Somalia: WFP News Backgrounder 2 August 1996

[Ben Parker]

WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME
Regional Information Office
Nairobi
Tel: +254 2 622594
Fax: +254 2 521175

August 2, 1996

NEWS BACKGROUNDER

Upcoming WFP Operations to Mogadishu:

Saturday, August 3 : 48 MT of WFP food will leave Bosasso by road for
Mogadishu North to be given to ACF (Action Contre la Faim) for
distribution to supplementary/therapeutic feeding centers. The ETA of the
trucks is Wednesday, August 7. This is the first time that WFP has ever
delivered food to Mogadishu by road from Bosasso. Monday, August 5:
Airlift from Nairobi to Mogadishu North of 13 MT of WFP Dried Skimmed
Milk, originating from Djibouti, aboard C-130 Aircraft. Food will be
given to ACF for supplementary/therapeutic feeding programmes in
Mogadishu.

Food Security/Harvest:

Harvest Outlook - Please see the attached Preliminary Gu (main) Harvest
Outlook. Note that figures could still change over the next two of weeks
pending current assessments. WFP will have the final Gu harvest
projections on September 1, 1996. [This document not available
electronically.]

Recent Operations:

Marere, Juba Valley : On July 27, 60 MT of WFP food arrived in Marere in a
cross border operation from Kenya to assist 5, 200 families (31,200) who
are victims of floods. The food was distributed on July 29/30. Buaale and
Sakow, Juba Valley : 80 MT of cereals were distributed 22-28 July to 4,305
families (25,830 persons) for IDP/vulnerable group feeding and for
food-for-work projects such as land clearing, well and road
rehabilitation. Kismayo : In early July a WFP-chartered dhow delivered 307
MT for IDPs and food-for-work projects. Internally displaced people from
the Juba Valley continue to arrive in Kismayo. Some 1,300 arrived during
15-21 July.

WFP Staffing:

Number of WFP Staff and Offices in Somalia : Three offices - Mogadishu (10
national staff - WFP office now housed in the UNDP compound), Bosasso (1
international/6 national staff) and Hargeisa (1 international/8 national).
Frequent missions for food distribution operations but no permanent office
to Kismayo and Juba Valley.

WFP's 1996 food programme to Somalia: $17 million including food,
transport and operational support (total 28,000 MT of food for 120,000
beneficiaries). WFP monthly food deliveries currently average 1,300 MT,
down from a monthly average of 2,500 MT in 1995. Current WFP focus is on
agricultural rehabilitation projects and vulnerable group feeding. From
January to March 1996, WFP distributed 5,904 MT of food throughout
Somalia; from April to June, some 3,000 MT.

Estimated Number of Internally Displaced Persons in Somalia: 200,000 -
400,000 (54,000 IDPs were estimated to be in Mogadishu in Feb. 95 - last
official survey).

Estimated Number of Somali Refugees Outside of Somalia: 475,000

[ENDS]