Report No. 01 of 1998 Date: 2 January 1998This report includes: A) Afghanistan B) East Africa: Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda C) Central Africa: Congo/Brazzaville and Democratic Republic of Congo D) Somalia.
>From Manuel Aranda da Silva, Chief, Technical Support Service. Available on the Internet on the WFP Home Page at http://www.wfp.org/ or by electronic mail from Deborah.Hicks@wfp.org (fax 39 6 6513 2837). For information on resources, donors are requested to contact Francesco.Strippoli@wfp.org or Aleesa.Blum@wfp.org at WFP Rome, telephone 39 6 6513 2504 or 6513 2004.
As of 18 January 1998, the new address of WFP will be Via Cesare Giulio Viola 68, Parco dei Medici, Rome 00148. Telephone and fax numbers will remain the same.
PART I - HIGHLIGHTS (Details below in Part II) A. AFGHANISTAN
1. Update a) Airlift to Bamyan suspended due to absence of security guarantee by Taliban; airport at Bamyan bombed by military aircraft on 31 December as WFP plane arriving. UNOCHA plane carrying UN security assessment mission also subject to two bombing sorties on 1 January. b) WFP international staff have been evacuated from the city but remain in other locations in Bamyan province. c) Heavy snowfall and avalanches close mountain passes; under difficult conditions, 5,657 tons of food (75 percent of target) in total distributed as of December 30 to 130,000 beneficiaries in the five affected districts.
B. EAST AFRICA: BURUNDI, RWANDA, TANZANIA AND UGANDA
1. Burundi a) Between 200 and 300 people die during rebel attack on outskirts of Bujumbura on 31 December; several thousand civilians displaced. b) WFP takes part in joint mission to Makamba province, where many people are displaced; flooding in the area has resulted in crop losses. c) Relief cereal stocks in Burundi near depletion due to flooding along the two corridors serving the Great Lakes region from Dar es Salaam and Mombasa.
2. Rwanda a) WFP to provide three-month family rations to 5,000 ex-combatants. b) Congolese refugees previously accommodated at Mudende camp are moved to new site in Byumba prefecture. c) Stocks of relief food low, especially for pulses, as deliveries hindered by the flooding in Kenya and Tanzania.
3. Tanzania a) Road and rail networks paralyzed in many parts of the country due to heavy rains and flooding. Large areas cut off as bridges and embankments washed away. Food distributions hampered as WFP food blocked in railway wagons and trucks. b) Alternative routes now being tested from Dar es Salaam through Mpulungu and Lake Tanganika to reach Kigoma and Bujumbura. c) Buffer stocks had been pre-positioned at WFP delivery points in November. d) Generous donor response results in provision of over 90 percent of requested food assistance for drought operation; pledges of 68,640 metric tons of food confirmed.
4. Uganda a) New influx of refugees from eastern DR Congo via Kisoro reported. b) Poor road conditions continue to disrupt food deliveries to displaced population, especially in western parts of the country.
C. CENTRAL AFRICA: REPUBLIC OF CONGO (CONGO/BRAZZAVILLE) AND DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
1. Update a) Some 1,554 refugees return to Brazzaville from Kinshasa under organized repatriation operations which started 19 December. WFP food provided to returnees. b) In eastern DR Congo, state of emergency declared in Kisangani due to flooding; an estimated 10,000 persons affected in and around the city. WFP airlifts 3 metric tons of high-energy biscuits, using an aircraft provided by the Government. c) Access outside of Goma remains banned to humanitarian agencies; no food to 30,000 displaced Congolese in Masisi area since early November. d) High Plateaux in Uvira region not accessible due to rainy season and insecurity. Some 35,000 displaced currently without assistance.
D. SOMALIA
1. Update - information as of 4 January a) UNDP takes over coordination of flood operation from UNICEF for the second phase (three months); WFP to coordinate all logistics and food distributions. b) Total food needs for 1998 are 39,300 metric tons, of which 20,000 metric tons remain to be resourced. c) Waters recede in Bardera, but flood situation still serious from Bualle down to Jamaame; pockets of water will take several months to evaporate. Rains continue in Ethiopia and south Somalia and slow the evaporation process. d) Boat operations now focus on ferrying of relief supplies rather than people. As waters recede, most boats moved further south along the Juba river. e) Coastal road from Mogadishu to Jamaame is now accessible. f) Total relief items delivered through airlift and airdrops by WFP between 17 November and 31 December was 1,640 metric tons. Total food distributed during this period was 2,677 metric tons, from stocks already in-country and supplies brought in by air or airdropped, reaching some 348,090 beneficiaries
PART II - DETAILS
A. AFGHANISTAN
1. UPDATE - most information as of 31 December
1.1 Airlift update as of 5 January: On 31 December 1997 a military aircraft conducted two bombing sorties at Bamyan immediately prior to and subsequent to the arrival of the WFP airlift plane. On 1 January the UNOCHA passenger plane carrying a two-member UN security assessment mission was also subjected to two bombing sorties. A number of bombs fell in the vicinity of the airstrip, some as near as 150 metres from the plane, and at least one landed in the market nearby. Although all WFP staff were safe, two civilians were injured, one of whom lost an arm. Because the WFP, UNHCR, and WHO offices are very close to the airstrip, windows were shattered by the force of the explosions. All international staff have been evacuated from the city of Bamyan. International and local WFP staff are still in place and are safe in other locations inside Bamyan province.
1.2 Permission had been obtained to operate the airlift up to 2 January 1998, and this period has now elapsed. Despite seeking permission two weeks ago to extend the airlift, no approval has been given by Taliban authorities. In the absence of a security guarantee, the airlift has been suspended. Negotiations for its resumption are ongoing. Some 206 tons (including 180 tons of wheat) were airlifted to Bamyan on 37 flights between the beginning of the operation, on 16 December, and 31 December.
1.3 In Bamyan, heavy snowfall of up to two metres and avalanches in several mountainous passes between Yakawlang and Panjao (south-west of the city of Bamyan) and between Panjao and Waras have rendered the primitive roads increasingly difficult to traverse. Routes were being kept open using teams of up to 100 manual labourers, but weather conditions mean this is no longer possible. The route from Yakawlang to Panjao-Waras is closed; as of 31 December, one more trip was scheduled on the route from neighbouring Wardak province to the west into Waras, where two WFP staff who have been purchasing potatoes for distribution in the province have been stranded.
1.4 In total, under very difficult conditions, 5,657 tons of food (about 75 percent of the target of 8,600 tons) had been distributed as of December 30 to about 130,000 beneficiaries in all five affected districts. Yakawlang and Bamyan districts have attained more than 100 percent coverage due to later identification of needy persons after the first assessment. Percentages of those in need reached in other districts were 80 percent for Panjao, 55 percent for Lal, and 50 percent in Waras.
1.5 Because of the difficulties in delivering wheat, the emergency operation has been possible almost entirely due to success in local purchase of the province's surplus potato crop, which has been distributed to the most needy. The purchase of the potatoes also injected considerable amounts of cash into a cash-starved economy deprived of its traditional export routes.
1.6 In the course of the emergency operation, WFP has monitored local food prices. WFP has been buying potatoes at a cost equivalent to about USD 80/ton since the beginning of the operation with no rise in the price of this commodity in the local market. Local prices of other commodities have been subject to only minor increases, which are believed to be due to downward shifts in the value of the afghani.
1.7 Delivery of wheat by road has been limited. Despite promises by the Hezbe Wahdat to intervene and control the militias operating on the dangerous and highly insecure route, commanders in these areas are not allowing the passage of humanitarian food aid. In total, almost 600 tons of wheat have been delivered.
1.8 In the affected areas, WFP staff have noted that while there is no visible evidence of actual starvation, affected families are clearly in need of emergency food aid in order to supplement household stocks to survive the winter.
B. EAST AFRICA: BURUNDI, RWANDA, TANZANIA AND UGANDA
1. BURUNDI
1.1 A major rebel attack on 31 December on the outskirts of Bujumbura near the city's airport left hundreds of persons dead. It is estimated that between 200 and 300 people died during the attack, the first major incident so close to the city in two years of escalating civil war. It has also been reported that several thousand civilians have become displaced, following the rebel raid and subsequent army operations in the area.
1.2 The distribution of return packages to formerly regrouped persons in Kayanza province has resumed and 18,500 persons who have returned to home areas were provided with 578 metric tons of WFP food commodities over the recent period.
1.3 WFP participated in a joint mission to Makamba, a province affected by civil strife and population displacements. Most people are concentrated in sites in three different communes, some inaccessible due to mines. Flooding in various areas has resulted in crop losses and the population also lacks seeds and tools. Security permitting, WFP plans to conduct a Food Economy Assessment in the province.
1.4 Flooding in parts of Kenya and Tanzania have resulted in the closure of stretches of roads and rail lines, thus hampering relief food deliveries to Burundi and Rwanda. The southern corridor running from Dar es Salaam is closed and the capacity of the northern axis, from Mombasa has also been seriously curtailed. Relief stocks of cereals in Burundi are near depletion and this will affect further distributions.
2. RWANDA
2.1 WFP is to provide three-month family rations to 5,000 ex-combatants reintegrating into civil life. During September WFP had already provided food assistance to these former soldiers during a period of two weeks. This new assistance package follows an agreement with the National Commission on Demobilization.
2.2 The Congolese refugees previously accommodated at Mudende camp have been moved to a new site in Byumba prefecture. This move to a safer area follows the recent attacks targeting the refugees. Although many refugees wish to return home, security conditions still do not allow their repatriation.
2.3 Rwanda's food pipeline is facing some difficulties, particularly for pulses, with stocks remaining very low, a result of disruptions caused by flooding along the two corridors serving the Great Lakes region, from Dar es Salaam and Mombasa
3. TANZANIA
3.1 Road and rail networks are paralyzed in many parts of the country as a result of heavy rains and flooding. Bridges and embankments have been washed away, cutting off large areas of the country. Relief food distributions have been seriously hampered with WFP food blocked in railway wagons and trucks. Alternative routes are now being tested from Dar es Salaam through Mpulungu and Lake Tanganika to reach Kigoma and Bujumbura, as well as road transport to Dodoma and rail further on. The pre-positioning of buffer stocks at the WFP delivery points, completed in November, will alleviate delays affecting the monthly deliveries.
3.2 In Tanzania, WFP has so far pre-positioned close to 15,000 metric tons of food in regional and district warehouses and efforts are being made to supply the most seriously affected villages using small trucks.
3.3 Owing to a very generous response from the donor community, over 90 percent of the requested food assistance for distribution to drought-affected populations has been confirmed. Pledges amounting to 68,640 metric tons of food have been confirmed by the European Union, the United States, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany and Ireland.
4. UGANDA
4.1 There is a new influx of refugees from eastern DR Congo into Uganda, via Kisoro. UNHCR is assessing the situation and will arrange the transfer of these refugees to the Nakivale camp. Meanwhile, non-food items such as plastic sheeting, saucepans, plates and cups have been supplied to the new arrivals by UNHCR and the Ugandan Red Cross.
4.2 A total of 367,000 displaced Ugandans continue to receive WFP's food assistance in Gulu, Kitgum and in the Bundibugyo area. Security in these areas remained calm but poor road conditions continue to disrupt food deliveries, particularly in the western parts of the country.
C. CENTRAL AFRICA: DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO AND REPUBLIC OF CONGO (BRAZZAVILLE)
1.1 Kinshasa and Congo/Brazzaville
a) The organized repatriation of refugees from Kinshasa to Brazzaville started on 19 December. During the last two weeks of December, 1,554 refugees have returned home under this programme. Before departing Kinshasa, each refugee is provided with a WFP food package comprising maize meal, beans and corn-soya blend.
1.2 Eastern DR Congo
a) A state of emergency has been declared in Kisangani due to flooding. Parts of the city are under water, the port is closed and electricity and water supplies are cut off. Villages north and south of the city are reported to have been seriously affected. It is estimated that 10,000 persons have been affected in and around the city. Following a request for food assistance, WFP has airlifted 3 metric tons of high-energy biscuits, using an aircraft provided by the Government.
b) Access outside of Goma remains banned to humanitarian agencies. As a consequence, an estimated 30,000 displaced Congolese in the Masisi area have been without food assistance since early November.
c) Access to the High Plateaux in the Uvira region has also become problematic due to the rainy season coupled with insecurity. Some 7,000 displaced families, representing 35,000 people, are currently without any assistance.
d) The repatriation of Congolese refugees from camps in Tanzania into eastern parts of DR Congo continued during the two last weeks of December. Small numbers of Burundian and Rwandan refugees in Uvira and Bukavu also continue to return to their home countries, with assistance from UNHCR.
D. SOMALIA
1. UPDATE - information as of 4 January
1.1 As of 1 January, at the end of the first emergency phase of the Joint Flood Operation, UNDP has taken over the coordination of the operation from UNICEF for the second phase, which will last three months. During this second phase, WFP will be coordinating all logistics and food distributions. UNICEF has discontinued their emergency food distributions and will concentrate on their regular vaccination programmes and the rehabilitation of health centres and sanitation facilities.
1.2 Total food needs for 1998 have been assessed at some 39,300 metric tons, of which about 20,000 metric tons are currently unresourced, and are the subject of a special WFP emergency operation which is now being processed.
1.3 The Food Security Assessment Unit (FSAU) team has drawn up a distribution plan together with WFP's programming section and implementing partners. Ten local food monitors have been assigned to the distribution areas to report on these distributions as well as on other factors relating to the food economy (market prices, nutrition statistics, crop production).
1.4 The waters have receded in Bardera, however, from Bualle down to Jamaame the flood situation is still very serious. There are pockets of water from which the water can only recede through evaporation and it is expected that it will take several months before these areas are dry enough for people to live in. The rains, though lighter and spaced, are still continuing in Ethiopia and south Somalia, and are slowing down the evaporation process.
1.5 The boat operation is still being implemented, mainly for the ferrying of relief supplies rather than people. However, some changes are expected as the waters recede. Most boats have been moved further south along the Juba river and it is foreseen that the Norwegian boats will eventually be removed, as they are getting too heavy and too deep for the water level. The 20 WFP boats and four World Vision boats are now located at Bardera, Saakow, Bualle, Marere, Jamaame and Kismayu.
1.6 The coastal road from Mogadishu to Jamaame is now accessible.
1.7 There are currently 25 international staff (twenty boat operators, three emergency logistics officers and two flight coordinators) and 25 local staff involved in the WFP flood operation on the ground; ten of the total are food monitors.
1.8 WFP air operations are carried out with the current fleet of aircraft based in Kenya. In Garissa: one Twin Otter, capacity: 1.5 mt or 10 passengers; two Buffalo, capacity: 7 mt; two Helicopter M1 - 8, capacity: 3 mt or 20 passengers; one Caravan, capacity 1.5 mt or 10 passengers. Based in Mombasa: one Hercules C130, capacity: 16 mt.
1.9 Delivery and distribution of food
a) Cumulative total airlifted by WFP from Kenya to Somalia between 17 November and 31 December: processed food - 550 metric tons (520 metric tons UNICEF/NGO food and 30 metric tons WFP food) plus 570 metric tons of non-food items (366 metric tons UNICEF/NGO non-food items and 204 metric tons WFP operational equipment) for a total of 1,122 metric tons airlifted. An additional 97 metric tons were airlifted between 1 and 4 January 1998. Airlift destinations between 23 December and 3 January were Saakow, Kismayu, Bardera, Buale, Garba Harre, Jamaame, Jilib, Mogadishu-North, Mogadishu and Afmadow.
b) Air-dropped by WFP from Kenya into Somalia: 518 metric tons of WFP food (maize and lentils) between 10 and 31 December 1997, at Garba Harre, Hagar, Bur Dubu, Bilis Qoqani, Badaadhe, Kolbio, Afmadow, Dobley, Saakow, Belet Weyn, El Wak, Arabow (Buale district) and Lusuduniya (Jilib district)
c) Total relief items delivered by WFP between 17 November and 31 December (airlift and airdrops): 1,640 metric tons.
d) Total of WFP food distributed within the flood operation in south Somalia, 17 November to 31 December: 2,677 metric tons (total for the extended period of 17 November to 4 January: 2,774 metric tons) from stocks already in-country and supplies brought in by air or airdropped.
e) Food reached the following beneficiaries, per location: Gedo - 84,500 beneficiaries; Bay - 181,500; Lower Shabelle - 18,700; Middle Juba - 25,750; Lower Juba - 37,640; Total - 348,090 beneficiaries
(End WFP Emergency Report No. 01 of 1998 - January 2, 1998)
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