Report No. 20 of 1998 Date: 15 May 1998This report includes: A) Sudan B) Sahel: Burkina Faso, Niger, Senegal and Chad C) West Africa: Regional refugee situation, Liberia, Guinea, Sierra Leone D) East and Central Africa: Burundi, Tanzania, Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo and 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 information as of 17 May a) Government of Sudan lifts restrictions on delivery of humanitarian aid in rebel-held areas of the Nuba mountains; WFP to participate in UN/OLS assessment. b) Heavy rain results in difficult landing conditions for aircraft and poor visibility for air drops in parts of Sudan, partially disrupting delivery operations. c) FAO Special Alert on Sudan released on 15 May: "Grave food supply difficulties in southern Sudan and a bleak production outlook for 1998".
B. SAHEL: BURKINA FASO, NIGER, SENEGAL AND CHAD
1. Update a) WFP re-targets food under existing development projects to meet food needs of populations affected by localized food deficit problems in Senegal, Niger and Burkina Faso. Details of re-targeted WFP operations and Government response given below. b) Some 8,500 Sudanese refugees arrive in Chad, near border town of Adre. Joint WFP/UNHCR assessment mission assesses situation.
C. WEST AFRICA: REGIONAL REFUGEE SITUATION, GUINEA, LIBERIA AND SIERRA LEONE
1. Update a) Joint WFP/UNHCR mission of regional refugee situation begins. b) Influx of Sierra Leonean refugees in Gueckedou in south-western Guinea continues; WFP delivers 3,000 tons of food for current caseload of 147,000. c) Refugee influx to Liberia from Sierra Leone stabilizes. e) In Sierra Leone, ECOMOG forces gain control of Koindu town in Kailahun district. Cross border operations from Conakry to Kambia and Makeni continue.
D. EAST AND CENTRAL AFRICA: BURUNDI, TANZANIA, UGANDA, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO AND REPUBLIC OF CONGO (BRAZZAVILLE)
1. Burundi a) Nutritional survey by NGO Concern of 52,800 children under five in Cibitoke province shows severe malnutrition of 10.5 percent. b) WFP support for nutritional programmes coordinated by UNICEF extends to cover therapeutic feeding centre run by Action Contre le Faim in Bubanza. c) Transport corridor via Isaka in Tanzania now functioning, after five-month interruption due to heavy rains and flooding.
2. Tanzania a) Nduta refugee camp in Kibondo district closed to new arrivals due to congestion; new Burundian refugees now registered in Mtendeli camp. b) Voluntary repatriation programme for Burundian refugees continues, but new arrivals outnumber those returning. c) Distributions under drought emergency end as harvest of the long rains crops now in progress.
3. Uganda a) Cholera outbreak spreads in West Nile region; WFP food given to patients at reception and treatment centre opened by MSF/France in Omugo, north of Arua.
4. Democratic Republic of Congo and Republic of Congo (Brazzaville) a) Local population along borders with Rwanda and Burundi move to areas in the hinterland because of frequent rebel incursions. Some 20,000 settle along roads outside of Goma town, without shelter and in poor health. b) Rail traffic resumes between Pointe Noire and Brazzaville, allowing regular food distributions by WFP in the Republic of Congo.
PART II - DETAILS
A. SUDAN
1. UPDATE - incorporates information as of 17 May
1.1 The Government of Sudan has lifted restrictions on the delivery of humanitarian aid in rebel-held areas of the Nuba mountains (announcement made on 13 May). The people in the Nuba mountains have been without international aid for ten years due to continued conflict between the government and rebel forces in the area. WFP will participate in a UN/OLS assessment of needs this week.
1.2 Information as of 17 May: Continued episodes of heavy rain, resulting in difficult landing conditions for aircraft as well as poor visibility for air drops in parts of Sudan, and poor roads conditions between Nairobi and Lokichoggio, Kenya, partially disrupted delivery operations late last week. Twelve rotations were made on 17 May and the situation is expected to continue to improve in coming days.
1.3 Because of the rain, air drop operations in southern Sudan are increasingly important, as the rains will further affect road deliveries and severely limit the number of airstrips where smaller aircraft can land. Some 70 percent of the dirt airstrips in Bahr el-Ghazal are now waterlogged and temporarily unusable.
1.4 While the airdrops using the four Hercules C-130 aircraft now based in Lokichoggio are the major focus of air operations, small aircraft are still needed, to move relief personnel around in the field to make assessments and carry out regular monitoring, as well as to set up drop zones and distribute food. These aircraft can still land when field workers on the ground judge that an airstrip can be used. Trained staff are on the ground for all the airdrops, both to demarcate a location large enough for the food to be dropped, and to clear people from the area to prevent them from being hit by the heavy packages. As hunger becomes more acute in southern Sudan, larger crowds gather around drop sites in anticipation of food distributions.
1.5 Arrangements proceed for the deployment of a C-130 aircraft in El Obeid, which is expected to be operational within ten days (information as of 17 May).
1.6 An FAO Special Alert on Sudan, dated 15 May 1998, entitled "Grave food supply difficulties in southern Sudan and a bleak production outlook for 1998" has been released and will soon be available on the FAO/GIEWS Web site. Go to http://www.fao.org then click on Economics and then on GIEWS. Report currently available on ReliefWeb at: http://www.reliefweb.int/
B. SAHEL: BURKINA FASO, NIGER, SENEGAL AND CHAD
1. GENERAL
1.1 Within the framework of its regional strategy to use development intervention and resources to mitigate localized food deficit problems in the Sahel, WFP is currently re-targeting food under existing development projects in order to meet the food needs of affected populations in Senegal, Niger and Burkina Faso.
2. BURKINA FASO
2.1 In Burkina Faso, WFP plans to reach some 300,000 persons affected by pockets of food insecurity this year. WFP is purchasing 4,000 tons of cereals locally for the replenishment of 120 cereal banks. Food-for-work project activities (under existing project BKF 3326.01) will be reinforced through a supplementary allocation of 2,200 tons of sorghum. Through the re-targeting of beneficiaries under the vulnerable group feeding project (BKF 4959), WFP will deliver 12,000 tons of food to deficit areas (roughly 80 percent of total 1998 allocations to Burkina Faso). The Government of Burkina Faso is also releasing cereals from National Security Stocks to populations affected by drought; an initial 4,000 tons is to be released.
3. NIGER
3.1 Despite above-average cereal production at the national level in Niger, food security is deteriorating in Agadez and Diffa Departments, and parts of Tillabery, Tahoua, and Zinder Departments. The Government of Niger has requested 151,000 tons of food aid, 10,000 tons for free food distribution, 62,000 tons for food for work, and 49,000 tons for subsidized sales and to replenish/create cereal banks. As of mid- April, donors had confirmed pledges of 46,600 tons towards the Government appeal.
3.2 In response to the needs in Niger, WFP has increased the number of beneficiary schools (under NER 2445) by 21, to reach an additional 1,246 children, and health centres (under NER 2702) by 9, to distribute 453 tons in the deficit areas in Diffa and Ouallam. Additional distributions started in April and will continue during the lean season. WFP is also providing 1,793 tons of food to assist an additional caseload in the deficit pockets ( N'Guigmi, Tarka, Tillabery and Abalak) through food for work in agricultural development (NER 3579), together with technical assistance partners. The first distributions start next week and will continue through the lean season with the FAO/FENU project in N'Guigmi, project Basse Vallee Tarka (FED), project PASP (GTZ) and the Keita project (Italy/FAO).
4. SENEGAL
4.1 Annual cereal production for 1997 in Senegal was 20 percent lower compared to the previous year. (Normally, 50 percent of the 1.2 million tons of cereals required annually for human consumption is covered through imports.) The Government has requested 82,000 tons of food aid. Using its own resources, the Government is currently distributing 6,000 tons of food, and, as a second phase, plans to distribute some 14,000 tons during the lean season.
4.2 WFP response, in the form of assistance to complement the Government's free general distributions, is to be an expansion of the school feeding project (SEN 2344) and nutrition centre project (SEN 5655) in the most affected deficit pockets during the lean season. In this way, the most vulnerable groups in the worst affected zones can be reached. An additional 18,500 primary school children and 4,000 children (6-36 months of age) and mothers will be assisted during the coming 6 months leading up to the next harvest.
5. CHAD - REFUGEES FROM SUDAN
5.1 In Chad, a preliminary on-site WFP assessment mission has indicated the arrival of about 8,500 Sudanese refugees near the border town of Adre, in the prefecture of Ouaddai. WFP N'Djamena is preparing an emergency operation in response to this influx. An on-going WFP/UNHCR assessment mission is to confirm beneficiary numbers and required resources by early next week; food and non-food distributions will be made before the on-set of the rainy season in early June. WFP in-country stocks in Chad should be sufficient to cover the initial food aid requirements for this operation.
C. WEST AFRICA: REGIONAL REFUGEE SITUATION, GUINEA, LIBERIA AND SIERRA LEONE
1. REGIONAL REFUGEE SITUATION
1.1 A joint WFP/UNHCR mission of the refugee situation in the region started on 14 May with a meeting in Abidjan. The mission will assess conditions and projects for refugees and returnees in Liberia, and assess the new Sierra Leonean refugee influx in Gueckedou, Guinea. There are over 450,000 Liberian refugees in Guinea, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana and Sierra Leone. Approximately 23,000 refugees returned to Liberia under official repatriation programmes since mid-1997. In addition, UNHCR estimates that some 70,000 refugees have returned spontaneously from Cote d'Ivoire to Liberia since last year.
1.2 WFP Freetown is providing 23 tons of food commodities for 3,500 Liberian refugees in Sierra Leone who have recently registered for voluntary repatriation with UNHCR. This group will be taken by ship to Monrovia beginning 24 May. More than half of the 530 Liberian refugees living in Bo have also signed up for repatriation; the remainder will be relocated to Waterloo camp in Freetown.
2. GUINEA
2.1 Sierra Leonean refugees arriving in the town of Gueckedou in south-western Guinea now number more than 147,000. Refugees have been registered and are located in about 20 of the existing 70 camps in the area. WFP is providing food to this caseload and has positioned more than 3,000 tons of food in Gueckedou. Deliveries are being stepped up in anticipation of onset of the rainy season, which will hamper road transport.
2.2 Food is arriving by truck from Conakry, and through special cross-border operations from Liberia and Cote d'Ivoire granted by government authorities, as the Liberia/Guinea border has been officially closed for seven years.
3. LIBERIA
3.1 Refugee influxes to Liberia from Sierra Leone have stabilized. Some 55,000 Sierra Leonean refugees are receiving food assistance in Vahun, Upper Lofa. At the request of medical NGO partners, WFP is providing a one-month supplementary food ration to 1,000 malnourished children in the camps.
3.2 Although it had been intended to relocate this caseload to Kolahun, which is more easily accessible, to date only about 9,000 have been moved. While the onset of the rainy season has not yet affected roads conditions, the situation is expected to deteriorate considerably by next month. WFP is pre-positioning food stocks in both locations.
3.3 Liberian authorities have expressed concern regarding the two recent incidents of looting of WFP food in Tubmanburg and Nimba counties and have proposed strategies to prevent future similar incidents. Punitive action has been taken against the parties concerned and a portion of the food has been recovered.
4. SIERRA LEONE
4.1 ECOMOG forces gained control of Koindu town in Kailahun district in Sierra Leone on 11 May, after a week of fighting; up to one hundred fifty deaths have been reported. Koindu had been under RUF control since 1991. Heavy fighting continues in Buedu town, 20 miles from Kailaun, and violent incidents have been reported in Karina and Bonoya towns (Bombali district), some 15 miles from Makeni, where at least 20 people have been reported murdered and 40 more maimed.
4.2 WFP monitoring and implementation activities in the Northern province have been seriously hampered due to insecurity in the outlying area of Makeni. Cross border operations continue from Conakry to Kambia and Makeni.
D. EAST AND CENTRAL AFRICA: BURUNDI, TANZANIA, UGANDA, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO AND REPUBLIC OF CONGO (BRAZZAVILLE)
1. BURUNDI
1.1 The non-governmental organization Concern has completed a nutritional survey in Cibitoke province, covering 52,800 children under five years of age. The study, conducted in all six communes, excluded areas inaccessible due to insecurity. The findings of this survey show a global malnutrition of 21.2 percent, representing 11,000 children, and severe malnutrition of 10.5 percent, or 5,600 children. WFP is planning food distributions in the area and Concern has opened a supplementary feeding centre, with another centre due to open in June.
1.2 A therapeutic feeding centre run by Action Contre le Faim, with a capacity for 500 patients, is now operational in Bubanza. The majority of the patients will be referrals from the supplementary feeding centres run by Children's Aid Direct and Caritas. These special feeding programmes receive WFP's food assistance, through nutritional programmes coordinated by UNICEF.
1.3 WFP is planning to conduct another assessment of the displaced population in Isale commune of Bujumbura Rural, as this group appears to have regular access to their farming land. Security permitting, WFP will also carry out an assessment in Mubimbi commune, where some 16,000 persons are reported to have been displaced by fighting.
1.4 The transport corridor via Isaka in Tanzania is functioning again, following a five-month interruption after heavy rains and flooding rendered roads impassable. During the past week, some 240 tons of WFP food were received through this corridor. In total, during the month of April, WFP received in Burundi 2,307 tons of food and despatched 2,065 tons to various emergency programmes throughout the country.
2. TANZANIA
2.1 The Nduta refugee camp in Kibondo district has been closed to new arrivals. The camp, hosting close to 37,000 Burundian refugees, was becoming congested following a 50 percent increase in the caseload figure, and social services are over-stretched. New refugee arrivals are being registered in the Mtendeli camp, also in Kibondo, which has the capacity to accommodate another 20,000 refugees.
2.2 UNHCR continues to facilitate the voluntary repatriation of Burundian refugees from camps in Kibondo to Ruygi province in Burundi. To date, 11 repatriation trips have been carried out and 1,383 Burundians have returned home since January. WFP provides these returnees with a one-week food ration before departure. The number of Burundian refugees arriving in Tanzania remains higher than those repatriating. During the week, 733 refugees crossed the border into Kibondo and Ngara.
2.3 A two-week food ration was distributed to refugees in all camps in Kasulu and in Lufugu, while refugees in camps in Kibondo and Ngara received a one-week ration. A full food basket is now being distributed in Ngara, after three months during which a half ration of cereals was distributed. The total refugee caseload in Tanzania stands at 337,970 refugees as of the beginning of May.
2.4 The harvest of the long rains crops is in progress and general food distributions under the drought emergency operation officially ceased in all regions at the end of April, except in those villages where food is already positioned but not yet distributed. Rapid pilot assessments are being conducted by WFP and implementing partners, in collaboration with the Save the Children/UK, to identify vulnerable groups in food deficit pockets where further food assistance may be required.
3. UGANDA
3.1 A cholera outbreak is spreading in the West Nile region. A reception and treatment centre has been opened by Medecins Sans Frontieres/France in Omugo, north of Arua, and an average of five cases is being received at the centre each day. WFP is providing food assistance to these cholera patients.
3.2 Security in the northern districts of Gulu and Kitgum remains unstable, particularly along the districts' roads. During the week there were reports of ambushes along the main Kampala/Gulu road and another incident on the Lira/Kitgum road, with a total of seventeen persons killed and twenty injured.
4. DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO AND REPUBLIC OF CONGO (BRAZZAVILLE)
4.1 Reports from Goma indicate that local populations living along the borders with Rwanda and Burundi have been forced to leave their homes and move to the hinterland, because of frequent rebel incursions along border areas. It is estimated that some 20,000 persons have temporarily settled along the roads outside of Goma town, without shelter and in precarious health and nutritional conditions.
4.2 Following the transfer of food stocks from Uvira, assistance to nutritional centres and hospitals resumed in Goma and Bukavu, after a one month interruption in food distribution activities. Between 4 and 10 May, close to 3,000 beneficiaries were provided with WFP food rations in these two locations.
4.3 Following the resumption of rail traffic between Pointe Noire and Brazzaville, WFP has now reinitiated regular food distributions in the Republic of Congo. Government officials have instructed local authorities to prioritize the shipment of WFP food from Pointe Noire, and ten wagons loaded with 450 tons of WFP cereals have now reached Brazzaville.
Note: all tonnage figures above refer to metric tons
(End WFP Emergency Report No. 20 of 1998 - May 15, 1998)
distributed by - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Volunteers in Technical Assistance Disaster Information Center lists: listproc@vita.org sitreps nat-dsr web: www.vita.org appeal fireline - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - West Africa - http://www.vita.org/humanitarian/wafrica