Report No. 16 of 1999 Date: 23 April 1999
This report includes: A) FR Yugoslavia and region - Kosovo crisis B) Afghanistan C) Liberia D) Eritrea E) East Africa: Uganda and Tanzania F) Mozambique.
>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 2854). 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. FR YUGOSLAVIA AND REGION - KOSOVO CRISIS
1. Update - information as of 26 April a) UN inter-agency appeal for region affected by the Kosovo crisis (Albania, FYR of Macedonia, FR Yugoslavia, Bosnia and Herzegovina) revised to USD 625 million to respond to needs of a total of 950,000 persons for three months; WFP part of overall appeal is USD 103.5 million. b) Budget revision for current WFP emergency operation covers additional costs of enriched food for children and vulnerable, mobile bakeries and ready-to-eat rations. c) Number of refugees increased by some 16,000 in FYR of Macedonia, and 44,000 in Albania; border crossings between Albania and Kosovo open erratically, insecurity high and access difficult; refugees are being evacuated from border regions around Kukes, Albania.
d) WFP pre-positions large quantities of food in the ports of Ploce (Croatia) and Thessaloniki (Greece); ready-to-eat food directly provided by WFP to Albania and FYR of Macedonia; WFP food commodities for on-going operation stored in warehouses in Tirana, Durres, Kukes, Skhoder, Elbasan, Fier, Korca (Albania), Skopje (FYR of Macedonia) and Bar and Podgorica (Montenegro).
B. AFGHANISTAN
1. Update - information as of 22 April a) Intensified fighting in front-line areas, in Bamyan and Faizabad; plans for May emergency distribution in and around Bamyan postponed; UN suspended flights and missions to Faizabad due to the fighting. b) WFP Country Director visits Herat and Kandahar, meets authorities on food aid issues. c) Food-for-seed programme with FAO to resume; April-May distribution of 1,120 tons of wheat expected to begin on 26 April at various sub-offices. d) WFP food-for-work activities continue in Azro and Tizin areas outside Kabul to repatriated refugees in UNHCR resettlement project.
C. LIBERIA
1. Update - information as of 22 April a) Seven WFP staff and 17 diplomats and relief workers returned to Monrovia by WFP helicopter after being taken hostage by gunmen in Voinjama, Liberia on night of 20 April; 16 of the group were members of a UN mission which was about to begin a two-week assessment of food needs in Liberia region.
D. ERITREA
1. Update a) WFP emergency operation (EMOP 6044) to provide over 44,000 metric tons of food until end of year to assist 268,000 persons affected by recent border conflict in rural areas of Debub, Gash-Barka and South Sea Provinces.
E. EAST AFRICA: UGANDA AND TANZANIA
1. Uganda a) Western district of Bundibugyo: due to insecurity WFP and NGO staff temporarily relocated; currently between 50,000 and 70,000 displaced in Bundibugyo, most of whom had fled their homes during recent violent rebel attacks; WFP food deliveries hampered by lack of security, and distributions yet to start.
2. Tanzania
a) Voluntary repatriation of Burundian refugees from Kibondo camps suspended following new influx from Burundian province of Ruyigi.
F. MOZAMBIQUE
1. Flood relief operation - information as of 22 April a) WFP emergency assistance to victims of flooding in southern Mozambique continues; 450 tons of maize and beans delivered so far through combined relief operation (helicopter, aircraft, boat and trucks) to affected areas of Vilankulos and Inhassoro; infrastructure repaired through WFP food-for-work activities.
PART II - DETAILS
A. FR YUGOSLAVIA AND REGION - KOSOVO CRISIS
1. UPDATE - information as of 26 April
1.1 In response to the growing refugee crisis, the UN inter-agency appeal for the region affected by the Kosovo crisis including the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Albania, as well as the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) and Bosnia and Herzegovina, has been revised to USD 625 million in order to take into account resource requirements for a total of 950,000 persons for three months (from 1 April to 30 June). The WFP part of the overall appeal is USD 103.5 million. 1.2 On 19 April WFP revised the budget for the current emergency operation, regional food assistance to Kosovar internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees in FR Yugoslavia, FYR of Macedonia and Albania, to a new total of US 64 million out of which USD 35 million have already been pledged by US, Netherlands, Norway, UK, Croatia, Denmark, Germany, Australia, Spain, Portugal and Japan. This includes the cost of foods especially enriched with micronutrients for children and other vulnerable people, mobile bakeries and ready-to-eat rations for refugees, many of whom have no access to cooking facilities. On 6 April, WFP had already increased its budget to cater for the needs of 650,000 refugees and IDPs until June. Another on-going WFP operation takes care of 225,000 refugees (mainly Serbs who left Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Croatia as a result of the conflict in these countries and are currently living in FR Yugoslavia. WFP plan is to incorporate both operations into one new emergency operation starting on 1 July. The 19 April budget revision is available on the WFP Web page (http://www.wfp.org), click Kosovo Alert and Emergency Operation. WFP is currently processing a further budget revision for an incremental 300,000 beneficiaries which brings the total to 950,000.
1.3 The outflow of refugees and IDPs from the FR Yugoslav province of Kosovo continues. Between 14 and 23 April, there was and increase of approximately 10 percent in the refugee caseload in both FYR of Macedonia and Albania - 16,000 and 44,000 respectively according to UNHCR data. Due to insecurity in Montenegro in FR Yugoslavia, a number of Kosovar refugees moved on to Albania. In Albania, the border crossings with Kosovo (Qafe e Morinit, Qafe e Prushit and Dobruma) open erratically. Because of the sporadic fighting in the border areas, insecurity is high and access difficult, especially in the vicinity of Bajram Curri. For this reason, refugees are being evacuated from the border regions, particularly around Kukes in Albania.
1.4 On 26 April, according to UNHCR estimates, there are 580,300 refugees and IDPs in the region including 364,000 refugees in Albania, 136,000 refugees in FYR of Macedonia (divided between some 55,600 refugees living in transit camps and others living in private accommodation or with host families), and 64,300 IDPs living in Montenegro. There are no confirmed figures available for IDPs in Kosovo. Refugees report that there is of a large group of displaced Kosovars living in precarious conditions close to the mountainous border between Albania and FYR of Macedonia. In Serbia, the Government reports 50,000 IDPs. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, there are 15,000 refugees; this figure does not include refugees from Sandjak region, north of Montenegro.
1.5 International food assistance is being provided for Kosovo refugees and IDPs in Albania, FYR of Macedonia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina by many agencies. Within the region, and in the ports of Ploce (Croatia) and Thessaloniki (Greece), WFP is pre-positioning large quantities of high energy biscuits and basic commodities such as wheat flour, oil, pulses and fortified blended food. In addition, WFP is dispatching directly to Albania and FYR of Macedonia ready-to-eat food, including humanitarian daily rations, canned food and high energy biscuits. As of 26 April, WFP has received 1.1 million humanitarian daily rations which have already been distributed or will be distributed in the near future, and is planning for an additional 3 million rations. WFP is increasing the delivery of food commodities in order to respond to needs of possible new influxes. As a result of the current lack of cooking facilities and utensils, ready-to-eat foods are the preferred commodities.
1.6 WFP is moving food commodities to be stored in warehouses in Tirana, Durres, Kukes, Skhoder, Elbasan, Fier, Korca (all in Albania), Skopje (FYRoM) and Bar and Podgorica (Montenegro). WFP has also set up offices in all of these cities except in Elbasan.
1.7 Bread being the main staple food for the refugee and host family population in Albania, WFP is sending equipment and specialists in order to increase the current capacity of 35,000 loaves a day.
B. AFGHANISTAN
1. UPDATE - information as of 22 April
1.1 Fighting has intensified during the past week in front-line areas in the Central and North regions, particularly in Bamyan and Faizabad.
1.2 The WFP Country Director recently visited Herat and Kandahar. In Kandahar the Country Director met with Taleban officials to discuss conditions to be met before WFP delivers food aid to the Taleban-controlled areas. The Country Director was accompanied by a UN field security officer. Currently there are two field security officers deployed in Afghanistan: one is now resident in Kabul, and the other one is roving, accompanying international WFP staff to different locations.
1.3 An agreement to resume the food-for-seed programme has been signed with FAO: the April-May distribution of 1,120 tons of wheat begins in the week from 26 April to 3 May at various sub-offices.
1.4 Central Region: Kabul bakeries are running smoothly. The wheat flour shortage reported in Kabul two weeks ago after Pakistan closed border points to restrict smuggling does not appear to have caused serious effects. WFP continues food-for-work activities in the Azro and Tizin areas outside Kabul to repatriated refugees in a UNHCR resettlement project. Fighting in and around Bamyan has postponed plans for the May emergency distribution, the second phase of the winter operation conducted in December-January.
1.5 Western Region: WFP has allocated 6,500 tons of food aid as repatriation packages to 130,000 returnees expected in four areas of Afghanistan this year, out of a total of 220,000 returnees from Iran and Pakistan anticipated by UNHCR in 1999. WFP is planning a repatriation package of 50 kg per beneficiary; returnees are expected to settle initially in the areas of Herat and Kandahar. The border with Iran remains closed.
1.6 Northern Region: Fighting in Faizabad between two local factions from 18-20 April took place close to the WFP office, but neither staff nor property have been harmed. The UN suspended all flights and missions to the area early this week.
1.7 Eastern Region: Bakeries are running normally in Jalalabad. A mission will visit Kunar and Nuristan next week to monitor the completed first phase of WFP food-for-work forestry programme which includes 75 women's nurseries, tree planting and community protection of forests.
C. LIBERIA
1. UPDATE - information as of 22 April
1.1 Seven WFP staff members together with 17 diplomats and relief workers were safely returned to Monrovia by helicopter on 22 April after being taken hostage by gunmen in Voinjama, Liberia. Armed assailants broke into two UN guest houses during the night of 20-21 April. The hostages were released on Wednesday afternoon but were only able to leave the area on Thursday afternoon because of armed clashes in the area.
1.2 The WFP helicopter, based in Conakry, Guinea for the Sierra Leone operation, was deployed to Liberia on 22 April. Evacuation took place upon the issuance of security clearance for the landing site in Voinjama by the Liberian government.
1.3 Sixteen of the hostages were members of a UN mission which had travelled to Voinjama on 20 April to begin a two-week assessment of the food needs of war victims, refugees and IDPs in Liberia region. The assessment team also included six staff members from UNHCR and UNICEF, two representatives from the US State Department, and one Norwegian government official. Among other hostages were aid workers and consultants at the site, and several drivers.
1.4 While the hostages were unharmed by their assailants, they were robbed of their cash and valuables and both the WFP and HCR offices in Voinjama were looted. WFP trucks and Land Cruisers are believed to have been either stolen or vandalized.
D. ERITREA
1. UPDATE - information as of 15 April
1.1 WFP has launched an emergency operation (EMOP 6044) in Eritrea to assist populations affected by the recent border conflict with Ethiopia. The conflict has disrupted the livelihood of thousands of rural households in both sides of the border since May 1998.
1.2 Assistance will be provided to the most vulnerable among the war-affected: 268,000 people consisting of 246,500 displaced and 21,500 Eritreans coming from Ethiopia (both forced deportees and voluntary arrivals) in rural areas of Debub, Gash-Barka and South Sea Provinces. Only a limited number of the households in these areas were able to secure some livestock and productive assets over the past year.
1.3 WFP will provide over 44,000 metric tons of food until the end of the year; the total cost of the operation is USD 15.4 million.
1.4 A WFP emergency operation for war-displaced in Ethiopia is already in place (EMOP 6080).
E. EAST AFRICA: UGANDA AND TANZANIA
1. UGANDA
1.1 The security situation continues to deteriorate in the western district of Bundibugyo. WFP food deliveries to the area have been suspended because of growing insecurity and WFP staff has been temporarily relocated from Bundibugyo; non-governmental organizations have also pulled out of the district. Aid agencies and government officials estimated that between 50,000 and 70,000 persons are now displaced in Bundibugyo district. Most of these displaced Ugandans fled their homes in recent weeks, after violent attacks by rebel groups.
1.2 WFP had planned to deliver 200 tons of various food commodities for distribution to some 30,000 of the neediest displaced persons in Bundibugyo town and twelve other sites within the district. To date, some 150 tons of WFP commodities have been delivered using military escorts, but operations have been hampered by lack of access as a result of insecurity and food distributions are yet to start.
2. TANZANIA
2.1 Drought operation: nine regions of Tanzania are being targeted for food distributions under the WFP operation for assistance to drought affected persons. Shipments of maize grain are shortly expected to arrive in the country and food distributions will target persons in those districts showing the greatest signs of distress as a result of the current food shortages.
2.2 Some of the targeted regions will only receive food allocations for a one-month food ration, instead of the planned three months, to be distributed to the most acutely affected persons. Rapid food security assessments have been carried out by WFP partners in various regions and the results of these exercises are vital to allow the limited food resources to be targeted for maximum benefit.
2.3 Refugee operation: the voluntary repatriation of Burundian refugees from camps in Kibondo district has been suspended, following an increased influx of Burundians into this district. The arriving refugees are from the Burundian province of Ruyigi, an area which until now was considered safe and secure for repatriation.
2.4 Between 12 - 18 April, some 2,480 refugees arrived in Tanzania, of which approximately 1,280 were Burundians, 1,180 Congolese and 20 were Rwandan refugees. The refugee population in Tanzania stands now at 347,840 refugees and WFP continues to provide these refugees with food assistance. In the week of 9 -18 April 2,175 tons of WFP food were distributed.
F. MOZAMBIQUE
1. FLOOD RELIEF OPERATIONS- information as of 22 April
1.1 WFP is continuing emergency assistance to victims of flooding in southern Mozambique provinces. Since first interventions began in March, WFP has delivered a total of 450 tons of maize and beans through the combined relief operation (helicopter, aircraft, boat and trucks) to the flood-affected areas of Vilankulos and Inhassoro.
1.2 Food for work projects are being carried out in the flood affected areas, mainly in partnership with municipal and rural district authorities. Approximately 1,250 men and women are working in these projects (6,250 direct food beneficiaries, based on a 5 person per family food-for-work ration). Current activities include: erosion damage repair, especially near the gas pipeline which has suffered much damage; rubbish collection along 10 km of coastal beach areas; Vilankulos city road and small bridge repairs as well as erosion control near the seaside; and rural people have mobilized themselves to open access roads.
Note: all tonnage figures in report above refer to metric tons
(End WFP Emergency Report No. 16 of 1999 - April 23, 1999)
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