5767.01),
recently approved, is to encourage resettlement of more than
770,000 people displaced by civil war over the past six years.
Programme involves 35,400 metric tons valued at USD 19 million.
G. TAJIKISTAN
1. Update
a) All hostages freed. Some essential UN staff return to Dushanbe,
but more killings on 18 February delay full resuming of UN
activities.
PART II - DETAILS
A. EAST AFRICA: REGIONAL OPERATION FOR BURUNDI, RWANDA, ZAIRE,
TANZANIA
1. EASTERN ZAIRE
1.1 General
a) Zaireans displaced by the rebel insurgency continue seeking
asylum in neighbouring countries. Zaireans are crossing into
Kigoma, Tanzania, at the rate of 1,000 to 2,000 per day. Refugees
arrive in canoes, paying a fare to cross the lake.
b) Thousands of Zaireans are also reportedly arriving in Bazi, in
southern Sudan. Seemingly, there are now 10,000 Zaireans in this
border town. There are some concerns regarding the food situation
in this cut-off Government-held town.
c) Influx of Zaireans into Zambia currently stands at 7,200 people.
UNHCR and the Government of Zambia are screening the refugees and
relocating them in transit centres near Kasama, approximately 120 km
south of Mpulungu. Since this influx is likely to continue, WFP is
investigating various ways to supply food to this location, through
local purchases within Zambia, or deliveries from Dar es Salaam to
Kigoma and down Lake Tanganyika to Mpulungu or by rail from Dar es
Salaam to Kasama.
1.2 Kisangani
a) The WFP airlift to Kisangani from Mwanza in Tanzania began
operations on 17 February. Food railed from Dar es Salaam and trucked
from Isaka is received in Mwanza and flown into Kisangani with the
WFP Ilyushin IL76. The plane arrived in Mwanza after delivering 30
metric tons (mt) of high-energy biscuits to Kisangani direct from
Italy. With this new operation, WFP's capacity to supply Kisangani by
air has been increased to over 150 mt per day. However, delays and
formalities on the ground in Kisangani allow only one, occasionally
two, rotations a day. During the first three days of operation, 120
mt of food were airlifted from Mwanza into Kisangani.
b) Other deliveries by air from East Africa to Kisangani continued
during the week of 10-16 February. Close to 700 mt of food were
airlifted since 6 February, when air operations were resumed. In
addition to the food, quantities of soap, blankets, jerry cans and
health kits of UNHCR were also transported.
1.3 Tingi Tingi
a) Between 10-16 February, WFP delivered 528 mt of food from
Kisangani to Tingi Tingi: 115 mt were delivered by air and 413 mt
by truck. Other relief agencies are also moving food supplies to
the camps. Despite all efforts, the death rate in the camp remains
high - 40 persons a day, mostly children and infants.
b) The presence of armed Hutu among the genuine refugees in the
camps in Tingi Tingi has led to growing concerns about a possible
attack on the camps by the rebels, despite assurances given by the
AFDL that the UN will be given time to find ways to separate the
two groups.
1.4 Kalima
a) The new camp of Kalima opened on February 17, to host Rwandan
Hutu refugees who fled from Shabunda. The following day, WFP made
the first air deliveries to Kalima, carrying 12 mt of CSB. Caritas
is setting up kitchens to feed the refugees who are emerging from
the forest. Kalima is located 100 km west of Kindu and is served by
a relatively good road and an airstrip.
1.5 Bukavu
a) On February 17, a bombing raid by the Zairean Government on
Bukavu left several residents dead and dozens injured. Three
planes, flying from the south, hit the local market area. The death
toll is expected to increase. Fearing for their safety, some Bukavu
residents are leaving town. This air-strike marks the first such
action of the Zairean Government in their offensive to recover lost
territories. Other rebel-held areas were reportedly also attacked
by planes and the Zairean army advised citizens to leave rebel
zones to avoid the bombings.
2. TANZANIA
2.1 At the end of October 1996, Kigoma held some 50,000 refugees.
By mid-February this figure had increased to over 220,000 people.
New arrivals continue to average 1,000 to 2,000 people per day.
According to UNHCR the average arriving in Kigoma is 900 Zairian
and 300 refugees daily in recent weeks, and the breakdown the
numbers hosted by the area on 19 February was some 164,000 Burundi
and 60,000 Zairian refugees. Arrivals between 10-16 February were
9,243 into Kigoma; 1,323 into Kasulu and 682 into Kibondo. Total
caseload in Tanzania now 344,355 refugees.
2.2 Relief workers in the Kigoma region face a daily battle with
bad roads, frequently rendered impassable after heavy rains. WFP is
currently supporting a road rehabilitation project on the Nyakanazi
to Kasulu road and has diverted contractor and equipment to provide
immediate repairs to some of the most seriously damaged spots
(including bridges). However, flooding on some roads continues to
hamper operations and the continued delivery of food, water,
medical assistance, as well as the movement of refugees themselves
from the holding centres to the camps, is described by WFP Tanzania
as a daily nightmare for all concerned.
2.3 A total of 4,241 refugees were repatriated from Karagwe to
Rwanda between 1 January and 16 February, mostly women and children
who were living in the villages.
2.4 The Tanzanian Government has reported that several thousand
persons in twenty-four districts in Tanzania will face serious food
shortages between the months of March and May this year, due to
irregular and delayed rains during the recent short rains season.
An action plan is being put together by the Government, UN
agencies, NGOs and the donor community.
3. RWANDA
3.1 Tranquillity has yet to be restored in the country. The
President of Rwanda's State Council was murdered in his house,
along with four other people. Other attacks and ambushes continue
to be reported: last week eleven minibus passengers travelling on
the main road from Ruhengeri to Kigali were killed. Meanwhile, the
killers of the five human rights activists murdered during the
first week of February are reported to have died in a clash with
the military.
3.2 WFP has resumed food distributions in some prefectures, albeit
on a small scale. There are concerns that irregular food
distributions could have a negative impact on the nutritional status
of the most vulnerable beneficiaries. Local authorities are working
closely with WFP on distribution plans for the rest of the month.
New food-for-work projects recently approved by WFP include 10 road
rehabilitation projects, 17 projects in the agro-forestry sector and
construction of 4,045 new houses.
3.3 Food deliveries have tentatively re-started, but full-scale
operations will only be possible once security is guaranteed,
particularly in western prefectures. A first convoy of seven trucks
to Kibuye is due to depart on 19 February. The trucks will remain in
Kibuye until distributions are completed.
3.4 WFP and other UN agencies have moved some key staff back into
prefecture capitals, with the exception of Kibuye. In Cyangugu,
Gisenyi and Butare, all expatriate staff are required to live in at
specified concentration points, for increased security and to
facilitate evacuations.
3.5 So far during the month of February, 1,824 refugees and
returnees crossed the border from Bukavu into Cyangugu. The numbers
of people reporting to nutritional centres in Cyangugu and in
Gisenyi have dropped, as less people are now crossing the border.
Food continues to be provided in the transit centres.
4. BURUNDI
4.1 New regroupment camps are reportedly being established in
Bururi, with 6,000 people in two different camps, and in Bujumbura
Rural, with over 50,000 people re-grouped in Gitaza. Preparations
are under way for a joint mission comprising WFP, DHA, FAO and
UNICEF, to evaluate the situation in the main camps in the country.
4.2 During 10-16 February, WFP distributed close to 2,800 mt of
food for 174,569 persons. Food stocks by mid-February stood at
3,680 mt, sufficient to cover requirements for over a month.
4.3 Barges are still not allowed to operate between Kigoma and
Bujumbura on Lake Tanganyika. Therefore WFP is now running three
truck convoys per week from Ngara, Tanzania, to Ngozi in northern
Burundi, bringing an average of 300 mt per convoy. Shuttling
between Ngozi and Bujumbura continues full time, carrying food
commodities for WFP and other goods for NGOs. Transport problems
continue to delay the import of diesel and petrol which was
approved by the Government of Tanzania earlier this month.
B. UGANDA
1. UPDATE
1.1 In the space of a week, rebels attacked two different camps
for Sudanese refugees in northern Uganda. During these attacks, six
refugees were mutilated at Invepe Camp, in north-western Uganda,
and another one was killed at Achol-Pii, Kitgum district. During
1996, 109 refugees were killed in Achol-Pii when the rebel group
the Lord's Resistance Army assaulted the camp.
1.2 Rwandan and Zairean refugees are still trickling into Uganda.
Since the beginning of February, 676 refugees were received in
Oruchinga and Kihihi. During the same period, close to a thousand
Zaireans voluntarily returned home from Kisoro.
1.3 Displaced and war-affected Ugandans in northern areas continue
receiving assistance. In Kitgum, food loaned by the European Union
and delivered by WFP is presently being distributed. Water
equipment, tankers, tents, medicines and other non-food items have
been provided by UNICEF, MSF/France, Oxfam, WHO and AVSI.
C. SUDAN
1. UPDATE
1.1 The 1997 UN Consolidated Inter-Agency Appeal for Sudan was
launched in Geneva on February 18. For WFP, the Appeal requests a
total USD 40.3 million for food assistance to an estimated 2.65
million persons, in southern Sudan (2.2 million), the transitional
zone (374,000) and in Khartoum and White Nile States (78,800).
1.2 WFP plans to deliver 24,300 mt in Northern Sector operations,
and 24,600 mt in Southern Sector operations. As of 21 February, the
shortfall for the Northern Sector stands at 10,223 mt (at a value
for food and transport of USD 7.8 million) and for the Southern
Sector at 13,900 mt (at a value of USD 21.8 million with
transport). Transport costs in the Southern Sector are much higher
than in the Northern Sector due to unavoidably heavy reliance on
air delivery. Additional support is required for Logistics and Base
Support (USD 4.2 million) plus Assessment, Programming, Monitoring
and Evaluation costs (USD 4.6 million).
1.3 This year WFP also seeks support for a local purchase of
surplus grain in Western Equatoria (total cost USD 523,700) to
reduce reliance on external sourcing and to encourage local
agricultural activity and grain markets.
1.4 The full text of the UN Consolidated Inter-Agency Appeal can
be found on the Internet under the Emergencies section of ReliefWeb
at http://www.reliefweb.int/
D. KENYA
1. DROUGHT UPDATE
1.1 The over-all cereal imports needed by Kenya due to the affects
of drought is currently estimated by WFP at 770,000 mt of maize. Of
this, 90 percent will be covered by commercial imports. There are
firm indications that of the total, some 200,000 mt will be
arriving in Mombassa in February and March. On 7 February, the
Kenyan Government removed all import duty on maize imports, a move
which is to stay in effect until to 30 June.
1.2 Government relief efforts include the planned distribution of
a total of 23,000 mt in drought affected areas during February.
1.3 On 21 February, the WFP Executive Director approved an
emergency operation (EMOP 5803) for 24,700 mt of food, valued at
USD 12.4 million, which will allow WFP to proceed with a relief
intervention, working with NGOs, in the most affected areas:
Garissa, Mandera, Marsabit, Mbere, Mwingi, Tana River and Wajir
districts. The planned operation is to cover 270,044 school
children and 207,000 other drought-affected people up to early
August 1997. The school feeding component is now expected to expand
in the future to cover 452,000 children.
1.4 Steps have been taken by WFP to both borrow and purchase maize
and beans from the Ethiopian Grain Reserve, for delivery to
districts bordering Ethiopia, and to the Dadaab camp for Somali
refugees.
E. SOMALIA
1. UPDATE
1.1 The Somalia Food Security Task Force, made up from members of
UN agencies, donors and NGOs working in Somalia, is monitoring the
drought situation in all regions of the country. WFP has been
mandated to make the necessary arrangements for possible targeted
emergency food distribution in southern Somalia. Some 1,500 mt of
maize meal are currently being offloaded in Mombassa for
pre-positioning inside Kenya for a possible cross-border operation.
Fifteen local NGOs who are willing to distribute food have been
identified by CARE.
1.2 The WFP Food Security Assessment Unit estimates that there is
a 53 percent decrease in total cereal production in the current
short rains, Deyr season, harvest. However, given the reported
existence of farmers' food reserves, the current food availability
in local markets, and traditional coping strategies (remittances
from abroad, sale and slaughter of livestock, wild fruits, casual
labour, and so forth) the food security situation of the population
at large is considered to be manageable for the next three months.
A close monitoring of the evolving situation in terms of food
availability and access to food (purchasing power) is vital over
the coming months.
F. SIERRA LEONE
1. UPDATE
1.1 An expansion of the WFP emergency operation for Sierra Leone
(EMOP 5767.01) was recently approved, for 35,400 mt of food valued
at USD 19 million. The new phase of the operation is primarily
aimed at encouraging the resettlement of more than 770,000 people
displaced by civil war over the past six years. Returnees will be
given food packages in centres as close as possible to their homes.
The feeding of vulnerable groups, malnourished children, the
elderly and pregnant and nursing women will continue. Emergency
school feeding will continue for displaced children, and later be
transferred to areas where children resettle with their families.
Food-for-work activities will support the reconstruction process in
war-affected areas. WFP will also support former combatants within
the context of the demobilization programme.
G. TAJIKISTAN
1. UPDATE
1.1 The hostage crisis in Tajikistan was resolved this week with
all the hostages freed on 17 February and the discovery that the
reported execution of one hostage had been a hoax. Some essential
UN staff returned to Dushanbe, but the killing of six people
(mainly Russian soldiers) on the night of 18 February has delayed
the full resuming of UN activities. With the food and health
situation extremely grave, WFP is anxious to resume distributions
in the south (Khatlon). The recent killings and hostage-taking have
not stalled the peace process, and talks are in progress in Iran.
(End WFP Emergency Report No. 08 of 1997 - February 21, 1997)
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