Report No. 11 of 1998 Date: 13 March 1998This report includes: A) Kenya B) East and Central Africa: Regional, Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania and Democratic Republic of Congo C) Sierra Leone D) Angola E) Iraq F) Indonesia.
>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. Address: Via Cesare Giulio Viola 68, Parco dei Medici, Rome 00148.
PART I - HIGHLIGHTS (Details below in Part II)
A. KENYA
1. Update - impact of floods on food deliveries to refugee camps a) Current 50 percent cut in food rations in Dadaab refugee camps to continue to end of month, due to on-going transport problems. b) Repair of part of road between Garissa and Dadaab possible with recent drier weather, but build-up of food stocks in the camps over coming weeks is critical, in view of imminent onset of seasonal rains. c) In spite of donor response in kind and in cash, shortfall remains for WFP airbridge; if rains again cut roads to the camps, USD 2 million needed to deliver food by air to Dadaab until the end of May.
B. EAST AND CENTRAL AFRICA: REGIONAL, BURUNDI, RWANDA, TANZANIA AND DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
1. General a) UN Inter-Agency Consolidated Appeal for the Great Lakes Region and Central Africa for 1998 issued. WFP's net requirements are USD 57.6 million of total Consolidated Appeal of USD 550 million. b) Additional appeal issued for the Republic of Congo, for total of USD 23 million, of which WFP needs are USD 2.2 million.
2. Update on Great Lakes Transport Corridors a) Disruption of transport links along southern rail corridor continues. b) Airlift of 700 tons of essential food commodities from Dar es Salaam to Burundi planned, but awaits clearance from Government of Burundi and Regional Sanctions Committee. c) Some 6,000 tons of food to be transferred by sea from Dar es Salaam to Mombasa, for onward regional delivery using northern rail corridor. d) Equipment being moved by air to initiate Mpulungu barge operations, and to re-activate idle open wagons in western Tanzania for cargo movements; rail spares being moved from Dar es Salaam to Kampala to increase the capacity of the Uganda Railway Corporation on the Mombasa rail line. e) These new arrangements estimated to cost just over one million dollars.
3. Rwanda a) Revised estimate of Rwanda's food deficit for first six months put at 102,000 tons.
4. Burundi a) WFP to prioritize nutritional programmes during 1998, in face of increasing demands for food assistance together with pipeline constraints.
5. Tanzania a) Heavy rains continue in parts of Tanzania, further complicating transport operations. Food deliveries to refugee camps in Kasulu may be affected by flooding of railway line near Kigoma. b) Distributions in Nduta camp for Burundian refugees suspended when refugees violently protest at reduced cereal ration; double ration of pulses to be distributed to compensate for the half cereal ration. Similar incidents occur in Lugufu camp in Kigoma, hosting Congolese refugees. c) In drought operations, several hundred villages remain inaccessible.
6. Democratic Republic of Congo a) Humanitarian activities outside of Goma resume; joint assessment teams visit Jomba.
C. SIERRA LEONE
1. Update a) A further WFP-chartered vessel off-loads relief food in Freetown following national holidays celebrating the return of President Kabbah. Third vessel to bring 1,300 tons of food from Conakry. b) Food situation slowly improves in Freetown; arrival of commercial shipment of 6,000 tons of rice results in reduced market prices. Improved security along roads allows movement of fresh vegetables and other commodities from up-country farms.
D. ANGOLA
1. Update - information as of 12 March a) Angolan government formally legalizes UNITA, following UNITA's declaration that it had fully demobilized its army. b) Tension mounts during week leading to approval by the Joint Commission of new time table for conclusion of tasks outlined in Lusaka Peace Protocol.
E. IRAQ
1. Update a) Talks continue regarding expansion of SCR 986 from USD 2.14 billion to USD 5.2 billion every six months. b) WFP is participating with UNICEF in a child nutrition survey. c) While talks continue over expansion of SCR 986, commodities urgently needed to meet needs of vulnerable groups through WFP's emergency feeding operation.
F. INDONESIA
1. FAO/WFP Assessment a) Joint FAO/WFP Crop and Food Supply Assessment Mission currently reviewing food situation in Indonesia.
PART II - DETAILS
A. KENYA
1. UPDATE ON IMPACT OF FLOODS ON FOOD DELIVERIES TO REFUGEE CAMPS
1.1 The 50 percent cut in food rations for 125,000 refugees in the Dadaab camps in north-eastern Kenya, imposed at the beginning of March when the road to the camps was impassable and funds for air transport insufficient, is now expected to continue to the end of the month. Because of the on-going transport problems, only half the amount of food needed for the full distribution on 15 March reached Dadaab.
1.2 Between December 1997 and the beginning of this month, WFP was forced to airlift and airdrop all food to the Dadaab camps when the main Garissa-Dadaab road was almost destroyed by the continuous heavy rains caused by the El Nino weather phenomenon. Taking advantage of the drier weather in north-eastern Kenya over the last three weeks, WFP has been working with the Ministry of Public Works and the Ministry of Agriculture to repair the road between Garissa and Dadaab, which has allowed a certain increase in deliveries by truck. To date, 70 kms of road has been repaired.
1.3 With the imminent onset of the seasonal rains, the next few weeks will be a critical time for WFP to build up the food stocks for the April to May distributions in the Dadaab camps.
1.4 There are ample food stocks in Mombasa and Garissa but refugee rations will need to be cut until either the trucks can travel the road to Dadaab in sufficient numbers or adequate funding is available for the airlift operation.
1.5 In spite of donor response in kind and in cash to WFP appeals for funding for the airbridge, there is currently a significant shortfall in funds needed to cover costs of the operation.
1.6 If the coming rains again cut the roads to the camps, WFP will need USD 2 million to deliver food by air to Dadaab until the end of May.
B. EAST AND CENTRAL AFRICA: REGIONAL, RWANDA, BURUNDI, TANZANIA AND DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
1. GENERAL
1.1 The UN Inter-Agency Consolidated Appeal for the Great Lakes Region and Central Africa for 1998 has been issued in Geneva. A total of USD 550 million are requested in the Appeal, to support both immediate relief assistance and post-war recovery and rehabilitation. WFP's net requirements amount to a total of USD 57.6 million.
1.2 An additional Appeal was issued on 11 March for the Republic of Congo, for a total of USD 23 million, of which WFP seeks to obtain USD 2.2 million. The assistance sought for Congo focus on the support to the recovery process, enhanced assistance to the most affected vulnerable groups, the strengthening of reconciliation efforts and the empowerment of local and national administrations.
2. UPDATE ON GREAT LAKES TRANSPORT CORRIDORS
2.1 Damage to the Tanzanian transport infrastructure, caused by unusually heavy rains since December, continues to disrupt essential transport links along the southern rail corridor. Over 60 percent of the Tanzania Railways Corporation rolling stock remains trapped in Dar es Salaam. During February only 57 percent of the 6,000 tons of food planned could be moved from Dodoma to Kigoma, Isaka and Tabora.
2.2 In order to ensure that the required food commodities reach those in need, WFP continues to make all efforts to overcome the logistics bottlenecks. In addition to the alternative routes already being used, WFP plans the following logistics arrangements, not envisaged in the original regional emergency operation:
a) The immediate airlifting of 700 tons of essential food commodities (milk powder, sugar and corn-soya blend), from Dar es Salaam to Burundi, to allow vulnerable group feeding operations to continue. WFP is waiting for clearances from the Government of Burundi and the Regional Sanctions Committee before further airlift plans can be elaborated.
b) The transfer, by sea, of 6,000 tons of food from Dar es Salaam to Mombasa, for onward delivery to eastern DR Congo, Rwanda and Burundi, taking advantage of the greater transport capacity on the northern rail corridor.
c) The airlift of critical non-food items, such as port support equipment from Kampala to Mpulungu in Zambia to initiate Mpulungu barge operations, recovery vehicles and rail car tarpaulins from Harare to western Tanzania to re-activate idle open wagons for cargo movements, and rail spares from Dar es Salaam to Kampala to increase the capacity of the Uganda Railway Corporation on the Mombasa rail line.
d) In total, these new arrangements, including the required staff, are estimated to cost just over one million dollars: USD 525,000 for the food airlift into Burundi; USD 360,000 for the sea transfer of food from Dar es Salaam to Mombasa; USD 110,000 for the non-food airlift and some USD 30,000 staff costs per month.
3. RWANDA
3.1 FAO and WFP have announced that the Rwanda's food deficit for the first six months of the year stands at 102,000 tons. Initially the shortfall had been estimated at 82,000 tons, but this estimate was revised following a joint mission of FAO, WFP, donor and Government representatives that assessed the impact of heavy rains on the crops.
4. BURUNDI
4.1 In face of increasing demands for food assistance, due to a deterioration in the nutritional status of the population, together with pipeline constraints, WFP will be prioritizing nutritional programmes during 1998. This includes support to 37,000 beneficiaries through supplementary and therapeutic feeding centres which are assisted by NGOs under the coordination of UNICEF and supplied with food by WFP.
4.2 WFP will also continue supporting vulnerable group feeding programmes, targeting some 14,000 beneficiaries among orphans, street children and the handicapped. Another main target for assistance are families of patients participating in nutritional feeding programmes in the most affected provinces of Bubanza, Bururi and Makamba.
4.3 Following a request from the authorities in Bubanza province, WFP has agreed to provide return packages for an estimated 2,000 formerly regrouped families. An agreement has been signed with Equilibre, a non-governmental organization which will distribute the WFP packages over a period of two to three months.
5. TANZANIA
5.1 Heavy rains continue to fall in parts of Tanzania, further complicating transport operations. The railway line near Kigoma, the main route for food deliveries to the refugee camps in Kasulu, is flooded and passenger services have already been suspended. An interruption in the cargo service is also feared.
5.2 A food distribution in Nduta camp was suspended when the refugees violently protested against the reduced cereal ration being distributed. The distribution resumed after meetings with the refugee leaders, and after the latter inspected the stocks available. It was agreed that a double ration of pulses would be distributed to compensate for the half cereal ration. Nduta hosts close to 30,000 Burundian refugees.
5.3 Similar incidents occurred in Lugufu camp in Kigoma, hosting approximately 26,000 Congolese refugees, when some of the refugees refused to receive their half rations. The situation was solved after meetings with the refugee community and the distribution resumed the following day.
5.4 The official refugee caseload in Tanzania at the beginning of March stands at 344,091 persons, including 263,614 Burundians and 69,131 Congolese. Close to 6,000 of these refugees are registered in supplementary feeding programmes in the camps.
5.5 Several hundred villages remain inaccessible to agencies distributing WFP relief food to drought-affected persons in central Tanzania. Although traditionally only white maize is consumed by the villagers, some families are reported to be walking 50 km to collect their yellow maize ration, a sign of the grave situation these families are facing.
6. DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
6.1 Humanitarian activities outside of Goma, interrupted since November due to insecurity, have now resumed. A joint team comprising WFP, World Vision and local authorities visited Jomba to assess the situation of the displaced population in the area. WFP food commodities were distributed to some beneficiaries during the assessment. A similar mission will be visiting Rutshuru, another site for displaced populations. WFP was previously assisting some 23,000 families in these two areas.
C. SIERRA LEONE
1. UPDATE
1.1 The WFP-chartered vessel "Sea Maid", carrying 700 tons of WFP food and 1,000 tons of food for relief partners, arrived in Freetown on 9 March. The vessel was off-loaded on 12 March following national holidays celebrating the return of President Kabbah. WFP is loading a third vessel in Conakry over the weekend of 14/15 March, carrying 1,300 tons of food.
1.2 Given a general improvement of the security situation, WFP is currently exploring the possibility of moving food from Freetown to Bo and Kenema.
1.3 In Freetown the food situation is improving slowly. A commercial vessel carrying 6,000 tons of rice has arrived, contributing to the reduction of market prices of the staple. Fresh vegetables and other commodities are widely available, as roads leading to up-country farms are becoming more and more accessible.
1.4 WFP has four international staff members in place in Freetown. UN international staff members are working on a 15-day maximum rotation cycle, with a total of 15 international UN personnel present in-country at all times.
D. ANGOLA
1. UPDATE - information as of 12 March 1998
1.1 The Angolan government formally legalized the UNITA rebel movement on 11 March, following UNITA's declaration that it had fully demobilized its army (70,000 troops).
1.2 Tension mounted over the past week, during which intensive negotiations finally led to the approval by the Joint Commission of a new time table for the conclusion of the tasks outlined in the Lusaka Peace Protocol.
1.3 By the new deadline for full compliance with the peace accord, UNITA must relinquish all territory still under its control, close its radio station, and move its leadership from its headquarters in Bailundo to Luanda. UNITA generals in Bailundo are to be demobilized from 11 to 15 March, and Dr. Savimbi's 400-strong personal guard on 20 March.
E. IRAQ
1. UPDATE
1.1 Talks have taken place over the past week at the United Nations in New York over the expansion of Security Council Resolution (SCR) 986 from USD 2.14 billion to USD 5.2 billion every six months and are to continue in Baghdad in the weeks ahead. The Security Council voted on 20 February to expand the programme, however, Iraq has stated that it only has the capacity to pump up to USD 4 billion worth of oil. The UN is sending a technical team to determine Iraq's current oil pumping capacity and how much repairs are needed to allow it to generate USD 5.2 billion in a six month period.
1.2 Meanwhile, SCR 986 commodities are being distributed at the current ration level with WFP observers in place to monitor distributions. The Government of Iraq has announced that for the first time in four months, the full food basket will be distributed in March.
1.3 WFP is participating with UNICEF in a child nutrition survey in Iraq. WFP observers have been mobilized from 14 to 16 March to collect data from the same children surveyed in November 1997. WFP, along with UNICEF and national authorities, will also be involved in data analysis.
1.4 While talks continue over the expansion of SCR 986, commodities are still urgently needed to meet the needs of vulnerable groups through WFP's emergency feeding operation. In order to provide food to malnourished children, pregnant and lactating mothers, persons in hospitals and social institutions and to internally displaced persons and refugees, WFP requires 29,770 tons of mixed food commodities at a total cost of USD 15 million. This will cover needs from March to the end of June, 1998.
F. INDONESIA
1. FAO/WFP ASSESSMENT
1.1 A joint FAO/WFP Crop and Food Supply Assessment Mission arrived in Indonesia this week, and is expected to continue work through the first week of April. The mission will assess the food supply situation following reported food shortages arising from a combination of drought caused by the El Nino phenomenon and projected large rice imports subject to high inflation rates (28 percent for the month of February alone) caused by the current economic crisis in the country.
(End WFP Emergency Report No. 11 of 1998 - March 13, 1998)
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