Report No. 05 of 1998 Date: 30 January 1998This report includes: A) East Africa I: Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania and Uganda B) Sudan C) East Africa II: Somalia and Kenya Floods D) Central Africa: Democratic Republic of Congo and Congo/Brazzaville E) Iraq F) Resourcing Update.
>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.
Note: the new address of WFP is Via Cesare Giulio Viola 68, Parco dei Medici, Rome 00148. Telephone and fax numbers remain the same.
PART I - HIGHLIGHTS (Details below in Part II)
A. EAST AFRICA I: RWANDA, BURUNDI, TANZANIA AND UGANDA
1. General - Update on Great Lakes Transport Corridors a) Backlog on the Mombasa/Kampala line clears as Jinja rail link with Kenya reopens; WFP food also moving along alternate routes after disruptions to regular routes caused by floods.
2. Rwanda a) Various programmes affected by limited arrival of food supplies, but recent January harvest helps to offset serious negative impact.
3. Burundi a) Continuing military operations lead to occasional closure of main traffic routes from Bujumbura to the provinces; insecurity in Bujumbura Rural, Bururi and Makamba forces cancellation of planned WFP distributions.
4. Tanzania a) Period of dry weather allows distribution of relief food to drought-affected populations in Mara, Mwanza and Shinyanga regions; reduction in rations foreseen if food deliveries from the port to the primary and secondary warehouses does not improve. b) Lugufu refugee camp in Kigoma region (32,500 Congolese refugees) currently flooded and isolated.
B. SUDAN
1. Update - information as of 2 February 1998 a) Intense fighting in Wau, Aweil and Gogrial in Bahr-el-Ghazal state leads to displacement of estimated 100,000 people; Operation Lifeline Sudan deeply concerned about lack of resources to meet growing humanitarian crisis. b) 1998 Inter-Agency Appeal for Sudan to be issued in early February.
C. EAST AFRICA II: SOMALIA AND KENYA FLOODS
1. Update a) The need for air operations to assist flood-affected populations in Somalia and Kenya increases, with no sign of a significant reduction in food needs at otherwise inaccessible sites before March. WFP-run helicopters are a major means of access for WHO, MSF, UNICEF and the Red Cross teams combating cholera, Rift Valley fever, and malaria in both Somalia and Kenya. b) Refugees in Dadaab camps continue to be totally dependent on WFP air operations, which are ferrying 500 tons of food to the camps each week. c) Flood waters recede in some areas in southern Somalia, but area along Juba river from Saakow to Jamame still under one to three metres of water; some in-land villages, including Afmadow and Hagar, remain severely flooded. d) Malnutrition rates reported on the rise in Bay and Bakool.
D. CENTRAL AFRICA: DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO AND REPUBLIC OF CONGO (BRAZZAVILLE)
1. Update a) Repatriation of Rwandan refugees from Congo/Brazzaville slows; an estimated 13,500 refugees remain. b) Food and non-food deliveries to Kisangani from Kinshasa and Goma continue.
E. IRAQ
1. Update - information as of 29 January 1998 a) Tension increases as Iraq refuses to allow UN weapons inspectors full access to all sites in the country. b) UN Secretary-General proposals, based on recently submitted humanitarian programme review, to go to UN Security Council within a week. Proposals may include an increase in the amount of oil Iraq is allowed to sell. c) Rate of arrivals and distribution of most commodities under Security Council Resolution 986 increases throughout the country; only exception is low level of infant formula.
F. GENERAL
1. Resourcing update a) Selected WFP emergency and protracted relief operations with priority resourcing needs are listed below.
PART II - DETAILS
A. EAST AFRICA I: RWANDA, BURUNDI, TANZANIA AND UGANDA
1. GENERAL - UPDATE ON GREAT LAKES TRANSPORT CORRIDORS
1.1 The Jinja rail link with Kenya opened on 27 January and the backlog on the Mombasa/Kampala line is being cleared. WFP continues also using the Kisumu rail ferry for food shipments from Mombasa to both Uganda and Tanzania.
1.2 The first block train with 2,000 tons of food is departing this week from Dodoma to Kigoma in Tanzania. Road transport of up to 6,000 tons of food over the next four weeks from Dar es Salaam to Dodoma has begun. The repairs to the Dar es Salaam/Dodoma rail line are expected to take more than four months. WFP is participating in a high-level Government task force addressing logistics problems in Tanzania.
1.3 The first shipment of 2,000 tons of WFP food, of a total 5,000 tons planned, will arrive in Mpulungu during the next week, for on-forwarding by barge to Uvira, Bujumbura and Kigoma.
2. RWANDA
2.1 Owing to disruptions in transport routes, less than 3,000 tons of food have arrived in Rwanda since 21 December, and distributions are being limited to priority programmes such as refugee camps and selected nutritional centres. Although various programmes are affected by these measures, the recent January harvest should help offset any serious negative impact on the food situation. During February, WFP plans to deliver only 2,500 to 3,000 tons of food, down from a monthly average of 7,000 to 8,000 tons.
2.2 At a recent seminar in Rwanda on food security held by the European Union, improvements in agricultural production and household access to food were discussed. The role of food aid and monetization schemes were also discussed, as well as the establishment of a strategic food stock in the country. It is proposed that a stock of 10,000-20,000 tons of food be maintained in the country, under private management and Government supervision.
3. BURUNDI
3.1 Due to continuing military operations, most of the regular traffic routes from the capital to the provinces continue to be subject to occasional closure, especially RN1 and RN7, the main roads of access to Bujumbura.
3.2 Insecurity in Bujumbura Rural, Bururi and Makamba forced WFP to cancel planned distributions to affected populations in these provinces over the past week.
3.3 An evaluation meeting was held in Bubanza province, at which WFP participated together with other UN agencies and non-governmental organizations operating in the province, in order to reinforce the coordination and increase the scale of humanitarian assistance in areas of the province affected by rebel insurgency.
4. TANZANIA
4.1 Three days of dry weather have allowed some progress in the distribution of relief food commodities to drought-affected populations in Mara, Mwanza and Shinyanga regions. Although these distributions remain well below target, the non-governmental organizations responsible for this programme are making notable progress in bringing the food closer to the affected villages.
4.2 However, if food deliveries from the port to the primary and secondary warehouses does not improve, a reduction in rations or even interruptions in the distribution may occur.
4.3 The Lugufu refugee camp, holding 32,500 Congolese refugees in Kigoma region, is currently flooded and isolated, with both bridges on either side of the camp entrance washed out. Repairs are being carried out to enable access for food deliveries. Roads in Kigoma are still in extremely poor shape and eleven WFP trucks carrying food from Kigoma to Kasulu camps were stranded for two days along the road.
5. UGANDA
5.1 UNHCR and WFP, in collaboration with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the Ugandan Red Cross and the Ministry of Local Government are preparing a contingency plan in preparation for a possible influx of refugees from Rwandan and DR Congo. The plan foresees three different scenarios, with influxes between 30,000 to over 70,000 refugees, crossing into Uganda through Kisoro.
5.2 The delivery of WFP food from Koboko, in northern Uganda to Tonj, in southern Sudan, did not start as planned, as World Vision has had to temporarily suspend activities in the Tonj area due to insecurity. No food deliveries to southern Sudan have been made yet during this month, while the beneficiary caseload and food requirements are being determined.
B. SUDAN
1. UPDATE
1.1 Bahr-el-Ghazal state - update, 2 February 1998
a) As reported in IRIN Update no. 345, Operation Lifeline Sudan, in a statement released 2 February, said it was hard-pressed to meet the growing humanitarian crisis in Bahr-el-Ghazal state. An estimated 100,000 displaced people were fleeing intense fighting in Wau, Aweil and Gogrial. OLS is concerned that it does not have the resources to meet the survival needs of the growing numbers of people in need in the area. NGOs and UN agencies on the ground need both funds and supplies to respond to the new needs.
b) WFP/OLS is currently undertaking a rapid assessment to gauge the validity of estimated numbers.
c) Daily influxes had been reported in the vicinity of Wau since the end of last year, for various reasons, including the apparent relative security of the area following peace agreements between the Government of Sudan and certain rebel factions. A WFP/HAC/NGO assessment mission had visited the area in mid-January.
1.2 The 1998 Inter-Agency Appeal for Sudan will be issued in early February; a summary of estimated food requirements will be outlined in a future WFP Emergency Report.
C. EAST AFRICA II: SOMALIA AND KENYA FLOODS
1. UPDATE - information as of 29 January
1.1 The demand for air operations to assist flood-affected populations in Somalia and Kenya is substantially increasing at present. There is no sign of a significant reduction in needs before March, and if the current extraordinary rains persist then these needs will go on longer. The needs for health programmes are vastly increased. Cholera, Rift Valley fever, and malaria incidence are of epidemic proportions. WFP-run helicopters are a major means of access for WHO, MSF, UNICEF and the Red Cross in both Kenya and Somalia.
1.2 In response to increasing food needs, WFP is planning to double its rate of food delivery in both Kenya and Somalia in February compared with January. The well-being of 125,000 refugees in Dadaab is totally dependent on WFP air operations carrying 500 tons of food each week to at least mid-March. This airlift began mid-December.
1.3 Flood waters are receding in some areas in southern Somalia, however, the area alongside the Juba river from Saakow to Jamame is still under one to three metres of water and some in-land villages, including Afmadow and Hagar, remain severely flooded, as they are situated in pockets of water which do not have any outlets. Farmers are expected to start planting as flood waters recede, using seeds distributed by World Vision and ICRC.
1.4 Malnutrition rates are reported to be on the rise in Bay and Bakool. As the situation in Bualle and Saakow has improved, this has allowed a shift of the airdrops to areas like Afmadow and Bay/Bakool.
D. CENTRAL AFRICA: DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO AND REPUBLIC OF CONGO (BRAZZAVILLE)
1. UPDATE
1.1 Kinshasa and Congo/Brazzaville
a) The repatriation of Rwandan refugees in the Republic of Congo has slowed down in recent weeks as refugees show no enthusiasm to go home, in view of heightened insecurity in Rwanda. There are still an estimated 13,500 refugees in Congo; less than 1,500 were repatriated during the second half of 1997.
b) This caseload crossed into Congo during May of last year and most of the refugees want now to settle in Congo. The refugees have indicated that they would like to move from their current sites in northern swampy areas to the Kintele camp, which is closer to Brazzaville and where land is more appropriate for farming.
c) Between 19 and 25 January, a total of 168 tons of WFP food were distributed in Congo, benefiting refugees in Kintele, Loukolela, Ndjoundou and Kinkole. A one-month food ration was also distributed to displaced Congolese. Since the beginning of the year, a total of 426 tons of WFP commodities were distributed in Congo.
1.2 Eastern DR Congo
a) 1,550 Congolese refugees were repatriated from Tanzania to Baraka, South Kivu between 19 and 25 January. Over 16,000 Congolese have to date returned, out of a total 74,000 Congolese expected to return home during the first half of 1998. During the week, another 426 spontaneous returnees arrived and were registered in DR Congo.
b) Food and non-food deliveries to Kisangani from Kinshasa and Goma continued during the week, with WFP coordinating all logistics arrangements. The distribution of WFP food commodities to drought-affected persons under Emergency Operation 5971 is fully under way, implemented by Caritas.
E. IRAQ
1. UPDATE - information as of 29 January 1998
1.1 High level pressure has once again mounted in the region over Iraq's refusal to allow United Nations weapons inspectors full access to all sites in the country. Western diplomats have indicated that the US and Britain are considering the use of force against Iraq if it continues to impede the work of UN weapons inspectors. In the meantime, a Russian envoy arrived in Baghdad on 27 January to try to negotiate a diplomatic end to the current stand-off.
1.2 United Nations agencies in Baghdad have submitted a humanitarian programme review to the UN Secretary-General. The Secretary-General is expected to submit his proposals, based on the programme review, to the UN Security Council within a week. These proposals may include an increase in the amount of oil Iraq is allowed to sell in order to purchase additional humanitarian supplies.
1.3 WFP observers have noted an increase in the rate of arrivals, and distribution, of most commodities under Security Council Resolution 986 throughout the country, easing the poor stock levels in many governorates. The only exception to this is the low levels of infant formula.
1.4 As the military situation in the north has remained relatively calm over recent weeks, it was possible to deliver and distribute high quantities of commodities in that area. For the first time, storage capacity in WFP's warehouses in Dohuk and Suleimaniyah has been stretched. Weather conditions in Suleimaniyah have improved and distribution has been subsequently expanded. Only the areas near Mawat and beyond Qalidiza have still been blocked by snow.
1.5 Commodities are also being distributed to targeted vulnerable groups under WFP's emergency operation. These commodities are providing critical support, especially to malnourished children, anaemic mothers and other patients in hospitals and clinics who currently face harsh winter conditions.
F. GENERAL
1. SUMMARY OF THE RESOURCING SITUATION FOR SELECTED WFP EMERGENCY AND PROTRACTED RELIEF OPERATIONS
1.1 The following operations are current resourcing priorities for WFP. For each country, details are given for the tonnage still required and value.
1.2 Current highest priority Emergency Operations (EMOPs):
Somalia EMOP 5976 - Flood victims - (Duration: Ongoing in 1998) - New EMOP under preparation. Current food shortfall: 9,744 MT - US$ 14 million - 100% of EMOP needs (Provisional figure). Emergency response for flood victims falls under the activities of EMOP 5036.04 until the new EMOP 5976.00 is finalized and approved. Air operations currently facing severe cash shortfall.
Kenya EMOP (Duration: December - April 1998). New EMOP to be submitted for approval shortly. Emergency response to flood victims falls under the activities of the EMOP 5803.01 until new EMOPs 5969.00 and 01 (currently under preparation) are finalized and approved. Air operations currently facing severe cash shortfall.
Sudan EMOP 5826.00 (Duration: Ongoing in 1998). Current shortfall: 49,043 MT - US$ 73 million - 81% of 1998 needs (Provisional figure). New contributions urgently needed, especially for the Southern sector operation.
DPR Korea EMOP (Ongoing in 1998). New EMOP 5959 approved for period April 1998 to March 1999. Current shortfall: 657,972 MT - US$ 378 million - 100% of new EMOP needs.
1.3 Priority PROs
The following Protracted Relief Operations need additional resources in the near future to avoid food pipeline breaks in the coming months: Cambodia PRO 5483.03 - shortfall: 26,291 MT - 100 % of 1998 needs; Algeria PRO 4155.07 - shortfall: 2,694 MT - 47 % of 1998 needs; Afghanistan PRO 5086.04 - urgent requirement in this operation is funds to cover local purchases of 2,270 MT potatoes for the Bamyan region (representing 50% of potato needs) - this is only commodity requested for the Afghanistan operation at this time; Nepal PRO 5324.02 - shortfall: 7,820 MT - 40 % of 1998 needs - cash needed for local/regional purchases.
To be presented to the Executive Board of 5/6 February: Iran PRO 5950 - shortfall: 18,386 MT - 100% shortfall of 1998 - scheduled to begin March, pending approval by the Executive Board.
(End WFP Emergency Report No. 05 of 1998 - January 30, 1998)
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