Report No. 39 of 1998 Date: 2 October 1998
This report includes: A) Caribbean - Hurricane Georges: Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti, St. Kitts and Nevis B) Bangladesh C) FR Yugoslavia and region: Kosovo crisis D) Afghanistan E) Central and East Africa: Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Burundi.
>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 06 6513 2837). For information on resources, donors are requested to contact Aleesa.Blum@wfp.org or Marius.deGaayFortman@wfp.org at WFP Rome, telephone 39 06 6513 2004 or 06 6513 2250.
PART I - HIGHLIGHTS (Details below in Part II)
A. CARIBBEAN - HURRICANE GEORGES: CUBA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, HAITI, ST. KITTS AND NEVIS
1. Cuba - update on drought operation, plus hurricane impact a) Donor support still needed for WFP EMOP for drought victims in Cuba; shortfall stands at USD 19.5 million of total needs of 20.5 million. Crops in Cuba further damaged by rains and wind caused by Hurricane Georges.
2. Hurricane Georges relief operations a) In Dominican Republic, where 200 died and 287,000 people were evacuated to shelters when the hurricane hit on 23 September, Immediate Response Assistance operation approved by WFP for local purchase of 242 tons of food to cover needs of 25,000 persons living in shelters for a period of 30 days. Further WFP EMOP to be finalized following UN assessment now under way. USAID also providing food and other assistance. b) In Haiti, quick assessment made by WFP by helicopter with UN peace keeping force; joint Government, USAID, NGOs and UN assessment is under way. Some 500,000 persons are in need of assistance. Development project food stocks are being used to cover immediate emergency needs. c) WFP assessment taking place in St. Kitts and Nevis, worst hit of islands in Eastern Caribbean. Food aid request received from the Government.
B. BANGLADESH
1. Flood relief operations update - information as of 3 October 1998 a) Some 3.4 million tons of relief food expected to arrive at Bangladesh ports over next few months, from WFP, donor countries and Government and private purchases in response to needs resulting from floods; more than 100,000 tons expected to arrive during month of October. b) WFP/Government flood relief operation, delivering food to 4 million destitute families, begins 7 October, with food aid to be distributed through the Government's "Vulnerable Group Feeding" system.
C. FR YUGOSLAVIA AND REGION: KOSOVO CRISIS
1. Update - information as of 5 October a) WFP's convoys in Kosovo have continued to date. Given the tense political situation, staff have been put on alert and security plans are being updated. b) War-displaced Kosovars still arriving over the mountains to Montenegro. c) Situation in Albania relatively quiet but tense; insecurity in northern Albania is of special concern. Total number of Kosovar refugees in Albania is over 22,000, with caseload divided between agencies; WFP supplies food for 9,000 refugees.
D. AFGHANISTAN
1. Update - information as of 2 October a) Kabul: further supplies of wheat flour and wheat sent to Kabul from Pakistan, to supply WFP bakeries and institutional feeding projects to mid-October. b) In Bamyan province, the Taliban are reportedly encouraging the local population, most of whom fled to rural areas, to return to Bamyan city. c) Wheat is being moved by WFP from Osh in the Kyrgyz Republic to Khorog in Tajikistan in order to pre-position food against winter needs in Faizabad inside Afghanistan. d) Most ongoing projects in Herat continue in the absence of international staff. e) Institutional feeding projects, including hospital feeding, continue in Jalalabad. WFP food deliveries into Jalalabad still suspended.
E. CENTRAL AND EAST AFRICA: DR CONGO, CONGO/BRAZZAVILLE, RWANDA AND BURUNDI
1. Update - information as of 1 October a) In southern parts of eastern DR Congo, large population displacements reported as a result of armed attacks; an estimated 12,000 to 20,000 internally displaced Congolese flee towards Kalemie and are reported to be headed to Uvira in South Kivu; 500 reach Uvira. b) Situation in Kinshasa stable. City now being supplied with various commodities through various routes. WFP assistance programme in Kinshasa on-going. c) In Rwanda, WFP distributes food to 42,000 recently returned people in Kanama, Gisenyi prefecture; other distributions take place in same commune, where because of insecurity, people are reluctant to return to their homes. In September, WFP supplied food to 190,000 people displaced due to insecurity in Gisenyi prefecture, and to more than 150,000 displaced persons in Ruhengeri prefecture. d) In Burundi, rebel attacks reported in various communes of Kayanza province over the past week; insecurity delays distributions of seed protection rations which were to resume after postponement due to the shortage of fuel.
PART II - DETAILS
A. CARIBBEAN - HURRICANE GEORGES: CUBA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, HAITI, ST. KITTS AND NEVIS
1. CUBA - Update - drought operation, plus hurricane impact
1.1 Donor support is urgently sought for the WFP emergency operation for drought victims in Cuba approved by FAO/WFP on 28 August 1998. A total of USD 20.5 million is required for 34,000 tons of relief food assistance for 615,000 drought victims. The shortfall for the EMOP is currently USD 19.5 million. The emergency operation food aid addresses the needs of expecting and nursing mothers, school children and vulnerable groups.
1.2 Crops in Cuba have been further damaged by rains and wind caused by Hurricane Georges. The hurricane pounded Cuba with torrential rains on 24 September, affecting the provinces of Guantanamo, Holguin, Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Las Tunas and Camaguey. Reports show that 711,000 persons were evacuated to shelters, and 10,000 houses, two hospitals and 49 schools were damaged. Various economic facilities and 50 agricultural centres were destroyed. There was significant damage to sugar, coffee and banana crops, which will reduce foreign exchange earnings.
2. DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
2.1 Hurricane Georges arrived at the island of La Espanola hitting Dominican Republic on 23 September. More than 200 people died and many more were injured, with 287,000 people evacuated to shelters. The most severely impacted areas include the south-east provinces of La Romana and San Pedro de Macoris, the south-central province that covers Santo Domingo, and the south-west provinces of San Juan, Bahoruca and Barahona.
2.2 After a quick assessment of the damage caused by Hurricane Georges, the WFP representative in the country approved on 28 September, under delegation of authority, an Immediate Response Assistance operation [EMOP 6066] for the local purchase of 225 tons of cereals, 11 tons of vegetable oil and 6 tons of sugar. Tenders are under way for the food, which is to cover 25,000 persons living in shelters, for a period of 30 days.
2.3 An assessment covering all sectors is under way by a team fielded by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). WFP and FAO are looking into the food and agricultural sector. USAID is also assessing the situation and have already provided food and other assistance. A Government request was sent to WFP and an emergency operation (EMOP) for more food is under preparation.
3. HAITI
3.1 During the night of 23 September, Hurricane Georges arrived at Haiti causing destruction in the agricultural sector and destruction of infrastructure. According to OCHA some 7,000 people moved to temporary shelters. WFP made a quick assessment by helicopter with the UN peace keeping force. As reported by UNDP, a joint assessment made up of the Government, USAID, NGOs and the UN is under way mainly in the Leogane and Artibonite regions as well as the low-lying suburbs of Port-au-Prince. It is estimated that approximately 500,000 persons are in need of assistance, including clothing, blankets, kitchen utensils, food and health supplies. WFP food stocks in the country for development projects as well as the food stocks of other donors are being used to cover immediate emergency needs.
4. ST. KITTS AND NEVIS
4.1 The islands most affected by Hurricane Georges in the Eastern Caribbean are St. Kitts and Nevis. Some 1,440 houses were destroyed and 7,200 damaged; approximately 376 persons were accommodated in 27 shelters. A food aid request was sent to WFP by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture of St. Kitts and Nevis, through the FAO Representative in Barbados. WFP has sent an officer to make a rapid assessment of the situation and recommend follow-up action, in view of the fact that WFP does not have an office in this part of the Caribbean.
B. BANGLADESH
1. FLOOD RELIEF OPERATIONS UPDATE - information as of 3 October 1998
1.1 As previously reported, a WFP logistics team has concluded that Bangladesh's ports and internal transportation system are fully capable of handling the 3.4 million tons of food which are anticipated to arrive from WFP, donor countries and Government and private purchases over the next several months in response to needs resulting from the worst floods in Bangladesh in a century. Over 1,500 people died in the floods.
1.2 Imports for the WFP relief operation began on 19 September with the arrival in Chittagong of a WFP vessel carrying 15,000 tons of wheat. A second WFP vessel, carrying 21,847 tons of Canadian wheat arrived at Chittagong's outer anchorage on 3 October and is currently off-loading onto a smaller ship in order to lighten its load before docking on 5 October. A third WFP ship is expected to arrive on 8 October in Mongla port, bringing the total that WFP will have imported over a period of three weeks to 52,500 tons of food aid. WFP has pledged to bring 355,000 tons of food aid to Bangladesh to meet emergency needs. A total of more than 100,000 tons of relief food are expected to arrive in the ports during the month of October. WFP is opening a sub-office in Chittagong where its logistics experts will assist the port to fully utilize its capacity.
1.3 WFP and the Government of Bangladesh are to launch a flood relief operation, delivering food to 4 million destitute families around the country, beginning on 7 October. The food aid will be distributed through the Government's "Vulnerable Group Feeding" system. Families selected as most vulnerable by local committees will receive ration cards which entitle them to 16 kg of grains each for the month of October. It is expected the programme will continue through the end of the year, when food aid will then be dedicated to supporting rehabilitation through food-for-work projects.
C. FR YUGOSLAVIA AND REGION: KOSOVO CRISIS
1. KOSOVO - information as of 5 October
1.1 WFP's convoys in Kosovo have continued to date. Given the tense political situation, staff have been put on alert and security plans are being updated.
1.2 Approximately 150 tons of wheat flour is expected to arrive mid-October in Ploce for onward transportation to Pristina.
2. MONTENEGRO
2.1 Internally displaced people are still arriving over the mountains from Kosovo to Montenegro. Currently they are not being registered on arrival since the "border" with Kosovo is closed, but the authorities have stated they will "officially" accept some of the new arrivals in consultation with UNHCR.
2.2 With the conclusion of September distribution, remaining stock in Podgorica is 5.5 tons of wheat flour. The first food donated under the Flash Appeal, 770 tons of wheat flour, arrived in Bar on 5 October. The security situation is calm, but evacuation plans are in place if needed. A four-wheel drive vehicle with Codan communication equipment is being transferred from Belgrade to Podgorica.
3. ALBANIA
3.1 The situation in Albania is relatively quiet but remains tense, with a high level of criminal activities. Four vehicles of relief agencies have been hijacked in recent days, only one of which has been recovered. The security situation in northern Albania is of special concern. WFP is the only international humanitarian agency working there since UNHCR closed their offices on 24 September.
3.2 Country-wide registration of refugees by UNHCR is ongoing. The refugee population is over 22,000, with the beneficiary caseload divided between agencies. WFP is responsible for supplying food for 9,000 refugees. Deliveries of food for the October distribution are underway, utilizing the two trucks provided by USA that have been stationed in Tirana.
D. AFGHANISTAN
1. UPDATE - information as of 2 October
1.1 Kabul: The Country Office in Islamabad is dispatching 1,320 tons of wheat flour and 250 tons of wheat to Kabul, which will keep the bakeries and the four institutional feeding projects running up to mid-October. Deliveries are expected to be completed by 7 October. Kabul airport was hit by another rocket attack on September 30.
1.2 Bamyan: With the arrival of the Taliban in Panjao, WFP's one remaining local staff member still in contact with the Country Office has ceased communications for now. According to reports from Yakawlang, the Taliban are reportedly encouraging the local population, most of whom fled to rural areas, to return to Bamyan city. WFP has no further information from Bamyan. Efforts continue by WFP to ascertain whether stocks in the area remain safe. There has been no new development regarding the UN assessment mission to Bamyan.
1.3 WFP activities elsewhere in Afghanistan
a) Northeast - Badakhsahn/Faizabad: The WFP Country Office logistics officer has returned from Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, where he liaised with ACTED, the NGO supervising rehabilitation assistance for earthquake victims in conjunction with WFP. Wheat is now being moved by WFP from Osh in the Kyrgyz Republic to Khorog in Tajikistan in order to pre-position the food against winter needs in Faizabad. Up to 2,000 tons may be moved. One of the bridges earlier reported as destroyed between Rustaq and Faizabad has now been repaired, causing food prices to drop in Faizabad city which is largely dependent on food brought in from neighbouring Takkar Province.
b) Most ongoing projects in Herat have been able to continue in the absence of international staff, although food is being released only slowly and as projects can be monitored. Discussions with local authorities have continued on the repatriation of the over 20,000 residents of internally displaced person (IDP) camps around Herat back to their homes of origin in Badghis and Faryab.
c) Institutional feeding projects, including hospital feeding, continue in Jalalabad although food stocks are low. With the prevailing general insecurity in Jalalabad (last month the WFP office was ransacked and equipment destroyed) WFP has suspended food deliveries into Jalalabad for the time being.
d) A Memorandum of Understanding on security for Afghanistan has been prepared in New York by the UN Security Coordinator and is being negotiated with the Taliban representative in New York. When the MOU is finalized, security assessment missions will begin in Kabul and Jalalabad to determine the feasibility of international staff returning to Afghanistan.
E. CENTRAL AND EAST AFRICA: DR OF CONGO, CONGO/BRAZZAVILLE, RWANDA AND BURUNDI
1. DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO AND CONGO/BRAZZAVILLE
1.1 Relief agencies and other sources have reported large population displacements in southern parts of eastern DR Congo as a result of armed attacks. An estimated 12,000 to 20,000 Congolese are reported to have initially fled towards Kalemie, on the shores of Lake Tanganyika and are now expected to arrive in Uvira in South Kivu during the coming weeks. A first group of some 500 displaced persons has already reached Uvira.
1.2 Security in Kinshasa remains stable. The river border between Kinshasa and Brazzaville has reopened but commercial traffic is strictly controlled by the authorities. Port activities in Matadi as well as railway/road traffic from Bas-Congo and Bandundu have resumed and Kinshasa is now being supplied with various commodities. The situation may become more complicated during the rainy season, when most of the roads in the region become impassable.
1.3 The WFP assistance programme in Kinshasa targets 120,000 of the most vulnerable people for a three-month period. Some 43,000 people have been identified for immediate assistance, including 20,000 malnourished children, 5,000 in-patients, 1,000 orphans, 7,000 handicapped, 3,000 street children and 7,000 war-affected families. The identification exercise is still underway. Between 21 and 27 September a total of 162 tons of WFP food commodities were distributed to some 50,000 beneficiaries in Kinshasa, Goma and Brazzaville.
1.4 On 25 September a group armed people attacked a railway station along the rail line connecting Pointe-Noire and Brazzaville. Twelve people were killed and several injured. A section of the railroad was also damaged. Repairs have not yet started due to security problems.
2. RWANDA
2.1 On 29 September, WFP began distribution of 120 tons of food in Kanama, Gisenyi prefecture, where local authorities have been trying to resettle 42,000 people recently returned to the area. During the week WFP also distributed food to another 33,000 people in the same commune. Since sporadic attacks are still taking place in the area, many of the returnees refuse to go to their homes and instead gather in large groups, creating ad-hoc living sites near the main offices and buildings of the communes. Although returnees are back in their communes, thousands are still displaced from their homes and unable to cultivate their land.
2.2 During September, WFP distributed food supplies to 190,000 people displaced due to insecurity in Gisenyi prefecture, most of whom are living in public buildings. WFP has also been providing food to more than 150,000 displaced persons in Ruhengeri prefecture, where rebel attacks have prompted residents to move into camps.
3. BURUNDI
3.1 Rebel attacks were reported in various communes of Kayanza province over the past week and National Route 1 was temporarily closed. Some population displacements are also reported as a result of the violence. The insecurity will further delay the distributions of seed protection rations which were to resume after a postponement due to the shortage of fuel.
3.2 A total of 1,464 tons of seed protection rations were distributed during the week ending 27 September. CARE distributed 15-day rations to 33,309 people in Bururi province, and 33,971 people in Gitega province, and 30-day rations to 31,605 people in Cibitoke province. Similar distributions also took place to 47,640 beneficiaries in Bubanza province.
3.3 Recent figures from UNHCR indicate that 9,005 persons have crossed into Cibitoke province from DR Congo. The number presently at the transit site totals 7,098 persons, of which 5,251 are Congolese refugees and 1,842 are Burundian returnees. A large portion of the remainder were Burundians who returned to their hills of origin. To date WFP has provided 1,461 return packages to those going to home areas.
3.4 The Government has agreed to allow WFP to purchase another 15,000 litres of diesel locally and a supplier is being identified. WHO has meanwhile agreed to loan WFP 5,000 litres of fuel. The Regional Sanctions Committee has now authorized WFP to resume fuel imports; a written confirmation is awaited.
Note: all tonnage figures above refer to metric tons
(End WFP Emergency Report No. 39 of 1998 - October 2, 1998)
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