Report No. 12 of 1998 Date: 20 March 1998This report includes: A) Sudan B) East Africa: Regional, Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda C) Central Africa: Democratic Republic of Congo and Congo/Brazzaville D) Somalia E) Albania.
>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. New address of WFP is Via Cesare Giulio Viola 68, Parco dei Medici, Rome 00148.
PART I - HIGHLIGHTS (Details below in Part II)
A. SUDAN
1. Update a) Relief efforts in Bahr el-Ghazal possible to only limited number of locations; over 348,000 people in the area estimated to be in urgent need of food assistance. b) More road deliveries into Bahr el-Ghazal via Uganda organized. c) Ninth Juba barge convoy cleared by Government of Sudan; will deliver 2,050 tons of relief food to 371,350 beneficiaries. d) WFP northern sector signs letters of agreement with several non-governmental organizations for distribution of 2,333 tons of WFP-supplied food commodities in South Dafur, White Nile, South and West Kordofan states.
B. EAST AFRICA: REGIONAL, RWANDA, BURUNDI, TANZANIA AND UGANDA
1. Regional a) Monitoring mission under way to review process monitoring and impact evaluation in emergency and rehabilitation situations in Great Lakes region.
2. Update on Great Lakes Transport Corridors a) Preparations continue for barge operations from Mpulungu, Zambia. b) Some 5,000 tons of food currently in Dar es Salaam to be moved to Mombasa in early April. c) Water levels along rail line from Dodoma to Tabora, Kigoma and Isaka subside, allowing increased deliveries of food. d) Two block trains with 1,600 tons of WFP food heading for Isaka from Dar es Salaam via Kenya, following decision to position in Isaka rolling stock of the Tanzanian Railway Corporation that was trapped in Dar es Salaam.
3. Rwanda a) WFP food arrivals in February only 1,433 tons, down from 3,360 tons in January. b) WFP and UNHCR sign letter of understanding concerning management of refugee camps. c) Implementation of joint plan of action by WFP, UNDP and UNHCR for Area Rehabilitation and Development planning currently under discussion.
4. Burundi a) Further assistance required in Buyengero commune in Bururi province; WFP food rations for 17,500 displaced people shared among some 25,000 persons.
5. Tanzania a) Following distribution of reduced rations in refugee camps, health and nutrition situation in Kigoma closely monitored; stable nutritional status currently reported. b) WFP food distributions for drought-affected persons continue in spite of poor road conditions; WFP has now been requested by the Government to provide assistance to persons affected by heavy rains and floods.
6. Uganda a) Donor support continues to be needed for ongoing operations for Sudanese refugees and displaced Ugandans. In meetings with donors, WFP stresses need for agricultural inputs as complement to food assistance. b) Insecurity remains a serious concern in northern districts of Gulu and Kitgum.
C. CENTRAL AFRICA: DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO AND REPUBLIC OF CONGO (BRAZZAVILLE)
1. Update a) Number of repatriation trips per week of Congolese refugees from Tanzania increased by UNHCR following arrival of WFP food commodities in Uvira.
D. SOMALIA
1. Update - information as of 15 March a) Situation along the Juba river south of Bu'alle and along parts of the Shabelle river still critical. Serious malnutrition found in Merca (Genale area), Qorioley and Afgoy in Lower Shabelle region. b) Many roads now open, but are often in bad condition; many villages remain cut off and access to markets remains difficult. c) Of total of 2,100 tons of food supplied by WFP in first half of March, 915 tons delivered by road in Bay and Bakool regions and 740 tons by air drops to 10 areas. d) Donors urged to support recently approved Somalia EMOP 5976, with net food requirement 9,744 metric tons; response so far: 3,620 tons of corn meal from USAID.
E. ALBANIA
1. Update a) Albania EMOP extended, with change from relief feeding to food-for-work activities. Under earlier phase of April to October 1997, some 7,500 tons food provided to institutions and vulnerable households, assisting some 600,000 beneficiaries. b) Planned distribution of food from March to October 1998 is 1,000 tons through food-for-work to 4,185 extremely vulnerable households in mountainous northeast and among impoverished periurban population.
PART II - DETAILS
A. SUDAN
1. UPDATE
1.1 Humanitarian relief efforts in Bahr el-Ghazal, where over 348,000 people are in urgent need of food assistance, remain hampered as only four locations (Adet, Ajiep, Akuem, Pakor) have been cleared by the Government of Sudan for food aid delivery. WFP has stockpiled food at these locations for local distributions and movement to other sites, but a lack of ground transport has delayed some distributions.
1.2 People from Twic County are moving to Pakor, within Gogrial County, in search of food. The threat of insecurity in Akuem, in Aweil East, has halted distributions in that area. Cattle and people continue to move away from Aweil town. WFP has been able to undertake only day visits to Akuem, returning to Malualkon to overnight. These factors are hampering the WFP objective of avoiding large concentrations of people around limited distribution sites, to prevent resettlement and dependency.
1.3 New road deliveries into Bahr el-Ghazal are currently being organized, via Uganda. Following the first convoy in February, which carried 360 tons, an additional 300 tons have been dispatched in mid-March and a further 200 tons are planned for delivery by the end of the month.
1.4 The ninth Juba barge convoy has received clearance from the Government of Sudan. The barge convoy will distribute 2,050 tons of relief food to 34 locations along the Nile corridor to 371,350 beneficiaries.
1.5 WFP northern sector has signed letters of agreement with SCF (USA), SCF (UK), Sudan Council of Churches, Sudan Red Cross, and Global Health Foundation for the distribution of 2,333 tons of WFP-supplied food commodities to 128,688 beneficiaries in South Dafur, White Nile, South and West Kordofan states.
B. EAST AFRICA: REGIONAL, RWANDA, BURUNDI, TANZANIA AND UGANDA
1. REGIONAL
1.1 A monitoring mission to review process monitoring and impact evaluation in emergency and rehabilitation situations is currently under way in the Great Lakes region (from 9 March to 3 April). The two-member mission, made up of one consultant and one WFP staff member from Angola, will work together with WFP field staff in Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda and Uganda to help Country Offices reinforce current monitoring systems to include improved gender disaggregated data on the progress of activities as well as their impact on WFP's beneficiaries.
2. UPDATE ON GREAT LAKES TRANSPORT CORRIDORS
2.1 The airlift of support equipment from Kampala for use in barge operations from Mpulungu, Zambia, started on 14 March. Rubb halls, telecommunications equipment and a vehicle were transported aboard a Hercules C-130. A tractor and trailers are also being moved by road from Lusaka. The Mpulungu route represents a very important transport alternative for the Great Lakes and WFP expects the first barge to move before the end of the month.
2.2 The transfer of approximately 5,000 tons of food currently in Dar es Salaam to Mombasa is being prepared. The food is expected to arrive in Mombasa in early April and will then be moved to Rwanda and DR Congo through the northern corridor.
2.3 Rail movements from Dodoma to Tabora, Kigoma and Isaka proceed and WFP is currently achieving 75 percent of the planned 6,000 tons of food per month. Water levels along the rail line have now subsided but WFP has developed a contingency plan for air operations, to allow supplies into the refugee camps in case rail transportation is again disrupted.
2.4 A truck convoy has left Kampala to Uvira, through Rwanda carrying 350 tons of food. A second convoy is due to be loaded before the end of the month with another 350 tons. This will cover food distribution requirements in the Uvira region through April.
2.5 Two block trains loaded with 1,600 tons of WFP food commodities are leaving Dar es Salaam through Kenya, to Isaka. This follows the decision to position in Isaka the rolling stock of the Tanzanian Railway Corporation that was trapped in Dar es Salaam.
3. RWANDA
3.1 WFP food arrivals in the country remain low. During February only 1,433 tons of food were delivered, down from 3,360 tons during January. Distributions to refugees in camps and vulnerable groups are being prioritized.
3.2 During the reporting week, WFP distributed 106 tons of mixed commodities to internally displaced persons in Gisenyi town, benefiting 7,527 persons. This food distribution was implemented in the totality by women and managed and designed by women's associations.
3.3 WFP and UNHCR have signed a letter of understanding concerning the management of refugee camps. A joint plan of action has been drafted and is currently under discussion between the two agencies.
3.4 WFP, UNDP and UNHCR are also discussing the implementation of a joint plan of action for Area Rehabilitation and Development planning. The objective is to bring programming of the three organizations closer together, for joint implementation of projects. This initiative follows the successful establishment of common services such as the UN garage and the UN flight services.
4. BURUNDI
4.1 A Food Economy Assessment team visited Buyengero commune in Bururi province where the local parish has just conducted two cycles of WFP food distributions to displaced populations. WFP had provided rations for 17,500 people but the food had to be shared among some 25,000 persons. The security situation in the commune remains precarious and people survive on tubers scavenged from abandoned fields and on the WFP food. Further assistance will be required.
4.2 Food-for-work projects are being affected by the shortage of food commodities. WFP is giving priority to some projects that have an input into nutritional or emergency programmes, such as works on roads leading to feeding centres, priority gender projects and those were the work already carried out could be lost if the project was delayed or prematurely terminated.
4.3 The distribution of seed protection packages continued during the week in Bubanza, Karuzi and Cibitoke provinces benefiting over 120,000 persons. The ration did not include pulses due to a shortage of this commodity as a result of logistics constraints.
5. TANZANIA
5.1 In view of the current pipeline situation, WFP, UNHCR, government authorities and implementing partners have jointly launched a food situation awareness campaign in all refugee camps in Kasulu. Refugee leaders expressed their satisfaction regarding the efforts being made and pledged cooperation.
5.2 Following the distribution of reduced rations, reports from the health and nutrition agencies in Kigoma are being carefully analysed. Though the reports currently reflect a stable nutritional status among the refugees, agencies have agreed on a close monitoring of the situation and on the targeting of the most vulnerable groups for special feeding programmes.
5.3 More Burundian refugees are registering for voluntary repatriation facilitated by UNHCR. During the week 197 refugees were repatriated from the Mtendeli and Nduta camps. To date 653 Burundians have returned home. WFP continues to provide the returning refugees with a one-week ration of the full food basket.
5.4 WFP food commodities continue to be distributed to drought-affected persons under EMOP 5889. Poor road conditions in may areas present however formidable challenges for food deliveries. WFP is now being requested to provide assistance to persons who have lost their homes and crops due to the heavy rains and floods. Some food commodities have been released for this purpose.
6. UGANDA - information as of 11 March
6.1 On 10 March, WFP met with local donor representatives to appeal for contributions towards ongoing operations in the country, namely the assistance to Sudanese refugees and displaced Ugandans. The need for agricultural inputs as a complement to food assistance and means of achieving self-sufficiency were also stressed. Some donor representatives are scheduled to participate in joint fact-finding missions to northern areas.
6.2 Following security incidents in the western part of the country, along the Fort Portal-Bundibugyo road, an estimated 6,300 persons became displaced in the area. Military escorts to Bundibugyo have been re-introduced as a result of the recent incidents. Insecurity remains a serious concern in the northern districts of Gulu and Kitgum. WFP assists over 400,000 displaced Ugandans in these areas.
C. CENTRAL AFRICA: DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO AND REPUBLIC OF CONGO (BRAZZAVILLE)
1. UPDATE
1.1 Democratic Republic of Congo
a) A total of 1,569 Congolese refugees were repatriated from Tanzania to DR Congo via Baraka during the week. Following the arrival of WFP food commodities in Uvira, UNHCR is increasing the number of repatriation trips to three per week, or around 2,000 refugees. Over 26,000 returnees have so far benefited from WFP's food assistance in the Uvira region.
b) Burundian refugees continue to seek asylum in DR Congo. During the week, 540 new refugees were registered in Kiliba in the Ruzizi Plain and in Mboko in the Fizi area. WFP provided them with a one-month food ration upon arrival. Close to 1,600 Burundian refugees have been registered in eastern DR Congo since the beginning of the year.
1.2 Congo/Brazzaville
a) Local organizations and WFP implementing partners in Congo/Brazzaville are reporting high numbers of malnourished children in the hinterland. WFP has an ongoing nutritional programme in Brazzaville but access to the hinterland is being hindered by insecurity and poor road conditions, thus hampering the provision of assistance to needy persons.
1.3 Between 9 and 15 March, a total of 241 tons of WFP food commodities were distributed in DR Congo and the Republic of Congo, benefiting 21,735 persons. These distributions benefited returnees and refugees, participants in nutritional programmes, hospital inpatients and participants in food-for-work projects.
D. SOMALIA
1. UPDATE - information as of 15 March
1.1 People in southern Somalia continue to suffer the devastating impact of the flood emergency. While several areas have dried up, the situation along the Juba river south of Bu'alle and along parts of the Shabelle river is still critical. River levels remain high in some areas and are being monitored closely. In Merca (Genale area), Qorioley and Afgoy in Lower Shabelle region, the findings of a WFP Food Security Assessment Unit (FSAU) field mission indicate serious malnutrition, resulting from the disruption of banana plantation, low harvest and still-flooded areas respectively. Even though many roads are now open, they are often in extremely bad condition and numerous villages still remain cut off. For many people access to markets remains difficult.
1.2 In the first half of March, WFP supplied just under 2,100 tons of relief food benefiting 298,000 of the most vulnerable people in central and southern Somalia. Out of this quantity, 915 tons were delivered by road in Bay and Bakool regions. The WFP air operation dropped a total of 740 tons of food aid in 26 rotations in 10 different areas. The balance of the total was delivered by air.
1.3 On 13 March, while unloading food supplies in Sakow, a UN chartered plane was shot at by gunmen. No one was injured and the operation there was suspended.
1.4 WFP has approved its Somalia Emergency Project 5976: "Food Aid in Support of Flood-Affected People in Somalia" which calls for a net food requirement of 9,744 metric tons (MT) consisting of 7,000 MT of cereals, 2,000 MT of pulses, 372 MT of sugar and 372 MT of pasta. So far, USAID has responded with 3,620 MT of corn meal. Donors are urged to provide their support which is essential to meeting these minimum requirements and thus maintaining an adequate food aid pipeline.
1.5 As a preparedness measure to cope with a possible further flood emergency resulting from the rainy season of March to May, WFP will maintain the structure and organization of its air operation from Garissa and Mombasa to flood prone areas.
E. ALBANIA
1. EXTENSION OF ALBANIA EMOP AND CHANGE FROM RELIEF FEEDING TO FOOD-FOR-WORK ACTIVITIES
1.1 In response to the request of the Government of Albania for humanitarian assistance, a WFP emergency operation, EMOP 5830, was jointly approved in April 1997 for an initial duration of there months, to assist the parts of the population affected by the civil unrest that swept the country after the economic crisis trigged by the collapse of the pyramid schemes. The food assistance to institutions and vulnerable households, totalling some 600,000 beneficiaries, continued until October 1997. Almost 7,500 tons of food commodities were distributed over this period.
1.2 While the humanitarian crisis now appears to have been largely overcome, important needs remain among large segments of the society. An expansion of EMOP 5830 will shift from emergency food assistance to the distribution of food to extremely vulnerable households through food for work. The planned distribution of food (from March 1998 to October 1998) is 1,000 tons to a total of 4,185 households.
1.3 This rehabilitation phase will contribute to alleviating localized problems of household food insecurity, particularly in the mountainous northeast, but also among the impoverished periurban population. The programme will focus primarily on basic infrastructure projects, and a number of non-governmental organization projects have been identified for this purpose.
(End WFP Emergency Report No. 12 of 1998 - March 20, 1998)
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