Report No. 09 of 1999 Date: 5 March 1999
This report includes: A) Angola B) Sierra Leone C) Sudan D) Ethiopia E) Somalia F) Mozambique G) Tanzania H) Latin America: Honduras and Colombia.
>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 or Natasha.Nadazdin@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. The address of WFP is Via Cesare Giulio Viola 68, Parco dei Medici, 00148 Rome, Italy.
This issue of the Emergency Report was prepared by Natasha Nadazdin.
PART I - HIGHLIGHTS (Details below in Part II)
A. ANGOLA
1. Update - information as of 5 March a) WFP now estimates food aid needs for 1999 at USD 60 million, double December 98 projection. As roads insecure for relief convoys, additional funding needed for airlift operations. Total war-displaced now at 630,000. Needs for food, medicine and shelter increase. b) UNITA's offensive on Malanje impedes humanitarian assistance. c) IDP movements: influx of IDPs to Kuito from Chinguar; new IDP arrivals in Huambo and Caala; more than 15,000 IDPs trapped in Quibaxe.
B. SIERRA LEONE
1. Update - information as of 5 March a) UNSECOORD authorizes return of up to 12 UN international staff at a time to Freetown. b) WFP-leased helicopter transports personnel and aid to Freetown from Conakry, starting 2 March. New logistics base in Lungi established. WFP logistics and security assessment team recommends WFP operations in Freetown port be resumed. c) Some 33,000 IDPs return to Kenema.
C. SUDAN
1. Update - information as of 5 March a) By mid-June WFP to pre-position 17,000 tons of food in southern Sudan, enough to provide full rations for 250,000 beneficiaries during "hunger gap" period (July-October). Pre-positioning to increase operational flexibility and cost-effectiveness.
D. ETHIOPIA
1. New EMOP for war-displaced - information as of 4 March a) WFP EMOP 6080 will provide 45,350 tons of relief food assistance for 272,000 war-displaced Ethiopians and host communities at WFP cost of USD 24.3 million. Donor contributions requested.
E. SOMALIA
1. Update - information as of 5 March a) Total of 2,575 tons of food distributed by WFP in February, 70 percent of which to worst hit regions of Bay and Bakool. b) Local seed supplies depleted; WFP encourages donors and NGOs to help before next planting season in March. c) Food Security Assessment Unit reports reduced Deyr production. d) Climate outlook forum forecasts below normal rainfall during 1999 Gu; broken river embankments may also put off-season harvest and Gu planting at risk.
F. MOZAMBIQUE
1. Flood relief operation - information as of 7 March a) WFP launches urgent airlift of emergency food rations to 70,000 people affected by recent floods in Inhambane province. Initial 157 tons of maize and beans delivered to areas with no road access. b) For new emergency, WFP using food stocks from ongoing EMOP for floods and drought victims in southern Mozambique.
G. TANZANIA
1. Update - information as of 4 March a) WFP three-month emergency operation, approved 1 March, is to provide some 19,550 tons of food in twelve food-insecure areas. USD 1 million from WFP Immediate Response Account (IRA) funds used to purchase 2,650 tons of maize. b) WFP/Government assessment recommends food interventions in northern Iringa. c) In Dodoma and Singida final distributions made under WFP Tanzania EMOP 5889.
H. LATIN AMERICA: HONDURAS AND COLOMBIA
1. Update - information as of 4 March a) Honduras: WFP requests donor support for urgent airlift operation to bring food to Miskito Indians in isolated province of La Mosquitia, badly hit by Hurricane Mitch. No regular food distributions since mid-January. Cost of planned 10-day air operation is USD 500,000. b) Colombia: Resourcing shortfall of WFP emergency operation for earthquake affected population in Colombia is 95 percent of requirement. USD 1 million from WFP IRA funds used to purchase 1,200 tons of food and for support costs.
PART II - DETAILS
A. ANGOLA
1. OVERVIEW - information as of 5 March
1.1 On 5 March, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator and WFP Representative in Angola stated that the humanitarian situation in Angola continues to deteriorate. Food aid needs for 1999 are now estimated at USD 60 million, twice the amount initially projected in December 1998. An additional USD 20 million is also needed to cover the high cost of delivering food by air. Roads are considered too insecure for relief convoys. Renewed fighting since 1998 has displaced more than 630,000 people.
1.2 During the last week (to 5 March) increasing numbers of displaced people have been arriving in the provincial capitals, especially in Huambo and Malanje. The growing number of IDPs has resulted in serious overcrowding in many locations and continues to have a direct adverse effect on the general population. Malnutrition is on the rise and risks of epidemics are threatening the general population.
2. REGIONAL DETAILS
2.1. Malanje (information updated 5 March): UNITA last week stepped up a fierce offensive on Malanje and are positioned to pressure the country's northern region. Shelling, fighting and insecurity around Malanje city continue to prevent humanitarian assistance from being fully carried out. A major bridge over the Lombe river, which was blown up on 27 February was temporarily repaired on 2 March.
2.2 Bie: By 18 February the road between Kuito and Huambo was in use again, but attacks on various municipalities were recently carried out near both locations. Kuito experienced an influx of IDPs from Chinguar. The IDPs will receive WFP food aid through CARE.
2.3 Huambo: New IDPs are arriving in the cities of Huambo and Caala. The precarious sanitary situation as well as the shortage of food among the displaced is resulting in high malnutrition among children. With the arrival of new IDPs, the housing situation is deteriorating drastically. In the city of Huambo, the Government, WFP and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) established temporary shelters to accommodate approximately 5,000 IDPs.
2.4 Bengo: The political and military situation in the north-east of Bengo province continues to be tense. More than 15,000 IDPs are trapped in Quibaxe. According to the Government and confirmed by the Catholic Mission, they are facing precarious conditions. WFP and InterSos are exploring possibilities of assisting these populations with the support of the local government and the Catholic Mission.
2.5 In Lunda Norte, the WFP sub-office in N'zaji closed down on 26 February. The Lutheran World Federation, MINARS and MINSA will take care of the food distributions to vulnerable groups in N'zaji. Attacks on villages near Saurimo have been reported, causing an influx of IDPs into the provincial capital.
B. SIERRA LEONE
1. UPDATE - information as of 5 March
1.1 On 2 March UN international staff members were authorized by UNSECOORD to be in Freetown, at any one time up to a maximum of 12. International staff will only reside either at Smart Farm complex or Cape Sierra Hotel. Each staff member is required to maintain 24-hour radio contact with the UN Communication Centre and other staff members in Freetown.
1.2 WFP emergency humanitarian aid flights from Conakry started on 2 March. A WFP leased helicopter airlifts personnel and emergency food and medical supplies to the population of Freetown, affected by the war between the rebels and the pro-Government forces supported by ECOMOG. WFP also plans to use the helicopter to reach other parts of the country currently not accessible by road, such as the eastern towns of Bo and Kenema. The helicopter will be based in Conakry.
1.3 A logistics base and storage facility has been set up by WFP at the international airport at Lungi, across the peninsula from Freetown, where the helicopter will be refuelled and medical and other non-food items will be stored.
1.4 A WFP logistics and security assessment team has reported that the infrastructure in the port of Freetown needed for WFP operations has not been seriously damaged and recommended that WFP operations be resumed. A number of warehouses in the port area including WFP ones are in good condition and fuel is available. ECOMOG provides assistance to port security services. Private trucking and shipping capacities are yet to be assessed.
1.5 In Kenema, WFP staff report some 33,000 IDPs who fled the recent fighting have returned to the town and are now occupying school buildings. Commercial flights to Kenema have resumed after a halt caused by the rebel attack in early February.
C. SUDAN
1. UPDATE - information as of 4 March
1.1 WFP currently aims to pre-position a total of 17,000 tons of food in southern Sudan. This quantity represents about 10 percent of the total annual relief needs and is enough to provide a full ration to some 250,000 beneficiaries during the four months (July-October) of the traditional "hunger gap". The total caseload of the northern and southern sectors during that period is foreseen to be approximately two million war and drought affected persons. Pre-positioning started in mid-February and is expected to last until early June. Most of the food will be transported by road convoys or barges, as conditions permit.
1.2 Pre-positioning of food stocks allows for greater operational flexibility since it permits rapid access to outlying areas according to needs. This precautionary measure is part of WFP's strategy to avoid the repetition of the sudden increase of food aid needs during the same period in 1998 when the crisis ultimately reached famine conditions in many locations across southern Sudan. WFP is aware of the security implications of having large quantities of food in one area, such as the risk of raids. Pre-positioning of food aid thus remains a fine balancing act between promoting cost-effective and flexible operations and maintaining security in the areas in which WFP works.
D. ETHIOPIA
1. NEW EMOP FOR WAR-DISPLACED - information as of 4 March
1.1 A recently approved WFP emergency operation (EMOP 6080) will provide 45,350 metric tons of relief food assistance for 272,000 Ethiopians internally displaced by the border conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea. The total WFP cost of the operation is USD 24.3 million. Donor contributions are requested.
1.2 The fighting between Ethiopia and Eritrea over the disputed territory of Badme displaced some 337,300 Ethiopians. The Government is trying to integrate the displaced with the local population, avoiding camps. In response to the Government's request for emergency food assistance, the WFP emergency operation will assist people displaced by the conflict and ease the burden on host communities and host families who themselves experience food insecurity. The operation is to last for nine months.
E. SOMALIA
1. UPDATE - information as of 5 March
1.1 In February, WFP distributed some 2,575 tons of food, bringing the total food distributed to southern Somalia since November 1998 to approximately 7,237 tons. Of this, close to 70 percent was distributed in the worst hit Bay and Bakool regions of the south. WFP plans to distribute a total of 3,200 tons to southern Somalia during the month of March. The commodities are stored in Somalia.
1.2 Three successively bad harvests have depleted local seed supplies. WFP is encouraging donors and other collaborating agencies to urgently address this problem before the next planting season, starting end March.
1.3 A Deyr crop assessment was carried out by the Food Security Assessment Unit (FSAU) in February. The Deyr production normally accounts for 25-30 percent of the total yearly (Gu and Deyr) production in Somalia. Following an earlier survey carried out in November 1998, the actual production is estimated at 80,200 tons, down from a normal production of about 130,000 tons. Good yields were observed only in irrigated areas around the Shabelle valley, Gedo and Hiran regions.
1.4 According to the climate outlook forum held in Kampala, Uganda, from 7-12 February, predictions accord a high probability of below normal rainfall during the 1999 Gu. In addition, broken river embankments may put both the off-season harvest and Gu planting at risk. The sorghum belt of Bay, Bakool, rainfed areas of Gedo, parts of Middle Juba and rainfed areas of Hiran region require food interventions until the 1999 Gu harvest. In addition, the provision of sorghum seeds is essential to alleviate the situation of agro-pastoralist groups.
F. MOZAMBIQUE
1. FLOOD RELIEF OPERATION - information as of 7 March
1.1 WFP has launched an urgent airlift of emergency food rations to 70,000 people affected by recent floods in Vilanculos and Inhassoro towns of the southern coastal province of Inhambane. The airlift is run out of the coastal city of Beira. Once landed in accessible major towns, the food will be forwarded to the flood victims by boats. For isolated communities, WFP plans to use helicopters. On 6 and 7 March WFP delivered an initial 157 tons of maize and beans, enough to feed the affected population victims for at least 10 days. WFP has appealed to donors for USD 125,000. The affected population in Inhambane has had no access to food and basic health care since last week when the floods began and cut off all road access into and out of the province. WFP will be on stand-by to transport non-food items urgently needed by the flood victims.
1.2 In the new emergency WFP is using food stocks from the ongoing WFP emergency operation (EMOP 5832.01) for the population affected by floods and drought in southern Mozambique.
G. TANZANIA.
1. UPDATE - information as of 4 March
1.1 WFP has approved the emergency operation to provide some 19,550 metric tons of food for urgent distribution in twelve of the most food-insecure areas in Tanzania. The operation commences at the beginning March for a period of three months. Unconfirmed pledges of support have been received from some donors and some NGO implementing partners have already been identified. The WFP Executive Director has approved the utilization of USD 1 million from the Immediate Response Account funds to purchase about 2,650 tons of maize.
1.2 WFP and the Government of Tanzania carried out a joint rapid assessment of the food security situation in Iringa region and recommended relief food interventions in the north of Iringa where agro-climatic conditions are very similar to that of the hard-hit Dodoma region. In some divisions, the planted maize completely wilted due to the impact of the El Nino phenomenon last year, in others, the rainfall was poor and prices of maize indicated a critical supply shortage.
1.3 The final distributions under the previous Tanzania emergency operation (EMOP 5889) are taking place in the central regions of Dodoma and Singida. The WFP team in Dodoma reports declining school attendance levels in Kondoa south district as children are forced to join in the search for food. Other areas in the region report poor rainfall while the availability of grain on the markets remains very low. In Singida region, a total of 8,660 tons of maize grain was distributed to 158,594 beneficiaries under the drought operation.
H. LATIN AMERICA: HONDURAS AND COLOMBIA
1. HONDURAS - information as of 4 March
1.1 WFP has issued an urgent appeal to donors to help finance an emergency airlift of desperately needed food to thousands of Miskito Indians facing an imminent food crisis. The airlift operation is designed to bring food to La Mosquitia, an isolated north-eastern province of Honduras, which was badly affected by Hurricane Mitch. The cost of the planned 10-day air operation is USD 500,000.
1.2 An assessment by WFP found that many residents of La Mosquitia are going hungry, since the area has not been getting regular food distributions since mid-January. After Hurricane Mitch hit the region last October, roads leading to the area were flooded, or damaged. To bring food aid to 50,000 people in La Mosquitia, WFP used planes and helicopters lent by the Canadian, US and Venezuelan air forces. After the initial crisis caused by the hurricane, the military withdrew their aircraft and WFP continued food aid deliveries using commercial vessels.
1.3 WFP will provide some 1,000 tons of food aid for the immediate needs of the area, which will be followed by a regular WFP delivery pipeline using ocean vessels. WFP urgently needs to pre-position food aid sufficient for one month to the warehouses in Puerto Lempira, Barra Patuca and Cauquira. As part of a long-term strategy, private companies will be contracted as of mid-March to ship WFP food aid to the area.
2. COLOMBIA - information as of 3 March
2.1 Food distribution under the WFP six-month emergency operation (EMOP 6108) in Colombia to provide food assistance to people affected by the earthquake of 25 January continues. Commodities provided in the food basked are rice, pulses, vegetable oil, raw-sugar cane, high energy biscuits and pasteurized liquid milk.
2.2 Even though much progress has been achieved, the region is still in an emergency situation: 67,500 persons are reported in shelters distributed in 10 cities and rural towns, 55,000 persons who lost their houses are living in makeshift shelters, public services are not completely restored, a considerable amount of debris is still to be cleared and a lot of buildings and houses must be demolished. Furthermore, torrential rains attributed to the La Nina phenomenon are affecting the country, causing health problems and frequent landslides which are resulting in the destruction of roads.
2.3 The resourcing shortfall stands at 95 percent of the requirement. One million dollars were advanced from the WFP immediate response funds to purchase and deliver approximately 1,200 tons of food and for urgent support cost requirements.
Note: all tonnage figures above refer to metric tons
(End WFP Emergency Report No. 09 of 1999 - March 5, 1999)
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