Report No. 38 of 1999 Date: 24 September 1999
This report includes: A) Indonesia - East Timor B) FR Yugoslavia and region C) Angola D) Sierra Leone E) Somalia.
>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. INDONESIA - EAST TIMOR
1. East Timor - information as of 23 September a) WFP estimates some 740,000 persons need food aid for six months: 490,000 IDPs and 100,000 returnees will require full rations, and 150,000 IDPs will need half rations; figures to be confirmed through food needs assessments. b) To date, WFP airdropped some 130 tons of food aid commodities; first WFP "snow drop" of 6 tons of high protein biscuits took place on 24 September. c) WFP obtains clearance from Government to fly directly from Darwin to air drop sites without stopping in Dili for inspection. d) WFP to transfer to East Timor some 20 trucks and rubbhalls previously used in WFP Cambodia operations; AUSAID and DFID currently arranging provision of additional trucks for WFP fleet. e) Government confirms to WFP availability of 6,000 tons of rice from ex-Bulog warehouses in Dili; WFP providing further quantities of rice from Vietnam, oil and pulses from Singapore and rice from Australia, a total of approximately 2,380 tons, to arrive in Dili mid-October; shipment of 6,040 tons of Bulog rice for WFP from Surabaya to Dili expected on 27 September. f) Two WFP trucks carrying rice seized by military on 23 September while travelling from Dili to Dare. g) In Dili, Head of UN Mission in East Timor (UNAMET) met 18-member donor mission on 22 September; mission included US Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration, and senior officials from Australia, Sweden, Thailand, United Kingdom, Japan and EU.
2. West Timor a) Estimated number of IDPs now 214,490 of which 40 percent of IDPs in camps, 40 percent in private housing and the remainder hiding; WFP handed 100 tons of rice to NGO consortium Poskos for distribution. b) Security situation in West Timor remains tenuous and prevents food distributions.
B. FR YUGOSLAVIA AND REGION
1. FR Yugoslavia
a) Kosovo: targeted distribution for 600,000 WFP beneficiaries starts on 15 September with more focus on western Kosovo where food aid needs greater; main challenge of winterization programme to reach remote areas inaccessible during winter months; WFP arranging for winter ration distributions; arrangements made to increase existing WFP truck fleet; four Ukrainian helicopters to support logistic operations. b) Serbia: targeted WFP distributions include social cases in institutions, handicapped without income or property and pensioners with low income in addition to refugees from Bosnia and recent IDPs from Kosovo. c) Further operational details on the WFP Balkans operations available on WFP Web page at <http://www.wfp.org> click on Balkans Alert.
C. ANGOLA
1. Update - information as of 23 September a) WFP Deputy Executive Director in one-week visit to Angola as of 17 September; Mr.Ngongi visited Malange, Moxico, Bie and Kuanza Sul provinces, observed WFP operations, met highest Government officials and signed Letter of Understanding for implementation of ongoing WFP emergency operation (EMOP 6138). b) In Kuito, number of admissions to WFP-supported supplementary feeding centre increased; shortage of fuel hampers activities of NGOs. c) Reported influx of 40,000 IDPs in Kuito city from Catabola, Kawve, Cuquema, Lungundo, Cambandua, Chissinge. d) Following recent fighting in Huambo province, Office of the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UCAH) advises withdrawal of non-essential humanitarian staff.
D. SIERRA LEONE
1. Update - information as of 22 September a) A total of 115 tons distributed to 6,400 vulnerable in Masiaka area by WFP/ACF/ADRA after three successive delays due to insecurity in Occra Hills. b) Some 60 tons of WFP seed rice distributed by NGO partners in Kenema, enough for 1,950 acres in Small Bo, Kandu Leppiama and Dodo chiefdoms. c) WFP borrows lentils and oil from CRS, CARE and WVI to continue timely distributions; new shipments of WFP food aid expected end September.
E. SOMALIA
1. Update - information as of 21 September a) UN/NGO assessment mission (WFP, FSAU, UNICEF, IMC, CARE and UNCU) fielded to Bay and Bakool on 1 September; mission estimates 300,000 persons in Bay and Bakool in need of immediate assistance; in case of below-normal Deyr rains, acute vulnerability throughout both regions to be expected until next Gu harvest; estimated 10,000 tons of food aid required from September to December in Bay and Bakool regions. b) Southern Somalia: On 22 September, UN suspended flights to Baule, Bardera, Luuq and Merca due to deteriorating security; on 15 September UN agencies and international NGOs suspend humanitarian activities after killing of a UNICEF medical doctor on road from Jowhar to Afgoi, north of Mogadishu.
PART II - DETAILS
A. INDONESIA - EAST TIMOR
1. UPDATE - information as of 23 September
1.1 East Timor:
a) According to the current WFP estimates, as a result of the civil strife in East Timor some 740,000 persons out of the total population of 890,000 will need food assistance for six months: 490,000 IDPs and 100,000 returnees will require full rations, 150,000 IDPs will need half rations, and the remaining 150,000 are believed to be unlikely to return. These preliminary figures are to be confirmed as soon as possible through food needs assessments.
b) To date, WFP airdropped some 130 tons of food aid commodities over East Timor using two Australian and one French C-130 plane. Further airdrops are planned. In addition, the first WFP "snow drop" of a total of six tons of 200 gram packages of high protein biscuits took place on 24 September.
c) WFP has obtained clearance from the Government of Indonesia to fly directly from Darwin to airdrop sites without having to land for inspection at Dili airport currently receiving incoming multinational force contingents. Two Sikorsky helicopters are expected to arrive in Darwin for WFP use to shuttle food to pockets of displaced persons in East Timor. Furthermore, four to five landing craft from commercial sector have been identified for leasing by WFP with capacity of 156 tons each. Use of these craft will allow for WFP cargo to be unloaded on the beach, and thus greatly reduce the need of going through congested port of Dili.
d) WFP is arranging the pre-positioning in Sihanoukville, Kompong Som, of 20 trucks and rubbhalls previously used in WFP Cambodia operations. WFP's transport vessel Artis Carrier will carry these in two batches to Dili. AUSAID and the British Department for International Development (DFID) are currently arranging provision of additional trucks for WFP fleet.
e) Availability of 6,000 tons of rice from ex-Bulog warehouses in Dili has been confirmed by the Government and WFP will officially accept responsibility for the stores once an inventory has been made and new stocks are installed.
f) A WFP convoy carrying rice from Dili for IDPs in Dare was stopped on 23 September by Indonesian soldiers who seized two of the four trucks. The two trucks which arrived in Dare delivered 3 tons of rice.
g) WFP is in the process of procuring 1,000 tons of rice in Vietnam, 320 tons of oil and 458 tons of pulses in Singapore and 600 tons of rice in Australia, all for arrival in Dili by mid October and to be shipped by M/V Artis Carrier.
h) Shipment of 6,040 tons of Bulog rice for WFP from Surabaya to Dili has been confirmed by Government officials and is expected to arrive on 27 September. It will be unloaded by NGO partners under WFP supervision.
i) Ian Martin, the head of UN Mission in East Timor (UNAMET), met an 18-member donor mission which travelled to Dili on 22 September. The mission included Julia Taft, the US Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration, as well as senior officials from Australia, Sweden, Thailand, United Kingdom, Japan and the European Union.
1.2 West Timor:
a) The number of IDPs in West Timor was estimated at 214,490 on 23 September. Approximately a 40 percent of the displaced is in camps, a 40 percent in private housing and the reminder in hiding from militias. WFP has given 100 tons of rice to Poskos, a consortium of local NGOs, for distribution to those staying in private accommodation, while other groups continue to receive rice and cash from the Government.
b) According to reports from WFP staff, security situation in West Timor remains tenuous and lack of access to IDPs continues to prevent food distributions. In Belu district, bordering East Timor, there are reports of burning villages, indiscriminate shooting, widespread disappearances and visible militia presence.
B. FR YUGOSLAVIA AND REGION
1. FR Yugoslavia
1.1 Kosovo
a) Under its ongoing emergency operation to assist returnees and IDPs in Kosovo, WFP started targeted distributions (as opposed to general distribution) on 15 September. Targeted distributions are based on a reduced caseload of 900,000 beneficiaries in total, of which 600,000 are to receive WFP assistance. This will involve a shift in food aid distribution towards western Kosovo, where needs are greater.
b) Winterization: a major challenge for the humanitarian operations in winter months in Kosovo will be to reach remote areas that become inaccessible due to weather conditions. WFP is currently identifying those areas and as of October the beneficiaries there will receive WFP winter rations, or at least two to three month-rations. WFP currently uses the Swedish Rescue Service Agency (SRSA) fleet for deliveries in Kosovo, which are due to leave mid October. Successive transport arrangements are currently being made. In addition to this, there are four Ukrainian helicopters that are due to be deployed in Kosovo in October in support of the humanitarian effort. Tasking of the helicopters will be through the Joint Logistics Cell of which WFP is a part.
c) The security situation remains tense. On 14 September, five WFP staff were arrested and detained by Serb Police in Kosovo on the border with Serbia. They were released after six hours.
1.2 In Serbia, targeted WFP distributions include social cases in institutions, handicapped people without income or property and pensioners with low income. This is in line with the recommendations of the Joint Food Aid Assessment Mission to FR Yugoslavia from July this year. The Yugoslav Government has proposed to expand distribution by including families hosting refugees/IDPs and developing school feeding programmes. These are in addition to the refugees from Bosnia and the recently arrived IDPs from Kosovo who are also receiving food aid.
2. In Albania, WFP is finalizing a plan of assistance to reach approximately 90,000 vulnerable persons and plans to extend this assistance into the year 2000 in the framework of a Protracted Relief and Rehabilitation Operation (PRRO). According to the recently finalized UNHCR verification exercise, the total number of Kosovo refugees is below 5,000 and they are under UNHCR's exclusive responsibility.
3. For more exhaustive information, consult the Weekly Briefs on the WFP Web page at <http://www.wfp.org> click on Balkans Alert.
C. ANGOLA
1. UPDATE - information as of 20 September
1.1 WFP Deputy Executive Director Mr. Namanga Ngongi arrived in Angola on 17 September for a one-week visit. Mr. Ngongi made field visits to Malange, Moxico, Bie and Kuanza Sul provinces. He visited therapeutic and supplementary feeding centres, a number of IDP camps, particularly temporary resettlement centres, observed WFP food aid and farming tools distributions and had meetings with the Government officials, humanitarian organizations and donor representatives.
1.2 Mr. Ngongi and the Angolan Minister of Social Welfare signed a Letter of Understanding on 20 September for the implementation of the WFP emergency operation (EMOP 6138) for the victims of the renewed war. WFP will provide 53,000 tons of food aid to 800,000 displaced people and other war affected groups, at an estimate cost of USD 40.1 million between September 1 and December 31, when another WFP protracted relief and recovery operation is expected to follow.
1.3 In Kuito city, general food distribution for IDPs has started. The number of admissions to the WFP-supported supplementary feeding centre has increased to 2,800 from 2,200 in late August. In addition, a shortage of fuel in Kuito city was also reported, hampering the activities of NGOs working in that area.
1.4 A WFP mission visited Kilengues in Huila province to evaluate the food situation in the area. Several severe malnutrition cases were seen. WFP had been forced to stop its relief food activities in the area due to insecurity on 1 September. Over the past week, WFP distributed 300 tons to 17,000 beneficiaries in the other parts of Huila province.
1.5 In Cunene province, WFP provided some 170 tons to 6,000 target beneficiaries during the week.
1.6 Security:
a) There has been a reported influx of as many as 40,000 IDPs in Kuito city arriving from Catabola, Kawve, Cuquema, Lungundo, Cambandua, Chissinge and other areas south-west of Kuito. The city was shelled on 18 September.
b) The arrival of some 480 new IDPs from Muconda municipality was reported in Saurimo, Lunda Sul province. Since 6 September, approximately 2780 IDPs have fled from the area of Muconda due to nearby fighting. WFP is providing them with emergency rations.
c) In Huambo province, following recent renewed fighting, the Office of the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UCAH) has advised humanitarian agencies to withdraw non-essential personnel from Huambo.
d) As a result of continuous fighting in Kuvango and Jamba area in Huila province, the reported number of IDPs has increased to 12,000 in Matala.
D. SIERRA LEONE
1. UPDATE - information as of 22 September
1.1 WFP and ACF, in conjunction with ADRA, have delivered 115 tons of assorted food commodities on 22 and 23 September Masiaka and three villages along the Freetown-Masiaka road. The distribution of food aid commodities to some 6,400 vulnerable persons is under way. The WFP-coordinated distribution had been postponed three times previously due to insecurity in the nearby Occra Hills area.
1.2 WFP Kenema has begun distribution of approximately 60 tons of seed rice through various implementing partners. The seed rice distribution is an emergency project aimed at increasing staple crop production in food-insecure parts of Kenema District. The seed rice will be sufficient for 1,950 acres of cultivated rice, benefiting farm families in Small Bo, Kandu Leppiama and Dodo chiefdoms.
1.3 CRS, CARE and WVI loans of lentils and oil (a total of 925 tons) have enabled WFP to continue its major feeding programmes in the Western Area and upcountry in September. WFP and ACF have also agreed to use up to 100 tons of ACF-supplied lentils for joint distributions in the Masiaka area. New shipments of WFP food aid are expected in Sierra Leone by end September.
1.4 Food handed by WFP to implementing partners from 15 to 21 September totalled 213 tons of assorted commodities for distribution to some 17,940 recipients.
E. SOMALIA
1. UPDATE - information as of 21 September
1.1 A UN joint assessment mission was fielded to Bay and Bakool regions in southern Somalia on 1 September to identify the most vulnerable populations and to assess the needs following the dismal Gu crop failure, the impact of recent political changes on livelihoods and agency operations. Participants included representatives from WFP, FSAU, UNICEF, International Medical Corps, CARE and UNCU. The mission estimates 300,000 persons (approximately 50 percent of all agro-pastoralists) in Bay and Bakool are in need of immediate assistance. According to the recent weather forecast, and given the 50 percent probability that the coming Deyr rains will be below normal, a progression from chronic to acute vulnerability throughout both regions is expected until the next Gu rains and harvest.
1.2 Hence, an estimated 10,000 tons is required from September to December 1999 in the Bay and Bakool regions. The assistance, to commence before the next Deyr rains in November, is required to encourage a return to productive activities and ensure the stability of livelihoods during the critical time, and to mitigate the acute problems faced by some communities.
1.3 The 830,000 people of Bay and Bakool regions have been suffering from the impact of conflict and several seasons of below normal crop production. The degradation of civil and productive infrastructure and the dismal Gu crop harvest have depleted household food stocks and livestock assets and reduced the coping ability of many households. As a result, without immediate food assistance there may be severe food shortages and mass displacement of populations.
1.4 WFP dispatched a total of some 230 tons of food aid during the month of August, mostly to the northern areas of Somalia. Distribution to the south was kept to a minimum during the month in anticipation of the assessment of the Gu crop harvest. This brings the total distributed from January - August 1999 to close to 14,800 tons. WFP plans to distribute close to 15,000 tons during the months September - December. Of this, approximately 8,000 tons will be directed towards emergency and 7,000 tons towards regular programmes.
1.5 As of 22 September, UN has suspended all flights to the southern Somali towns of Baule, Bardera, Luuq and Merca because of deteriorating security in the region. The UN flight ban followed decision by all UN agencies and international NGOs on 15 September to suspend humanitarian activities in southern Somalia in protest at the killing of a UNICEF medical doctor while he was travelling in a UN leased vehicle from Jowhar to Afgoi, about 25 km north of Mogadishu.
Note: all tonnage figures in report above refer to metric tons
(End WFP Emergency Report No. 38 of 1999 - September 24, 1999)
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