Report No. 14 of 1999 Date: 9 April 1999
This report includes: A) FR Yugoslavia and region - Kosovo crisis B) Afghanistan C) East Africa: Uganda and Tanzania D) Sierra Leone E) Web Update: Web sources of information on Kosovo.
>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 and Deborah Hicks.
PART I - HIGHLIGHTS (Details below in Part II)
A. FR YUGOSLAVIA AND REGION - KOSOVO CRISIS
1. Update - information as of 9 April a) Donors respond to appeals for support through the UN and other international agencies of relief efforts for Kosovo refugees in neighbouring FYR of Macedonia and Albania. Nearly 517,000 people now estimated by UNHCR to have left Kosovo. Unknown number displaced within Kosovo. b) Budget revision of current WFP emergency operation (EMOP 6040) requires 32,700 tons of food to assist 650,000 people for an initial three months. Cost of the expansion is USD 24 million. c) Member states of NATO provide support for humanitarian operations, setting up refugee camps in FYR of Macedonia and now establishing a presence in Albania; are also providing aircraft to airlift food donated to WFP to the region. d) Humanitarian daily rations, meals ready-to-eat and high-energy biscuits distributed to refugees through coordination mechanism established by UNHCR. e) WFP also provides wheat flour to three bakeries in Albania (in Kukes, Tirana and Durres); 28,000 loaves of bread a day distributed to refugees. f) WFP Executive Director to travel to Albania and FYR of Macedonia on 12 April.
B. AFGHANISTAN
1. Update - information as of 8 April a) Military activity intensifies in front-line areas in central and northern regions; further displacement of population expected. b) WFP shipment of wheat arrives in Karachi with 30,600 tons destined for Afghanistan; arrival will mitigate problem of wheat flour shortages caused by clamp-down on wheat smuggling across the border by Pakistan authorities. c) International WFP staff rotate in and out of Kabul; one international staff member is in Herat; expatriate staff expected to return to Kandahar next week. d) No UN international staff in Bamyan due to ongoing fighting. e) In Herat, WFP participates in UNHCR-led assessment mission to review needs of returnees from Iran. f) Mazar-i-Sharif relatively quiet; UN may return next week. Roads from Mazar to Hairaton, Pul I Khumri and Sheberghan are open; Uzbekistan border remains closed.
C. EAST AFRICA: UGANDA AND TANZANIA
1. Uganda a) Several hundred of the 30,000 - 35,000 Sudanese refugees formerly in camps in north-eastern D.R. Congo cross into Arua district in Uganda because of insecurity. Estimated 10,000 refugees reported to be waiting to enter Uganda. WFP pre-positions food for possible influx. b) Additional donor support required for WFP programme for IDPs in northern districts of Gulu and Kitgum. c) Large numbers of Ugandans again displaced due to rebel activities in western district of Bundibugyo; estimated 50-70,000 persons now displaced.
D. SIERRA LEONE
1. Update - information as of 8 April a) Fuel shortage eases in Conakry and flights of the UN/WFP humanitarian helicopter fully resume. b) International staff of WFP Sierra Leone to be expanded. c) WFP completes distribution of two-week rations to some 14,260 IDPs in Blama and to IDPs in camps and schools in Kenema. WFP stock situation in Kenema is critical; less than 300 tons of food in stock.
E. WEB UPDATE
1. Web sources of information on Kosovo a) Listed below are selected UN, Donor, Red Cross and NGO Web sites for information on humanitarian operations in Kosovo and donor response. Also, included in the list are various recommended Web sites for news updates and analysis. b) UNHCR Kosovo Crisis Update is at http://www.unhcr.ch/news/media/kosovo.htm
PART II - DETAILS
A. FR YUGOSLAVIA AND REGION - KOSOVO CRISIS
1. UPDATE - information as of 9 April
1.1 Donor response to the WFP operations for the Kosovo crisis has been generous, as the world responds to the appeals of the UN and other international relief agencies supporting relief efforts of the governments of neighbouring FYR of Macedonia and Albania as they cope with the massive influx of refugees from Kosovo.
1.2 UNHCR estimates, as of early 8 April, that nearly 517,000 people have left Kosovo. An unknown number has been displaced within Kosovo. Further updates of refugee figures are available on the UNHCR Web site which is listed with other Web sources of information on Kosovo at the end of this Report.
1.3 As the situation is still changing rapidly, the recently approved budget revision of the current WFP emergency operation for the region (EMOP 6040) appeals to donors for support to assist 650,000 people for an initial three months. Current needs are for 32,700 tons of food. The additional total cost of the expansion is USD 24 million. Estimated food requirements for the WFP operation will be adjusted as numbers of those in need are established. The commodities currently most needed from donors are wheat flour, high-energy biscuits, canned fish and beef.
1.4 Member states of NATO have been supporting humanitarian operations, with a presence since 1 April in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and are now establishing a presence in Albania. Individual NATO countries are providing aircraft which are airlifting food donated to WFP to the region, and are setting up camps for refugees.
1.5 WFP food has been distributed in Albanian and FYR of Macedonia through the coordination mechanism which has been established by UNHCR, involving UN agencies, the Red Cross (IFRC, ICRC, national Red Cross Societies) and international NGOs. Meals ready-to-eat and humanitarian daily rations provided by NATO forces have been distributed to refugees at the border entry points as well as WFP high-energy biscuits. WFP is also distributing a recent donation of 1.1 million humanitarian daily rations from the United States. Further recent donations include other ready-to-eat food such as 752 tons of canned fish from Norway and Canada and 200 tons of high energy biscuits from Norway.
1.6 Wheat flour has been provided by WFP to three bakeries in Albania in Kukes, Tirana and Durres, which together currently produce a total of 28,000 loaves of bread a day for distribution to the refugees. The traditional WFP food basket of flour, oil, beans and sugar is being moved to the parts of Albania where refugees staying with host families have access to cooking facilities. Helicopters of the Italian and Albanian air forces are helping WFP to deliver food from Tirana to refugee camps in northern Albania.
1.7 There are now 26 WFP international staff in Albania and FYR of Macedonia. Senior WFP staff have been on mission in the region, including the Director of Transport and Logistics. An international staff member has been able to return to Montenegro, where WFP national staff have been continuing relief operations for displaced people from Kosovo, working with the Montenegro Red Cross. The WFP Executive Director is to travel to Albania and Macedonia on 12 April.
1.8 There is deep concern about the condition of displaced people remaining in Kosovo.
B. AFGHANISTAN
1. UPDATE - information as of 8 April
1.1 Military activity around front-line areas in the central and northern regions has intensified this week, particularly north of Kabul and in the Bamyan area, possibly leading to further displacement of people who will be in need of food assistance.
1.2 A ship which arrived in Karachi last week with 30,600 tons of WFP wheat bound for Afghanistan continues to off-load. This shipment will mitigate the problem of wheat flour shortages in Afghanistan caused by last week's clamp-down by Pakistan authorities on wheat smuggling across the border. The border crossing between Quetta and Kandahar had been closed because of wheat shortages in North-west Frontier Province of Pakistan. According to news reports, Taliban authorities have started rationing wheat flour in Kabul. The wheat crop due next month in lowland areas of Afghanistan is expected to improve supplies. WFP is monitoring the situation closely. Wheat prices are already reported to have risen by about 20 percent in Jalalabad and Kandahar over the past week.
1.3 WFP has been rotating international staff in and out of Kabul, maintaining an ongoing presence. An international staff member is currently in Herat. Expatriate staff are expected to return to Kandahar next week.
1.4 Central Region
a) WFP-supported bakeries in Kabul are operating normally: 604 tons of wheat were delivered in the past week, with 511 tons going to bakeries and the remainder to institutional feeding.
b) Bamyan remains off-bounds for UN international staff due to ongoing fighting. NGOs are beginning an assessment of beneficiaries of WFP's winter emergency operation conducted in December-January to prepare for a second distribution planned for May.
1.5 Western Region: WFP in Herat is participating in a UNHCR-led assessment mission of returnees from Iran, to establish food needs. WFP sources say about half of the returnees have gone on to resettle in the Hazarajat. UNHCR expects 120,000 new returnees from Iran during 1999, beginning in April.
1.6 Northern Region: UN agencies will meet next week to plan a possible return to Mazar-i-Sharif, which has been relatively quiet. Roads from Mazar to Hairaton, Pul I Khumri and Sheberghan are open, but the Uzbekistan border remains closed. A WFP Vulnerability Analysis and Mapping team is going to Mazar to train staff from the NGO FOCUS on conducting food assessment surveys.
C. EAST AFRICA: UGANDA AND TANZANIA
1. UGANDA
1.1 Sudanese refugees in northern parts of eastern D.R. Congo have been crossing into Uganda, joining other Sudanese refugees in camps and settlements in the Ugandan district of Arua. An estimated 30,000 - 35,000 Sudanese refugees were in camps in eastern D.R. Congo but following insecurity in the area they were forced to disperse. Aid agencies that were assisting these refugees in D.R. Congo have also left.
1.2 Upon arrival in Uganda, the Sudanese refugees are screened by UNHCR and provided with WFP food rations. To date, only a few hundred refugees have arrived but a larger influx is expected. Aid agencies are preparing for this eventuality and WFP is pre-positioning food stocks for an estimated 10,000 refugees who are reportedly just across the border waiting to enter Uganda. A joint mission including WFP is currently visiting north-eastern parts of D.R. Congo to assess the situation of this refugee caseload.
1.3 There are currently over 162,000 Sudanese refugees in Uganda benefiting from WFP food assistance. Food rations to these refugees are being gradually reduced, based on the degree of self-sufficiency attained in each settlement.
1.4 In addition to the Sudanese refugee programme, WFP is also assisting 383,405 internally displaced Ugandans in the northern districts of Gulu and Kitgum. WFP's assistance to these displaced persons started during late 1996; under a new operation approved during December WFP pledged to provide close to 58,000 tons of food for a period of one year. To date only 30 percent of the food required has been pledged by donors and additional contributions are required to allow the implementation of this programme.
1.5 A new emergency appears to be developing in the western district of Bundibugyo where large numbers of Ugandans are again becoming displaced due to rebel activities. Local authorities and aid agencies operating in the area estimate that between 50-70,000 persons are now displaced in the district. WFP is sending an initial food shipment of 200 tons of food and will closely monitor the situation. Insecurity is a major constraint and the last WFP food convoy had to turn back just before reaching Bundibugyo.
2. TANZANIA
2.1 Resourcing shortfalls coupled with delays in food arrivals in the country continue to hinder the implementation of the WFP assistance programme to 340,000 refugees and to over 1 million drought-affected persons. To date, only 70 percent of the required 20,000 tons of food for the WFP Tanzania drought operation (EMOP 6112) have been resourced. WFP is using cash contributions to purchase some of the food locally. Relying on the existing transit stocks for the regional operation, WFP has secured loans of maize and maize meal, so that the distribution of cereals to the refugee programme can continue at the required levels.
2.2 An Oxfam assessment report issued recently recommends an immediate distribution of 20,000 tons of food aid in the Shinyanga and Ngorongoro regions. A joint WFP and Government mission will visit Shinyanga to discuss with local authorities the priority zones for distributions of the available food resources. UNICEF is also planning a rapid nutritional assessment in Shinyanga which will help in targeting the food distributions.
2.3 In Dodoma, the last food distributions under the previous drought operation will be completed within the next two weeks. By then, approximately 18,000 tons of food will have been distributed under EMOP 5889 and EMOP 6112, benefiting 500,000 affected persons. In Singida, food distributions should also be completed before the end of the month, when locally produced food will start to be harvested.
D. SIERRA LEONE
1. UPDATE - information as of 8 April
1.1 Flights of the UN/WFP humanitarian helicopter have fully resumed as fuel supply shortages have been resolved with the receipt of 10,000 litres of fuel in Conakry.
1.2 An additional three international staff members will join existing WFP Sierra Leone staff on 10 April, bringing the total to six.
1.3 WFP has completed distribution of two-week rations to some 14,260 IDPs in Blama, 12 miles from Kenema. Meanwhile, food distributions in Kenema town continue to IDPs in camps and schools. WFP has also supplied food for distributions through April to Kenema hospital and therapeutic and supplementary feeding centres run by the NGO Merlin. WFP stock situation in Kenema is critical with less than 300 tons of food in place as of 7 April. A total of 40,000 registered displaced persons require assistance in the Kenema area.
1.4 Rehabilitation of the road between Bo and Niti harbour has started through WFP food for work, while the Sierra Leone Road Authority has prepared a budget to cover the cost of bridge repairs for presentation to donors. This road will be vital for WFP to supply Bo and Kenema through Niti harbour.
E. WEB UPDATE
1. WEB SOURCES OF INFORMATION ON KOSOVO
1.1 Selected United Nations Web sites for information on Kosovo refugee operations
UNHCR Kosovo Crisis Update - http://www.unhcr.ch/news/media/kosovo.htm
WFP Kosovo Crisis Web site - http://www.wfp.org click on Kosovo Alert
UNICEF - http://www.unicef.org/ click on Crisis in Kosovo
ReliefWeb for selected news items, UN and NGO updates - http://www.reliefweb.int
1.2 Other recommended Web sites on the Kosovo Crisis, donor response and NGOs working in Kosovo
USAID/OFDA - http://www.info.usaid.gov/ofda/ Kosovo fact sheets at http://www.info.usaid.gov/ofda/situation.html
Interaction Crisis in Kosovo (US NGOs) - http://www.interaction.org/kosovo/
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies home page - http://www.ifrc.org/
International Committee of the Red Cross home page - http://www.icrc.ch/
OneWorld Web page for UK/European NGO/government response - http://www.oneworld.org/ and click on Kosovo section
Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) - http://www.acdi-cida.gc.ca click on Crisis in Kosovo - Canada Responds
Relief Agencies section of Yahoo coverage of Kosovo Crisis - http://headlines.yahoo.com/Full_Coverage/World/Kosovo/
1.3 For news updates and analysis (many of the sites below include additional links to other sources of information)
Washington Post - Balkans Special Report - http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/inatl/longterm/balkans/balkans.htm
New York Times Kosovo special report - http://www.nytimes.com/library/world/kosovo-index.html
Los Angeles Times - http://www.latimes.com/HOME/NEWS/REPORTS/YUGO/
Financial Times - http://www.ft.com/
BBC World News - http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/default.htm click on Kosovo Crisis
CNN - http://cnn.com/
Yahoo News - http://headlines.yahoo.com/Full_Coverage/World/Kosovo/
Reuters wire service via Infoseek - http://infoseek.go.com/Query type in Kosovo in search box, click on arrow to indicate "News"
International Crisis Group - South Balkans background material and analysis on Kosovo, Albania, and FRY of Macedonia: http://www.intl-crisis-group.org/ or go to http://www.intl-crisis-group.org/projects/reports.htm#archive for older reports not listed by country. Highly recommended.
1.4 Maps
United States Information Service page - http://www.usia.gov/regional/eur/balkans/kosovo/maps/maps.htm
University of Texas at Austin PLC Map collection - http://www.vol.it/mirror/Map_collection/Map_collection.html click on Europe
Section includes Former Yugoslavia: A Map Folio - http://www.vol.it/mirror/Map_collection/yugoslav.html
Note: all tonnage figures in report above refer to metric tons
(End WFP Emergency Report No. 14 of 1999 - April 9, 1999)
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