Report No. 30 of 1999 Date: 30 July 1999
This report includes: A) Angola B) Sierra Leone C) East and Central Africa: Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania and Democratic Republic of Congo D) Afghanistan E) FR Yugoslavia F) Selected WFP relief operations currently facing resourcing shortfalls.
>From Manuel Aranda da Silva, Chief, Technical Support Service. Available 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. ANGOLA
1. Update - information as of 26 July a) UN 1999 Consolidated Inter-Agency Appeal for Angola revised to USD 106 million, almost double the original appeal of USD 66.6 million issued in January; available on the Web at <http://www.reliefweb.int>; WFP requirement revised from USD 31.2 million to USD 69.3 million. b) WFP receives pledges of 20,000 tons of food from the European Community, Germany and France; pipeline improving. c) Huila: WFP to purchase 1,000 tons of locally-produced maize. d) Huambo: WFP and CONCERN open a nutritional centre for 360 beneficiaries. e) Malange: The nutritional situation grave; preliminary results of MINSA/MSF-Holland survey indicate high malnutrition rates among both IDPs and residents.
B. SIERRA LEONE
1. Update - information as of 27 July a) WFP/UN/NGO mission to Makeni on 21-22 July meets representatives of the Sierra Leone People's Army to discuss humanitarian access to Makeni area; WFP needs-assessment missions to Makeni, Lunsar and surrounding areas to follow. b) WFP-led inter-agency needs assessment and IDP registration mission to Gorama Mende, Faala Wandor, Simbaru and Kandu Leppiama chiefdoms, Kenema district, registered some 1,840 IDPs in Kandu and 10,940 in Leppiama; WFP distributions being prepared. c) WFP is pre-positioning food in Kenema for possible interventions in Daru, Segbwema and the Pujehun area.
C. EAST AND CENTRAL AFRICA: RWANDA, BURUNDI, TANZANIA AND D.R. CONGO
1. Rwanda a) UNHCR, WFP and Government discuss modalities for repatriation and reception of returnees from D.R. Congo at Nkamira transit centre; WFP to pre-position limited food stocks for approximately 1,500 returnees a week.
2. Burundi a) UN agencies resume operations outside of Bujumbura on 26 July; security precautions must be still strictly observed.
3. Tanzania a) Refugees from D.R. Congo "recycling" in the Kigoma refugee camps; efforts being made by police, UNHCR, camp management to stop double registration.
4. D.R. Congo a) New IDP influx into Pweto, Katanga province; some 10,000 persons fled fighting in Manono and Mbudi; Government authorities request WFP assistance; WFP and NGO partners preparing an assessment mission.
D. AFGHANISTAN
1. Update - information as of 2 August a) Regular UN flights from Islamabad to Kabul interrupted since 27 July due to missile attacks on the airport. b) WFP Country Director visits Behsud I and Behsud II in Central Highlands south-west of Kabul.
E. FR YUGOSLAVIA
1. Update - information as of 29 July a) WFP approves a Budget Revision for emergency operation (EMOP 6136); budget reduced. b) WFP Executive Director visits the Balkan region on 19 and 20 July, where she witnesses WFP operations and meets UNMIK officials. c) Details on WFP activities available in the Balkan Operations Weekly Brief at <http://www.wfp.org> go to Balkan Alert, then Weekly Brief at end of text.
F. SELECTED WFP RELIEF OPERATIONS CURRENTLY FACING RESOURCING SHORTFALLS
1. Update - information as of 30 July a) Selected emergency operations and protracted relief and recovery operations urgently in need of resources listed below.
PART II - DETAILS
A. ANGOLA
1. UPDATE - information as of 26 July
1.1 UN seeks further donor funding for its operations in Angola, revising the 1999 Consolidated Inter-Agency Appeal to a total of USD 106 million, from the original appeal of USD 66.6 million issued in January. The renewed conflict between the Government forces and UNITA rebels after the breakdown of the UN-brokered peace in December 1998 has more than doubled humanitarian needs. The original WFP requirement under the UN Consolidated Appeal was USD 31.2 million, and has now been revised to USD 69.3 million. The mid-term review of UN 1999 Consolidated Inter-Agency Appeal for Angola is now available on the Web at <http://www.reliefweb.int>.
1.2 Nearly two million war-affected people, displaced or besieged in cities, require immediate assistance, not including other vulnerable persons in inaccessible areas. Insufficient funding to meet the emergency needs is causing resident and displaced people to compete for the scarce food resources available.
1.3 In response to a recent emergency appeal WFP received pledges of 20,000 tons of food from the European Community, Germany and France.
1.4 The WFP food pipeline is improving gradually and distributions for August are expected to rise slightly from the level of 6,700 tons in July. This week WFP received a shipment of 5,000 tons of maize in the port of Luanda. Further shipments of pulses and maize are expected shortly. Having received more pledges and cash donations for food transport, WFP hopes to be able to increase distributions in the next few months to match the current level of estimated needs (approximately 12,000 tons per month).
1.5 Provincial highlights:
a) Huila: WFP has authorized the purchase of 1,000 tons of locally-produced maize in Huila. The purchase represents a WFP commitment to enhance local production of maize in areas known to have been maize-exporting prior to 1975.
b) Huambo: WFP, together with the NGO partner CONCERN, opened a nutritional centre with a capacity to support 360 beneficiaries. Approximately 50,000 beneficiaries are reached each month by WFP-supported projects in Huambo. Humanitarian activities were disrupted by heavy shelling on 21 July, but continued afterwards.
c) Malange: The nutritional situation in Malange is grave. Preliminary results of a nutritional survey carried out by MINSA and MSF-Holland indicate that rates of malnutrition and severe malnutrition among internally displaced persons and residents could be as high as 25 percent and 15 percent respectively. Because of insecurity on the roads and problems with food distribution, WFP has since the end of May restricted its programmes in the city to vulnerable groups.
d) Kuito: A nutritional survey of seven municipalities, led by MSF-Belgium was completed this week. Initial reports indicate that the nutritional situation has somewhat stabilized. Approximately 1,760 IDPs from the Ongundo area have been registered in this period.
B. SIERRA LEONE
1. UPDATE - information as of 27 July
1.1 An inter-agency mission consisting of WFP, other UN agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) conducted a mission to Makeni on 21-22 July. The mission met with representatives of the Sierra Leone People's Army to discuss humanitarian access to Makeni area. A reconnaissance ground team went in on 21 July to assess whether there was sufficient security for the WFP helicopter to bring the rest of the team, and the rest of the team followed on 22 July. WFP needs-assessment missions to Makeni, Lunsar and surrounding areas are scheduled for 29-30 July.
1.2 WFP distribution partner ACF has conducted a food security assessment in the area of Makeni, including Makeni town, campsites and surrounding villages. According to preliminary results, urgent food interventions are needed.
1.3 WFP led an inter-agency needs assessment and registration of persons in need of food aid, mainly IDPs, in Gorama Mende, Faala Wandor, Simbaru and Kandu Leppiama chiefdoms in the Kenema district. The mission comprised the representatives of the national Red Cross Society, MCSL, KADDF and United Nations Humanitarian Assistance Coordinating Unit (UNHACU). The mission registered a caseload of approximately 1,840 in Kandu and 10,940 in Leppiama. WFP food distributions were scheduled to start later in the week.
1.4 Some 850 tons of assorted WFP food commodities are being moved from Freetown to Kenema for ongoing food distribution and pre-positioning for possible interventions in Daru, Segbwema and the Pujehun area.
C. EAST AND CENTRAL AFRICA: RWANDA, BURUNDI, TANZANIA AND D.R. CONGO
1. RWANDA
1.1 In a meeting held in Gisenyi UNHCR, WFP and Government authorities discussed modalities for repatriation and reception of returnees from D.R. Congo at Nkamira transit centre and agreed that WFP will pre-position limited food stocks to cater for approximately 1,500 returnees a week. There are approximately 30,000 Rwandans in north Kivu and surrounding areas. Since March, UNHCR has registered 7,813 returnees in Gisenyi.
1.2 Between 12 - 25 July, a total of 2,217 tons of WFP food commodities was distributed to an estimated 270,000 beneficiaries countrywide through general distributions, food-for-work projects and nutritional programmes.
2. BURUNDI
2.1 UN agencies resumed humanitarian operations outside of Bujumbura on 26 July, following the weekly security review meeting. Security precautions, including escorts and security officers on missions, must be strictly observed. In the five provinces currently considered as most insecure, including Bujumbura Rural, Bubanza, Makamba, Ruyigi and Rutana, no missions will be permitted without a security approval of the designated official. All operations outside of Bujumbura were suspended after the 30 June road ambush in which a WFP staff member was injured.
3. TANZANIA
3.1 WFP completed a two-week distribution of half-rations of cereals and full rations of other food items in all the refugee camps in Kigoma and Ngara in the week of 26 July to 1 August. The next distribution cycle is programmed to start the following week.
3.2 "Recycling" of refugees from D.R. Congo (crossing the border twice with the intention of re-registering) is becoming evident in the Kigoma Congolese refugee camps. Information obtained from Lugufu camp reveals that out of a caseload of 1,344 Congolese refugees trucked to Lugufu last week only 255 refugees were genuine cases while the rest (1,089 persons) were identified by the camp leaders as "recyclers". The so-called "recyclers" are reported to be attempting to get double rations. Efforts are being made by the police, UNHCR and the camp management prevent refugees from registering twice.
3.3 Some 2,340 Congolese refugees were received at Kibirizi reception centre last week, which is by 30 percent lower than the previous week's influx.
4. DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
4.1 A new influx of displaced persons into Pweto municipality in Katanga province has been reported. Approximately 10,000 persons have fled fighting in Manono and Mbudi to settle in Doubie. The Governor of the province has requested WFP to provide urgent food assistance to this new caseload. Local authorities and humanitarian organizations expect the number of displaced persons to increase. WFP and NGO partners are preparing an assessment mission to the area.
D. AFGHANISTAN
1. UPDATE - information as of 2 August
1.1 Fighting broke out again between the Taliban forces and the Northern alliance along the front line north and north-east of Kabul late on 27 July after unsuccessful peace talks in Tashkent between representatives of the Taliban, the Northern Alliance and the Six Plus Two group (neighbouring states, Russia and US).
1.2 The regular UN flight from Islamabad to Kabul on 27 July could not land on arrival at Kabul airport due to missile attacks. The airport was under fire even during the agreed daily cease-fire between 9 - 10 am. The flight continued on to the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif. UN staff members, including the WFP Country Director, scheduled to leave Kabul by air on 29 July, left Kabul by road for Jalalabad where the UN flight was able to land. As at 2 August the UN flight has not been reinstated; however, it is expected that if security permits, the flights will resume during the week. The UN is closely monitoring the situation.
1.3 During his visit to Afghanistan from 25 to 29 July, the WFP Country Director for Afghanistan, who is currently based in Islamabad, was able to view WFP emergency interventions in Behsud I and Behsud II in the Central Highlands south-west of Kabul. The distribution in these two locations was successfully completed on 28 July reaching 18,636 families, about half of whom are people reportedly displaced by fighting in the vicinity of Bamyan while the remainder are local residents. The operation distributed 1,850 tons of wheat and 308 tons of CSB. All other WFP activities are continuing as usual despite the heightened military activities.
E. FR YUGOSLAVIA - KOSOVO
1. UPDATE - information as of 29 July
1.1 Based on the findings from several missions in the Balkans, WFP approved a Budget Revision for its current emergency operation (EMOP 6136). The planned number of beneficiaries and the budget have been reduced.
1.2 WFP's Executive Director Catherine Bertini made a visit to the Balkan region on 19 and 20 July. During her visit the Executive Director met high officials from UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) and witnessed WFP operations in the region. In addition to the ongoing WFP distributions in Kosovo and Montenegro, WFP has established a distribution mechanism in Central Serbia for distributions to begin in August.
1.3 Details of WFP relief operations in the Balkans are available in the Balkan Operations Weekly Brief at <http://www.wfp.org>. Click on Balkan Alert, then on Weekly Brief.
F. SELECTED WFP RELIEF OPERATIONS CURRENTLY FACING RESOURCING SHORTFALLS
1. UPDATE - information as of 30 July
1.1 The WFP emergency operations listed below may face serious pipeline problems in the coming months if donors' proposals already submitted and/or new contributions are not confirmed shortly:
Angola EMOP 6138. Assistance to victims of the renewed war in Angola. Duration: three months. Number of beneficiaries: 798,000. Current 1999 operational shortfall: 48,160 tons - USD 35.4 million - 94 percent of EMOP needs.
Ethiopia EMOP 6143. Relief food assistance to victims of meher and belg crop failure. Duration: seven months. Number of beneficiaries: 1.2 million. Current 1999 operational shortfall: 53,240 tons - USD 20.5 million - 51 percent of EMOP needs.
D.R. Congo EMOP 6110. Assistance to war-affected people and vulnerable groups. Duration: six months. Number of beneficiaries: 350,000. Operation was approved on 17 June and has not received any funding yet. Requirements: 37,230 tons - USD 25 million.
DPR Korea EMOP 5959.01. Emergency food assistance for vulnerable groups. Duration: one year. Number of beneficiaries: 8 million. Current 1999 shortfall: 47,230 tons - USD 21 million - 16 percent of EMOP needs.
Balkan regional EMOP 6136. Food assistance to refugees, internally displaced and war-affected persons in the Balkan region. Duration: six months. Number of beneficiaries: 2.5 million. Current 1999 shortfall: 82,710 tons - USD 54.7 million - 52 percent of EMOP needs.
Jordan EMOP 6158. Assistance to drought-affected populations. Duration: 240 days. Number of beneficiaries: 180,020. The operation was recently approved, no funding received yet. Requirements: 14,890 tons - USD 3.5 million.
Chad EMOP 6017.01. Assistance to drought-affected populations. Duration: six months. Number of beneficiaries: 29,500. The operation was recently approved, no funding received yet. Requirements: 2,840 tons - USD 2.2 million.
1.2 Amongst the current WFP protracted relief and recovery operations, the following ones are most in need of additional resourcing: West Africa Coastal (PRRO 4604.07), Armenia (PRRO 6120), Georgia (PRRO 6122) and Tajikistan (PRRO 6087).
Note: all tonnage figures in report above refer to metric tons
(End WFP Emergency Report No. 30 of 1999 - July 30, 1999)
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