This report includes: A) West Africa: Sierra Leone, Guinea, Liberia B) East Africa: Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda C) Central Africa: Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Congo (Brazzaville), Central African Republic.
>From Paul 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 (Strippoli@wfp.org ) or Ms. A. Blum (Blum@wfp.org), WFP Rome, telephone 39 6 5228 2504 or 5228 2004.
PART I - HIGHLIGHTS
(Details below in Part II)
A. WEST AFRICA: SIERRA LEONE, GUINEA AND LIBERIA
1. Update: Sierra Leone, Guinea, Liberia
a) Concern deepens over possibility of humanitarian crisis in Sierra Leone due to disrupted food distributions. Limited amounts of relief food distributed in Freetown, Makeni and Bo. People from Freetown have arrived in Makeni (40,000) and Magburak (10,000) and are in need of food assistance.
b) Displaced persons in Kambia and Port Loko, near Guinea border, receive relief food.
c) Some 400 Sierra Leoneans cross into Guinea each day. WFP assistance provided to 20,000 registered at Forecariah, along with previously registered caseload in Guinea.
d) WFP cargo previously destined for Sierra Leone now heading for Guinea, to cover new needs and possible cross-border operation.
e) Sierra Leonean refugees reported to have arrived in Upper Lofa county.
B. EAST AFRICA: KENYA, UGANDA, TANZANIA, BURUNDI, RWANDA
1. Kenya
a) Lack of rainfall since early May will have possible impact on crops in some areas. Conditions in pastoralist areas continue to improve.
b) Delays in arrival of regional food purchases for relief operations and poor road conditions during the rains have resulted in late distributions.
2. Uganda
a) Town of Bundibudgyo in western Uganda briefly occupied by rebels of the Alliance of Democratic Forces; 70 people killed in the attack, and 30,000 displaced. Needs assessed by joint UN team, led by WFP; 60 metric tons of relief food sent.
3. Tanzania
a) Further contribution for drought operation to be used for central areas.
b) Refugee situation: high malnutrition rate among children under five years of age found at Nduta and Lugufu camps. Supplementary feeding to begin.
4. Burundi
a) Security incidents increase. Camps for displaced and regrouped populations targeted for attacks.
b) At Rwegura site in Kayanza province, 140 persons arrive daily, in very poor condition.
c) Joint UN mission to Bubanza province finds repatriates from DR Congo and persons coming out of hiding in the forest require urgent food assistance.
5. Rwanda
a) Following the killing of two WFP staff in Ruhengeri on 14/15 June and in view of continuing security risks for humanitarian personnel in that area, WFP has suspended activities in Ruhengeri until further notice.
C. CENTRAL AFRICA: DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, REPUBLIC OF CONGO (BRAZZAVILLE), CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
1. Democratic Republic of Congo
a) Some 6,000 refugees located by CARE in Lulingu and Katshungu.
b) First repatriation of Congolese (ex-Zairean) refugees from Kigoma, Tanzania to Uvira to start 28 June.
2. Republic of Congo (Congo/Brazzaville) - information as of 26 June.
a) Assistance resumed to 10,000 refugees in Lukulela/Liranga areas.
b) Despite violations of cease-fire, situation in Brazzaville relatively calm.
3. Central African Republic - information as of 27 June
a) Some 30,000 Bangui residents flee the city after fighting between African peacekeeping troops and army mutineers on 21 June.
b) Refugee situation: some 900 refugees from Rwanda are at Bouca, 300 km north of Bangui; 100 ex-Zaireans registered by UNHCR; remaining 12,000 refugees from DR Congo have not requested assistance, and expect to return home to Equateur province.
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PART II - DETAILS
A. WEST AFRICA: SIERRA LEONE, GUINEA AND LIBERIA
1. SIERRA LEONE - information as of 26 June
1.1 There is growing concern among humanitarian agencies that the insecurity which is disrupting food distributions in Sierra Leone may lead to a humanitarian crisis. In Freetown, armed robbery and acts of violence continue. Most shops remain closed and food commodities are becoming increasingly difficult to find; prices continue to rise. While WFP and other aid agencies still have food stocks available in-country, only limited distributions are possible, through the International Committee of the Red Cross, non-governmental organizations and local humanitarian groups. Because of the disruptions, only 15,500 beneficiaries have received some form of food distribution in and around Freetown and Western Area in the four weeks since the coup.
1.2 Elsewhere in the country, some food distributions took place through health centres and schools in the Makeni area in mid-June. More than 7,700 beneficiaries, mostly people previously assisted before the crisis, received food. WFP begins new food distributions this week for influxes of people arriving from Freetown (40,000 in Makeni and 10,000 in Magburak). Last week 50 metric tons of maize were despatched to Makeni from Freetown for the operation; additional quantities will be forwarded as security permits. In Bo, distribution has been more difficult to implement because of continued insecurity; two institutions have received food over the recent period. On 23 June, 150 metric tons of food were distributed to some 5,000 displaced persons in Kambia and Port Loko, near the Guinea border. Meanwhile, WFP and other UN agencies and NGOs are still looking into the possibilities of organising cross-border operations from Guinea and Liberia.
1.3 Before the coup in late May, WFP was delivering an average of 2,500 metric tons of food each month to more that 350,000 people throughout the country.
2. GUINEA
2.1 An estimated 400 persons per day are crossing into Guinea from Sierra Leone. The majority of the refugees have arrived at Forecariah, where more than 20,000 persons have been registered. These new refugees are receiving WFP assistance, together with 1 25,000 Sierra Leonean refugees who were receiving assistance before the 25 May crisis.
2.2 Given the changing operational needs in the region, WFP cargo previously destined for Sierra Leone is now being diverted to Guinea, to meet needs of the new refugees and possible cross-border deliveries to assist Sierra Leonean internally displaced pe rsons arriving at Kambia, near the border with Guinea.
3. LIBERIA
3.1 Elections have been rescheduled to take place in Liberia on 19 July; political campaigns officially opened on 16 June.
3.2 The Food and Nutrition Coordination Committee will develop strategies to better meet the food aid needs of people in especially vulnerable areas (such as parts of Lofa, Grand Bassa and Grand Gedeh counties) in anticipation of Liberia's 'hungry season' of the coming months, when household food supplies are at their lowest, in the period leading up to the new harvest. Meanwhile, the onset of the rainy season in Liberia last month has severely hampered access to some areas of the country, especially Kolahun district, Lofa county.
3.3 Unconfirmed reports speak of the arrival of Sierra Leonean refugees in Upper Lofa county; WFP and UNHCR are currently assessing the situation.
4. REGIONAL
4.1 For further information on the impact of the situation in Sierra Leone on the region, readers with access to the Internet Web can go to the DHA ReliefWeb Sierra Leone page at http://www.reliefweb.int/emergenc/sleone/latest.html
See especially Refugees International's Update no. 3 of 26 June (also available through their home page at http://www.refintl.org/ ) which includes a brief review of the current internal situation in Guinea.
B. EAST AFRICA: KENYA, UGANDA, TANZANIA, BURUNDI, RWANDA
1. KENYA
1.1 Rainfall conditions were favourable in Kenya throughout April and the first week of May, with higher than average rainfall received in most parts of the country. Lack of rainfall after the first week of May is causing concern, especially in the high potential maize producing districts of the Rift Valley province and lower areas of the marginal agricultural districts of Eastern province. Delayed arrival of rains in parts of western Kenya has led to late planting, which could result in a late harvest (August rather than July) and possibly lower production levels. Conditions in pastoralist areas continue to improve, and people are starting to move out of the population centres or water points and back to traditional grazing areas.
1.2 WFP has completed delivery of 6,850 metric tons of food for the school feeding element of its drought operation, which has targeted some 450,000 students over the first two school terms of 1997.
1.3 In addition, 1,250 metric tons of maize has been delivered to five severely drought-affected districts in the eastern and north-eastern provinces for direct distributions through WFP implementing partners. Delays in the arrival of regional food purchases, compounded by heavy rains and poor road conditions through early May, have resulted in late distributions (it had been planned that a total of 17,850 metric tons would be delivered by mid-August). WFP Kenya received 4,520 mt of cereals from southern Africa in June; the balance of commodities, including additional quantities of cereals, beans and oil, are to arrive in July and August.
2. UGANDA
2.1 Rebels of the Alliance of Democratic Forces (ADF) attacked and briefly occupied the town of Bundibudgyo in western Uganda last week, causing the death of some 70 people and the displacement of an estimated 30,000 others. A joint UN team, led by WFP and travelling under army escort, visited the area to assess the needs of the displaced persons. WFP has organised the urgent despatch of 60 metric tons of food commodities for distribution to people displaced by the attack. Much of the area surrounding Bundibudgyo is still insecure with reported rebel activity, making transport operations very difficult. ICRC and the Ugandan Red Cross Society are also providing relief assistance to the victims of the fighting.
2.2 UNHCR is awaiting a response from DR Congo in order to prepare the repatriation of some 13,000 Congolese (ex-Zairean) refugees in Nakivale and Kyaka II camps in south-western Uganda. This repatriation, anticipated to take place during August, may now be affected by the insecurity in Bundibugyo district in Uganda. Another 3,250 Congolese refugees in Kyangwali camp, who are still undecided on whether to repatriate, have been allocated land by the Government. This caseload has recently been moved from ca mps near the border.
3. TANZANIA
3.1 Drought operations: A further contribution of USD 2.1 million to the WFP drought relief operation will be used for the purchase and delivery of approximately 6,000 metric tons of food to the central regions of Tanzania.
3.2 Refugee situation:
a) A nutritional screening conducted at Nduta and Lugufu refugee camps revealed a high malnutrition rate among children under five years of age. A blanket feeding programme will be implemented in those camps, with each child receiving a daily ration of 200 g of corn-soya blend for a period of two months. A total of 158 metric tons will be required for the programme. Results of a similar screening carried out in Muyovozi and Mtabila I camps will be released soon.
b) As at 22 June there were 412,600 refugees in camps in Tanzania, of which 77 percent were from Burundi. Between 16 and 22 June 1,046 new refugees were registered in camps in Ngara, Kasulu and Kibondo and 847 are reported to have repatriated to Burundi.
4. BURUNDI
4.1 Security incidents are on the increase again, with attacks reported in Bujumbura city, Bujumbura Rural, Bururi, Rutana and Bubanza. Camps for displaced and regrouped populations are being increasingly targeted with assailants stealing food and cattle and abducting people to use them as porters.
4.2 The Ngozi distribution team conducted a rapid assessment at the Rwegura site in Kayanza province. Following WFP food distributions in previous weeks, some people have returned home. However, over 140 persons are now arriving daily at this site, in ext remely poor condition and display clear signs of malnutrition, coming mainly from the Kibira forest. Some are arriving from areas in Bubanza and Cibitoke where insecurity prevented humanitarian aid from reaching them. Action Contre la Faim is conducting a nutritional survey and WFP is planning a food distribution.
4.3 A joint WFP, FAO, UN Department of Humanitarian Affairs (DHA) mission visited Bubanza province to learn about the situation of repatriates from DR Congo and persons coming out of hiding in the forest. These groups show signs of malnutrition and require urgent food assistance. WFP began distributions to the area on 23 June but there are concerns about the lack of agencies specialising in nutrition work in this province.
5. RWANDA
5.1 Following the killing of two WFP staff in Ruhengeri on the weekend of 14/15 June and in view of continuing security risks for humanitarian personnel in that area, WFP has suspended activities in Ruhengeri until further notice.
5.2 The FAO/WFP crop and food supply assessment mission has completed its work in Rwanda. Findings will be released when the Mission has finalized its report.
C. CENTRAL AFRICA: DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, REPUBLIC OF CONGO (BRAZZAVILLE), CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
1. DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
1.1 Small numbers of refugees continue to be air evacuated by UNHCR from Kisangani and Mbandaka to Rwanda. Between 16 and 22 June, 444 refugees were flown back home, bringing the total number of refugees air repatriated from these two locations to 48,066. Various refugee collection points are still operational along the rail line south of Kisangani. Despite assurances given by villagers that many refugees are still hiding in the forests, only small numbers emerge at these collection points for repatriation.
1.2 In addition to the food assistance provided to the 2,000 refugees at the transit centre in Kisangani, WFP delivered food to displaced Congolese, in-patients and vulnerable people, and participants in food-for-work programmes in the area (total beneficiaries 2,120). During the next three months, WFP programmes in the Kisangani area should reach some 42,000 beneficiaries, mostly participants of food-for-work schemes.
1.3 CARE has located some 6,000 refugees in Lulingu and Katshungu, but there are reports of over 15,000 refugees in the area. WFP in collaboration with CARE is preparing various food-for-work programmes, rehabilitating roads and bridges, to facilitate the planned repatriation of refugees from Shabunda, Lulingu and Katshungu.
1.4 In the Goma area, in addition to distributions through food-for-work programmes, nutritional centres and special feeding programmes, WFP food commodities were used this past week by CARE for distribution to refugees in Shabunda, Katshungu and Lulingu. Supplies have also been made available to UNHCR for refugees repatriating from Mbuji-Mayi; some 300 Rwandans have recently been repatriated from this area by UNHCR. Between 16 and 22 June, a total of 934 refugees were repatriated to Rwanda from Goma and surrounding areas.
1.5 The repatriation of a first group of 300 Congolese refugees from Kigoma, Tanzania to Uvira will start on 28 June. Transportation by boat is being organised by UNHCR, and WFP will provide all returnees with a one-month food ration upon their arrival in Uvira. The International Committee of the Red Cross will distribute seeds and tools to these returning refugees.
1.6 Recent security incidents reported in the Uvira region, with rebel groups temporarily seizing some areas. Movements of humanitarian personnel to Baraka and Fizi are currently restricted.
1.7 Following the mission to Baraka and in order to assist displaced persons returning home from the forests of Uvira where they have hidden for seven months, a way station is being established in Malinde. Upon registration, the displaced Congolese receive a daily ration of high-energy biscuits before continuing their journey home. WFP plans to later distribute a return package to these displaced groups.
1.8 Reports have been received that a number of people from Congolese/Brazzaville are arriving in Kinshasa. Numbers are said to be in the thousands; not yet confirmed.
2. REPUBLIC OF CONGO (Congo/Brazzaville) - information as of 26 June.
2.1 Assistance to refugees in Lukulela/Liranga areas has been resumed. WFP food commodities are being flown from Kinshasa to Lukulela with UNHCR aircraft, and MSF/France has shipped 30 metric tons of WFP food by barge. There are an estimated 10,000 Rwandan refugees in the area. The 5,000 Rwandan refugees in Bilolo transit centre, north of Brazzaville, cut-off from assistance since the conflict erupted in Brazzaville, are reported to have fled the centre, moving deeper inside the country.
2.2 A cease-fire agreed in Brazzaville was broken when rebels and government forces clashed once again on 23 June. Nevertheless, the situation in the city has remained relatively calm, despite sporadic fire exchanges. Leaders of West African countries have agreed in principle to form a multinational peace keeping force to be deployed in the country.
3. CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC - information as of 27 June
3.1 On 21 June, African peacekeeping troops (MISAB) fought fierce street battles with army mutineers in the southern neighbourhoods of Bangui. Shell fire and automatic weapons fire continued through 24 June. During the fighting, some 30,000 residents of Bangui are reported to have fled the capital to seek refuge in the bush. Rebels called for a cease-fire on 25 June, and negotiations began 26 June under the auspices of the Malian mediator General Amadou Toumani Toure. As of late 26 June, the situation was described as stable. UN offices, which had been closed since 23 June, reopened on 27 June.
3.2 Refugee situation:
a) Some 900 refugees from Rwanda are at Bouca, 300 km north of Bangui.
b) One hundred Congolese (ex-Zaireans) have been registered by UNHCR.
c) Another 12,000 refugees from the former Zaire have not requested any assistance from the international community, and expect to return to their home areas when the situation has calmed in Equateur province.
distributed by - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Volunteers in Technical Assistance Disaster Information Center lists: listproc@vita.org sitreps nat-dsr appeal fireline web: www.vita.org rwanda - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - World Food Program Reports: http://www.vita.org/disaster/wfp