Hunger's global hotspots: 1st July 2008
Pastor Dale Morgan
Hunger's global hotspots: 1st July 2008*
02 Jul 2008 09:00:00 GMT
Source: WFP
Location: Rome
Introduction
Facts, figures and the lastest updates from WFP's high profile emergencies.
Afghanistan
• WFP continues food dispatches to Hirat and the western region through
commercial truck convoys escorted by Afghan National Police. A convoy of
53 commercial trucks carrying 1,600 mt WFP food moved from Kandahar to
Hirat and Nimroz provinces during the week. The convoy has crossed the
most volatile district of Dilaram and is now on the way to final
destinations.
Chad
• The security situation is relatively calm throughout the country. No
armed clashes were reported during the past week. However, reports of
armed robbery in eastern Chad continue to be received.
• A joint assessment mission (JAM) including WFP/UNHCR and NGO partners
is due to take place on 1 July in southern Chad. The main objective is
to assess the overall food security and nutrition situation of the CAR
refugees. Findings from the mission will allow WFP to design a new cycle
of the PRRO in order to provide adequate assistance to the beneficiaries.
• Since 26 May, health and nutrition activities have been suspended in
the Iriba hospital, Touloum and Iridimi refugee camps. The nutrition
partner in charge of those areas has temporarily suspended its
activities due to security constraints. Should the suspension persist,
the health and nutrition status of the beneficiaries will adversely be
affected.
• Distributions of a 60-day seed protection ration to some 200,000 IDPs
and IDP host populations in eastern Chad are currently ongoing. General
food distributions for July are also due to begin on 7 July in the
Sudanese and CAR refugee camps.
• To date, food received in Chad through the Libya corridor amounts to
11,961 mt. Over 3,800 mt from Khufra and Benghazi are currently en route
to the Faya transit hub.
Democratic Republic of Congo
• Due to late food deliveries to schools in South Kivu, food stocks are
still available that have not been distributed in Caritas assisted
schools. The ongoing verifications suggest that other implementing
partners face the same situation in some schools.
• UNHCR has resumed the repatriation of Congolese from Tanzania and
envisages deploying two convoys per month over the next three months to
facilitate the return of some 4,000 Congolese per month. WFP will assist
the returnees with a three-month ration as a return package.
Ethiopia
• WFP continues to face large shortfalls (262,000 mt) for the relief
programme, targeting 4.6 million drought affected people.
• The Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Agency-led multi stakeholder
Belg assessment started at the end of June. The findings will assist in
further determining the impact of the current drought and in fine-tuning
targeting.
• About 3.7 million beneficiaries of the Productive Safety Net Programme
(PSNP) are prioritized for food assistance as a result of severe drought
in their areas. WFP is supporting the government to procure 80,000 mt
and hopes to raise approximately 90,000 mt of food resources for up to
2.4 million to receive food transfers for an additional three months.
• A budget revision to increase PRRO 10665.0 with some 378,500 mt for
relief is being finalized.
• 55,000 mt of wheat, the first tranche of the regional working capital
finance (WCF) loan allocated for Ethiopia, is being procured. The
Country office is trying to identify cash so as to cover associated
costs. Some 15,000 mt of sorghum is being tendered against another WCF
(to be approved).
Kenya
• The emergency operation does not have enough food stocks to cover July
distributions; the government has confirmed 6,500 mt of cereals in-kind
donation; a DFID cash donation covered all the associated costs.
• Kenya Food Security Steering Group (KFSSG), the national food security
coordination body, is preparing for the 2008 long rains assessment.
Meanwhile, KFSSG has increased the beneficiary numbers in Turkana
District from 160,000 to 215,000 following deterioration in food
security and nutrition situation. Admission criteria for supplementary
feeding in Turkana have also been revised to include children at risk of
being moderately malnourished.
Myanmar
• Eight weeks after Cyclone Nargis struck Myanmar, WFP has dispatched
over 18,000 tons of food to affected areas in the Ayeyarwady Division,
and distributed 14,564 tons to approximately 684,000 beneficiaries.
• A requirement to import all further rice requirements places
significant pressure on WFP’s operational budget and pipeline.
• As Cluster Lead for Logistics and Emergency Telecommunications, WFP
has been coordinating the provision of common services for more than 45
partners (UN, bilateral aid agencies and NGOs). As of 30 June, a total
of 112 air cargo shipments into Yangon airport have been organised, with
5,354 tons of relief items dispatched. Shipments include food, medical
kits, tarpaulins and other vital humanitarian materials such as
temporary warehousing and telecommunications equipment. 10 helicopters
have continued to carry food and other critically needed humanitarian
supplies to the most hard-to-reach areas in the Delta. Following a
decline in demand after the most urgent needs had been serviced, 5
helicopters were redeployed on 30 June.
Somalia
• The commodity shortfall for PRRO 10191.1 for the period June to March
2009 was 245,768 mt of which 188,279 mt is cereals. The CO urgently
requires US$66,000 million to move forward on the purchase of 83,000 mt
of cereals largely in South Africa as part of the purchase of 250,000 mt
of cereals for the Horn.
• WFP requires urgent funding for project SO10681.0, which will be
exhausted in August 2008. Emergency Rehabilitation Work in Mogadishu and
Kismayo ports (SO10578.0) is only 15 percent funded. Urgent donations
are required to continue these vital operations.
Sri Lanka
• Government approval has been obtained to operate WFP managed, United
Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) flights for the first time in
Sri Lanka.
• Food deliveries to beneficiaries in the northern LTTE controlled areas
have reduced due to protracted delays for WFP convoy movements. WFP has
taken up the issue with the Government.
• The security situation in the north (Mannar, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu,
Vavuniya and Jaffna) remains volatile due to intense military
operations, impacting on the movement of people, food and relief items.
Sudan
• A WFP contract-driver was killed by unknown armed men in an ambush
along the Juba –Yei road in South Sudan while returning from food
deliveries. This year alone, seven WFP contract drivers have been killed
in Sudan; five in South Sudan and two in Darfur. There has been a
general increase in armed criminal activity in parts of the region whose
security levels were raised and now require armed escort.
• WFP issued a Press Statement on 30 June 2008 thanking donors for a
fast response to meet the funding shortfall of its air operation,
enabling continued air service in support of the massive humanitarian
efforts of more than 200 agencies in Darfur. The recently contributed
US$14.8 million will keep the air service going through to 30 September
2008. The donors are: U.S.A (US$4m), UN CHF (US$4m), E.C (US$3.8m),
Canada (US$2.5m) and a private donor (US$500,000).
Zimbabwe
• The Government imposed suspension on NGO field operations (issued 4
June) remains in place. During the election period humanitarian
activities and movements have remained on hold, seriously impacting on
the delivery of relief assistance. It is hoped that WFP will resume food
distributions as planned in the upcoming month.
• WFP has been reviewing the joint WFP/FAO CFSAM assessment findings
with government, donors and co-operating partners and has been
developing operational plans. A budget revision is near completion for
an anticipated expanded food assistance programme. This programme is
expected to assist some 4 million people during the peak hunger season.
• On 26 June, over 300 people claimed refugee status at the South
African Embassy. This was on the basis of reportedly fleeing from
political violence of the ruling party’s youth militia. On 27 June, upon
request of the SA authorities and assistance of the Red Cross (National
and the Federation) these people were relocated by the GoZ to a
Rehabilitation Centre in Ruwa. Humanitarian agencies have coordinated
efforts to assist with basic necessities such as food and blankets. The
situation is being closely monitored by the humanitarian community.
• The UN Security Management Team has continued to monitor the security
situation throughout the election week. The Presidential elections took
place as planned on 27 June. This was despite the withdrawal of the
opposition candidate – Mr. Morgan Tsvangirai, Movement for Democratic
Change (MDC), from the presidential run-off. Mr. Tsvangirai’s name
however remained on the ballot papers as the electoral authorities
reported that it was too late for him to pull-out of the election. On
Sunday, 29 June, Mr. Robert Mugabe was announced President for another
five-year term.
• The SADC Election Observer Mission’s preliminary statement found that
the pre-election process did not conform to ‘SADC Principles and
Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections’ (e.g. politically motivated
violence). The Mission thus described the prevailing environment to have
‘impinged on the creditability of the electoral process’ stating the
elections ‘did not represent the will of the people’. The Mission
strongly recommends a continuation of SADC mediation efforts.