Report No. 18 of 1998 Date: 1 May 1998This report includes: A) Sudan B) Afghanistan C) Sierra Leone D) East and Central Africa: Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo.
>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 Aleesa.Blum@wfp.org or Claudia.VonRoehl@wfp.org at WFP Rome, telephone 39 6 6513 2004 or 6513 2504. The 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 - incorporates additional information as of 4 May a) Government of Sudan gives clearance to WFP/OLS to operate an additional four aircraft in southern Sudan (three Hercules C130s and aBuffalo aircraft). b) With four C130 operating out of Lokichoggio, WFP air delivery capacity into southern Sudan will be approximately 5,000 tons of food a month, substantially increasing airdrop operations in Bahr el-Ghazal. c) Road conditions in Eastern Equatoria deteriorate with the rains; food deliveries to be taken up by the air-bridge. d) OLS barge convoy departs Malakal, and will distribute 2,050 tons of food commodities at 34 locations along the Nile, to some 377,350 beneficiaries. e) Expansion of WFP emergency operation for Sudan (EMOP 5826.01) approved; under the EMOP, WFP requests donor contributions for an additional 50,620 tons of food, to assist 2.48 million drought and war-affected people for one year. Total cost is USD 65.8 million.
B. AFGHANISTAN
1. Update - Hazarjat region a) WFP assessments of food situation in previously unvisited areas of the Hazarajat continue. Preliminary findings of missions to Uruzgon, Ghazni, Ghor, and Wardak are given below. b) Missions are checking reports that the situation in the areas surrounding Bamyan has seriously deteriorated over the winter; reports received of up to 100 people dying of starvation in areas now becoming accessible. Missions confirm that no food is available in local markets in remote areas. c) Further local purchases of potatoes and wheat made for distributions in Ghor and Wardak.
C. SIERRA LEONE
1. Update a) Heavy fighting in Kono and Kailahun in eastern Sierra Leone causes thousands of civilians to flee to Makeni town and Koinadugu District, or across borders into Liberia and Guinea. An estimated 140,000 refugees have crossed into Liberia and Guinea as at the end of April, many in poor health. b) Food being provided by WFP from relief food stocks in both countries to all refugees who can be reached, in collaboration with UNHCR and NGOs. c) Serious transportation problem faced by WFP within Sierra Leone due to theft and destruction of many vehicles before restoration of current government.
D. EAST AND CENTRAL AFRICA: RWANDA, BURUNDI, TANZANIA, UGANDA AND DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
1. Rwanda a) Torrential rains damage two major trunk roads; Butare-Cyangugu road blocked by mud slides; on Kigali-Gisenyi road, section of tarmac washed away. b) Major increase in number of persons assisted in nutritional centre in Nyamabuye, Gitarama prefecture, as a result of internal displacements caused by recent fighting. c) New food-for-work projects approved, to provide 3,500 metric tons of WFP food commodities to participants over the next four months.
2. Burundi a) Stock position of WFP relief food improves slightly, after three months of pipeline shortages; agreements signed for additional food-for-work projects. b) During the second quarter of 1998, WFP to provide over 1,400 metric tons of food to UNICEF for use in nutritional programmes for 47,450 persons in a total of 241 programmes.
3. Tanzania a) New Rwandan refugees cross into Tanzania, fleeing insecurity in Kibungo. As of 26 April, 2,358 Rwandans registered at Mbuba transit centre in Ngara. b) Voluntary repatriation of Burundian refugees continues; other Burundians still entering Tanzania as refugees.
4. Uganda a) Efforts made to contain escalating cholera epidemic in Bundibugyo. b) Security in Gulu and Kitgum deteriorates, with reports of attack on a protected village in Gulu.
5. Democratic Republic of Congo a) Some 10,000 Burundian refugees now registered in the Uvira region. UNHCR and WFP authorized to provide assistance to these refugees at Sange, in the Ruzizi Plain; security clearance required for travel to the area.
PART II - DETAILS
A. SUDAN
1. UPDATE - incorporates information as of 4 May (other information as of 25 April)
1.1 Information as of 4 May: The Government of Sudan has given clearance to WFP/Operation Lifeline Sudan to operate another four aircraft for the relief operation in southern Sudan. The three Hercules C130s and a Buffalo aircraft will augment the airlift/airdrop capacity of the current two C130 aircraft operated by WFP/OLS in the operation, the second of which began flying from Lokichoggio in Kenya on 26 April. The third C130 is expected to begin operations from Lokichoggio on 7 May. The fourth and fifth C130s are currently being mobilized by WFP (the fourth C130 will start operations from Lokichoggio within a few days; the fifth C130 will operate out of El Obeid). The additional Buffalo aircraft will be used by UNICEF to deliver urgently needed seeds and agricultural tools from Lokichoggio. There are currently two Buffalo aircraft based Lokichoggio, one operated by WFP, the other by UNICEF, as well as several light passenger aircraft used for transporting humanitarian operations personnel.
1.2 With the fourth C130, WFP will be able to deliver approximately 5,000 tons a month by air into southern Sudan, allowing a significant increase in the quantities of food aid being airdropped to people in need in Bahr el-Ghazal.
1.3 In Eastern Equatoria road conditions are deteriorating rapidly with the coming of the rains. This region remains a high priority for WFP/OLS along with Bahr el-Ghazal. Food deliveries will be taken up by the air-bridge.
1.4 The Nile barge convoy sent from the northern sector of OLS departed Malakal on 27 April and was expected in Shambe on 4 May. The barge convoy will distribute 2,050 tons of food commodities at 34 locations along the Nile corridor to assist some 377,350 beneficiaries. This is the ninth barge convoy since WFP's barge operation began in 1993. In addition to food, WFP barges carry UNICEF vaccination teams, and medical supplies, seeds and tools, on behalf of other UN agencies and NGOs.
1.5 The food deliveries by the barge convoy will ease the burden on future air deliveries by southern sector into some of Bor and Western Upper Nile areas.
1.6 During the week of 19-25 April, WFP delivered 380 tons of food aid into the southern sector OLS for distribution to 104,000 beneficiaries. During April, OLS southern sector has so far assisted 287,600 beneficiaries with 1,368 tons of food. Northern sector OLS distributions for April totalled 507 tons of food commodities, and were distributed to 66,155 beneficiaries in Unity State, Upper Nile, Bahr el Jabel, Kassala and South Darfur states.
1.7 An expansion of the WFP emergency operation for Sudan (EMOP 5826.01) has been jointly approved by FAO and WFP. Under the EMOP, WFP is requesting donor contributions for an additional 50,620 tons of food, to assist 2.48 million drought and war-affected people, the large majority of whom are in southern Sudan, from May 1998 to April 1999. The total cost, including food commodities, transport, direct support costs and other costs, is USD 65.8 million. Immediate WFP resourcing needs for the operation, to cover food and logistics costs over the coming four months, are roughly USD 20 million.
B. AFGHANISTAN
1. UPDATE - WFP assessment missions in Hazarajat region
1.1 WFP is continuing to assess the severity of the food situation in previously unvisited areas of the Hazarajat. The region is seriously affected by the nine-month blockade by the Taliban from the south; movement of supplies from the north is still difficult.
1.2 Local purchases of potatoes and wheat are being made by WFP for distributions in Ghor and Wardak. With the recent opening up of roads within the region, further reports are being received, as yet largely unverified, indicating that the situation in the areas surrounding Bamyan has seriously deteriorated over the winter and that up to 100 people, mainly women and children, have died of starvation in those areas which are just now becoming accessible. In some very remote regions such as Uruzgon, there is no food available in local markets.
1.3 WFP has five assessment missions fielded within the Hazarajat, one each in Uruzgon, Ghazni, Ghor, and two in Wardak.
a) The mission to Ghor, an inter-agency mission comprised of representatives from WFP, a local women's committee, the Hezbe Wahdat, UNHCR, WHO, and NIDA (an Afghan NGO) left Yakawlang on April 23 to open the Yakawlang-Ghor road with an all-wheel drive truck. Delayed in heavy snow for three days on a 4,000 metre high mountain pass, the mission reached Lal district on April 27, and began a village by village assessment. The mission has verified reports that people have died from starvation in the area. On 29 April, WFP Bamyan began the dispatch of 300 tons of potatoes, 50 tons of wheat, and supplies of high-energy biscuits, to be distributed to an estimated 2,000 families in Lal district in urgent need of food.
b) The mission in Uruzgon has reported that up to 20 percent of the population of Sharistan district (3,000 families) have food extremely limited food stocks and urgently require food aid. No deaths from hunger have been reported yet. There is no wheat in local markets, and only limited amounts available from private stocks, at prohibitive prices.
c) The Ghazni mission reports that 45 people have died of starvation in Nawor, Jaghori and Malistan districts. The total number of vulnerable people is still to be determined. Some members of this mission are now proceeding to Tizak district of Wardak to identify and purchase surplus potatoes. A WFP pick-up has crossed the front lines for use in Ghazni. d) The WFP team assisted by national NGOs working in Koh-I-Beroon in Behsud district of Wardak province began distributing food on 24 April. While part of the team is distributing food aid, other team members are going from village to village identifying the most affected who are in need of food aid. After being identified, the villagers walk for five hours to the distribution point at Shaidan village, which is the closest location to the affected area which can be accessed by road. Five hundred families had been assisted by April 27. Potato purchase is continuing for assistance to this area.
e) An assessment mission to Shiahak in Behsud district of Wardak province left Bamyan City on April 26, travelling by vehicle and then on foot over the Hajikak Pass through heavy snow.
1.4 The EU mission, one of several donor missions in the region, has finalized its work in Pakistan and Afghanistan after visiting Kabul and Faizabad. The CIDA and OFDA missions began the week of 27 April and are visiting several WFP projects in Jalalabad, Kabul, Faizabad and Bamyan.
C. SIERRA LEONE
1. UPDATE
1.1 Thousands of civilians are fleeing eastern Sierra Leone as heavy fighting continues in Kono and Kailahun, and heading for Makeni town and Koinadugu District, or are crossing the borders into Liberia and Guinea.
1.2 It is estimated that up to 140,000 refugees have crossed into Liberia and Guinea as at the end of April. Figures will be confirmed by UNHCR and WFP as soon as the situation permits. Many refugees are reportedly arriving in poor health and in a precarious nutritional condition.
1.3 WFP has relief food stocks in both countries and is providing food assistance to all refugees who can be reached, in collaboration with UNHCR and various NGOs. A total of 3,000 tons of food, including high-protein food items, has been delivered to Guekedou, in southern Guinea, an amount which will feed 250,000 people for one month.
1.4 The insecurity in the eastern area of Sierra Leone is raising increased concern, especially in light of the imminent rainy season which will render access by humanitarian agencies to refugees and displaced persons more difficult. Furthermore, it is expected that a large part of the civilian population in eastern Sierra Leone will be highly dependent on humanitarian assistance for some time to come, as disruption has prevented farmers from planting crops for the next harvest.
1.5 Over the month of April, WFP distributed a total of 855 tons of food to more than 58,000 beneficiaries through various programmes. WFP is facing a serious transportation problem within Sierra Leone due to the theft and destruction of many vehicles before the restoration of the current government. Special requests for logistics assistance are being made to donors.
D. EAST AND CENTRAL AFRICA: RWANDA, BURUNDI, TANZANIA, UGANDA AND DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
1. RWANDA
1.1 Two major trunk roads in Rwanda have suffered substantial damage as a result of torrential rains in the past two weeks. The road running from Butare to Cyangugu has been blocked at two spots due to mud slides and is currently closed to traffic. The road connecting Kigali with Gisenyi had one section of tarmac washed away and traffic is being diverted off the main road. Over the past weekend (April 26/27) heavy rains also resulted in the flooding of the Nyabarongo river, which destroyed farm land and closed the Kigali to Butare road for two days.
1.2 The number of persons being assisted in the nutritional centre in Nyamabuye, Gitarama prefecture, has markedly increased, from 100 persons during December to 1,137 during April. This increase is the result of internal displacements within the prefecture, caused by recent fighting. The number of patients for nutritional feeding in Gitarama increased by 20 percent for the same reason.
1.3 During the next four months, participants in new food-for-work projects just approved will be provided with some 3,500 metric tons of WFP food commodities. In some areas of the country, particularly in Gikongoro and parts of Byumba and Kibuye provinces, there is a lack of implementing partners to carry out such projects. WFP is taking a proactive role in the identification of projects and partners in the communes of most need.
1.4 The refugee population in Rwanda stands currently at 34,710 persons: 31,771 Congolese accommodated in camps in Byumba and Kibuye, and 2,939 Burundians in three camps in Cyangugu, Butare and Gikongoro. The Congolese caseload continues to increase, while the Burundian refugees have been slowly returning home in small numbers.
2. BURUNDI
2.1 The WFP food stock position in the country has slightly improved, after three months of pipeline shortages, and thus agreements have been signed for the implementation of 14 new food-for-work projects, in Bujumbura town, Kirundo, Cibitoke, Ngozi and Bubanza provinces.
2.2 During the second quarter of 1998, WFP will provide over 1,400 metric tons of food to UNICEF for use in nutritional programmes benefiting 47,450 persons in a total of 241 programmes. The UNICEF-coordinated programme now covers the majority of selective feeding programmes in the country, including those run by 18 different non-governmental organizations in all 15 provinces of Burundi.
2.3 CARE began a new distribution programme of WFP food packages to needy populations in Kayanza province, providing 112 tons of food to 10,105 beneficiaries. The majority of these beneficiaries received monthly rations but some 1,800 persons were targeted to receive only 7-day rations. Food Economy Assessment teams continue to work in priority areas, identified jointly by WFP and Action Contre le Faim, based on the increased number of beneficiaries at feeding centres.
2.4 WFP food commodities continue to be distributed to formerly regrouped populations and returnees. During the week, Oxfam Quebec distributed WFP packages to some 600 repatriates from DR Congo, the International Federation of Fed Cross provided WFP rations to 1,067 returnees, also from DR Congo, and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies assisted returnees from Tanzania. Equilibre provided WFP food to 1,010 formerly regrouped persons in Bubanza.
3. TANZANIA
3.1 New groups of Rwandan refugees have been crossing into Tanzania, fleeing insecurity in Rwanda. The majority of these new refugees are from Kibungo. As of 26 April, the registered caseload at the Mbuba transit centre in Ngara was reported to be 2,358 Rwandans. Some refugees have already been moved to the Mkugwa camp in Kibondo, while another 7,000 Rwandan refugees have been registered at the Lukole camps in Ngara, where they will remain until a new site is found.
3.2 Burundian refugees continue to voluntarily repatriate from refugee camps in Kibondo, Tanzania. To date a total of 1,367 Burundians have returned home since January, with 10 repatriation trips carried out. All returning refugees are provided with a one-week WFP food ration before departure. Other Burundians are however still entering Tanzania. During the week 292 were registered in Kibondo and Mbuba transit centre. There are presently some 278,000 Burundians in camps in Tanzania.
3.3 As of 26 April, over 8,000 beneficiaries were registered at special feeding centres in the refugee camps. This represents 2.4 percent of the total refugee population of approximately 340,000 persons. There has been an increase in the number of participants in special feeding programmes in Kibondo camps, following a screening exercise conducted on new arrivals. Kibondo and Ngara camps are also reporting an increased mortality rate for under-fives, mostly from malaria and anaemia.
4. UGANDA
4.1 The cholera epidemic in Bundibugyo has escalated, with 16 deaths reported in the Itojo and Karugutu camps for displaced persons. Medecins Sans Frontieres, Holland, has moved medicines to the camps to contain the epidemic, and Catholic Relief Services, WFP implementing partner, has plans to ease congestion in the camps and relocate them.
4.2 Security conditions in the northern districts of Gulu and Kitgum have deteriorated during the week. Local press reports indicate that one protected village in Gulu has been attacked, with 35 homes burned, goods looted and villagers abducted. Clashes between rebel groups and Government soldiers have also been reported in Kitgum.
5. DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
5.1 Population movements in the Uvira region remain substantial, with some 10,000 Burundian refugees now registered. UNHCR and WFP have been authorized to provide assistance to these refugees at Sange, in the Ruzizi Plain, but security clearance is required before any travel is undertaken to the area.
5.2 WFP food assistance to some 15,000 beneficiaries in the Kisangani area will be completed by the end of April. Since January, WFP has been assisting 13,000 flood affected persons in the town and surrounding villages, and 2,500 former children combatants in the Kapalata camp.
Note: all tonnage figures above refer to metric tons
(End WFP Emergency Report No. 18 of 1998 - May 1, 1998)
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