World Food Programme Sudan, Monthly Situation Report

The following are excerpts from a monthly situation report released by the United Nations World Food Programme, Sudan.

World Food Programme Sudan

Monthly Situation Report

ISSUE 2009/2:February 2009

DARFUR

In February, 2.2 million beneficiaries in Darfur received 23,600 mt of WFP food rations. Fighting in Muhajeriya and surrounding areas prevented access to some 89,800 people who could not be reached with food rations in February. This includes IDPs who fled the conflict in Muhajeriya and Shaeria, and were possibly assisted in other areas, as well those that remained on the ground but could not be reached.

With the expulsion of Action Contre le Faim, CARE, Solidaritès and Save the Children US from Darfur, WFP´s food assistance programme to up to 1.1 million beneficiaries in the areas covered by these NGOs is at risk. Despite the limited capacity, efforts are being made to minimise the immediate impact by carrying out advance two-month food distributions to beneficiaries in affected areas. The distributions are being done through trained local Food Relief Committees. However, standard programme operations, such as distribution monitoring, will not be possible in this scenario to ensure that targeted households receive their food entitlements. WFP continues to strongly advocate for the immediate return of the expelled NGOs.

Muhajeriya conflict-affected assisted in Darfur

It is estimated that over 100,000 civilians were affected by intense fighting between the Government and rebel groups that started in mid-January in Muhajeriya, Shaeria and Labado areas of South Darfur. So far, over 35,000 IDPs fleeing from these areas have arrived at camps in North Darfur—Zam Zam, Shangil Tobay and Dar El Salam town. The majority of the new arrivals are being housed at Zam Zam camp, where capacity limits have been reached and water resources stretched. Efforts are being made to identify an alternative location to accommodate the continuing influx of IDPs. WFP has provided one month emergency food rations to the new arrivals.

While reports indicate that the majority of the IDPs fled northwards, it is estimated that 5 to 8,000 people have dispersed to other locations in South Darfur. An interagency assessment on 15 February to Beliel camp to assess the situation of the newly displaced found them in a worse-off situation. Most of the new arrivals at Beliel camp did not have shelter and had lost their belongings in the conflict or were robbed by armed bandits as they fled. WFP provided one-month food rations to all new arrivals, pending the completion of verification exercises to add them to the general distribution list.

WFP assists conflict-victims in Wadah, North Darfur

WFP participated in an inter-agency assessment mission to Wadah on 23 February to determine the situation of the local population affected by fighting that occurred during the month. The mission found that the village was partly burned, including the local market area and over 800 houses. While community members have food for a few days provided by the Government, the mission concluded that further emergency food assistance will be required as the main routes to Wadah are currently insecure, disrupting commercial food deliveries to the market. WFP plans to provide a one-month food ration to the most affected households prior to resuming seasonal food support in the area during the hunger gap.

Health and Nutrition Update

WFP held a Darfur-wide two-day Blanket Supplementary Feeding Programme (BSFP) lessons learned workshop in El Fasher on 8—9 February. Participants shared experiences and challenges faced during the 2008 implementation of BSFP, and discussed a concrete plan of action for 2009. As one of the action points agreed at the workshop, a series of bilateral meetings with partners are planned to discuss area-specific operational plans. WFP and its partners have started operational planning for BSFP 2009 implementation, with sensitization of communities and verification exercises ongoing in Kabkabiya and Kutum. As part of the BSFP strategy, a group of community women (mothers) are being trained to carry out training sessions for other mothers—mother to mother approach— on how to properly cook the BSFP ration. Training sessions for new community cooking demonstrations menus were carried out in Kutum and a small group of mothers were selected and trained to roll-out further training in their communities starting in March 2009.

In West Darfur, the health and nutrition situation is reported to be stable, with acute respiratory infections and simple diarrhoeal diseases as the main diseases affecting children under-five. Admission rates into feeding centres remain low as expected during this time of the year. Preparations are underway to start BSFP in West Darfur during the hunger season.

In South Darfur, the initial findings of a UNCEF rapid assessment conducted in Assalaya using MUAC highlighted a poor nutritional situation among children surveyed. In response, Tearfund distributed BP5 to all beneficiaries. WFP and partners in South Darfur are also gearing up for BSFP implementation during the 2009 hunger gap.

Food Security Monitoring System launched in Darfur

WFP launched the Food Security Monitoring System (FSMS) this month in Darfur. The FSMS is a tool to track the food security status of vulnerable households in specific areas to enable WFP and other stakeholders to adequately respond to food security crises. Approximately 15 sites in each state will be monitored on quarterly basis to provide an indication of the food security trend in a given area. The first round of field work started in February, with data collection completed in 18 sites in West Darfur and 11 sites in North Darfur, with South Darfur starting in March.

SOUTHERN SUDAN

In February, WFP assisted about 230,000 beneficiaries with over 3,500 mt of food distributed under different modalities; general distribution, food for education, food for work/recovery, food for training and nutritional programmes. Of the total beneficiaries, WFP assisted distributed 540 mt of food to 44,500 IDPs mainly in Central and Western Equatoria, Lakes and Western Bahr El Ghazal. Assistance was also provided to some 19,000 IDPs and refugees affected by LRA attacks in Central and Western Equatoria following inter-agency verification exercises.

SPLA/SAF Fighting breaks out in Malakal, Upper Nile

An armed conflict broke out between the Sudan People´s Liberation Army and the Sudan Armed Forces - Joint Integrated Unit on 24 February in Malakal, Upper Nile. According to OCHA, the fighting resulted in 31 fatalities and a further 66 injuries among civilians. The Government of South Sudan Vice President, the Ceasefire Joint Military Committee and UNMIS held meetings in Malakal on 25 February that resulted in a cease-fire and subsequent withdrawal of the military to the barracks. A buffer zone patrolled by UNMIS was also established. Following the conflict, 145 humanitarian staff were relocated to Juba and Khartoum while another 100 were relocated to UNMIS compound in Malakal on 26 and 27 February. During the fighting, unlawful groups stole three motorbikes from WFP warehouse and looted UNICEF and World Vision´s warehouses. Humanitarian activities were temporarily suspended pending an assessment of the affected population.

Malakal remains at Security Level 3 (Precaution) since 27 February, while OCHA/RCSO, UNMIS and the Upper Nile Area Security Management Team (ASMT) coordinate humanitarian assessments and monitor the situation. Since the start of the fighting, residents were reported departing Malakal northwards to suburban areas. Initial reports from RCO and UNMIS indicated that over 1,500 residents were displaced to Khorfulus and Baliet counties, Jonglei State. Inter-agency assessments carried out in early March indicated that urgent humanitarian assistance was not yet required.

LRA Hostilities Displace 50,000 people in Equatoria

In February, LRA hostilities have considerably subsided in the border areas of Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), following a concerted effort by the Governments of South Sudan, Uganda and DRC. However, four people were reportedly killed in Lasu and Otogo, Western Equatoria and many others displaced to Yei town at the end of February. WFP planned interventions in the two locations were postponed due to insecurity. WFP activities were carried out in most of the affected areas under armed escort. According to OCHA, over 36,000 Sudanese IDPs and 16,000 Congolese refugees, affected by LRA hostilities, are in need of assistance in Western and Central Equatoria states in South Sudan. Humanitarian agencies are concerned that this will become a much larger and protracted crisis than initially anticipated. Some 75 villages have been attacked in northern DRC leaving an estimated 180,000 people displaced in the region. WFP is in the process of delivering/distributing food to all affected. Since the start of the attacks in October 2008, WFP assisted 28,120 people (17,930 IDPs and 9,750 refugees) with 470 mt of food.

Assistance to IDPs in Wulu and Rumbek, Lakes

An inter-agency mission comprising WFP, UNRCO, UNICEF, Sudan Red Crescent Society and SSRRC verified and registered 6,300 IDPs in Wulu and Rumbek East counties, Lakes state. The IDPs were displaced in January 2009 as a result of an inter-tribal conflict between the Dinka Agar and Jur Beli. The mission recommended immediate intervention and provision of one-month food rations. Plans are underway to deliver some 100 mt of food to these IDPs. So far, WFP assisted over 11,800 IDPs with 500 mt of food since the conflict erupted in January.

Continued Assistance to Returnees

In February, WFP assisted over 20,000 returnees in different parts of South Sudan with 800 mt of transit and/or reintegration food rations. Inter-agency verification and registration teams recorded 13,300 spontaneous returnees in Jonglei, Unity, Northern Bahr El Ghazal and Lakes states in February. According to UNHCR, some 7,600 returnees were repatriated in February through the Organized Voluntary Repatriation and Assisted Voluntary Self Repatriation, bringing the total UNHCR assisted returnees from Kenya, Uganda and Ethiopia into South Sudan to 12,000 returnees in 2009. Furthermore, WFP assisted 1,250 returning Lobonok IDPs with three-month integration food rations totaling 60 mt of food. This voluntary organized return process started in December for a targeted 4,580 IDPs displaced from Lobonok to Juba by LRA insurgence in 2003. The project was implemented by the Government of South Sudan together with WFP and UNHCR. So far, WFP assisted some 3,000 repatriated IDPs with 144 mt of food. The exercise is expected to wind up in March 2009 with the last convoy of an anticipated 350 voluntary IDPs. An inter-agency team comprising WFP, UNOCHA, UNHCR, UNICEF, UNMIS, Pact-Sudan, MedAir, Wading Development Association (WDA) and SSRRC carried out a rapid assessment in Wanding location in Nasir County in Upper Nile State, to determine the immediate and long-term humanitarian and recovery needs for the community returning to the area from other payams. Displacements were caused by years of inter-tribal conflicts between Lou and Jikany Nuer.

Assessment findings, released on 23 February, recommended a strategy to provide three-month food rations as of March 2009, to an estimated 14,400 vulnerable people, of whom 10,000 are anticipated to return to the area before the onset of rains in April, while the rest have already returned since January. Current food reserves for these households are expected to be depleted from March 2009.

Blanket Supplementary Feeding in Bahr El Ghazal

WFP partner, World Vision, assisted 2,100 children under five with one-month food rations through the ongoing Blanket Supplementary Feeding Programme (BSFP) in Aweil East, Northern Bahr El Ghazal. Furthermore, some 1,700 residents of Malualkon and Malualbai have also received 28 mt of food through general distributions to ensure the BSFP ration is not shared as a family ration. The programme assists 5,000 IDP children, displaced from Gogrial county as a result of an inter-tribal conflict in June 2008.

CENTRAL, EAST AND THREE AREAS

In February, more than 365,000 beneficiaries were reached with 3,627 mt of food. This included over 46,500 Abyei IDPs as well as 400 returnees to the Three Areas. The security situation in the CETA was generally calm, with some incidents of conflict between nomadic groups and farmers in parts of South Kordofan state.

The recent expulsion of 13 INGOs operating in northern Sudan, following the ICC arrest warrant for the President of Sudan, means that up to 46,000 beneficiaries in the CETA region may not be reached with food rations in March. This includes some 15,000 IDPs who have returned to Abyei. WFP is making arrangements to directly distribute food to the most vulnerable groups, as well as to work with communities to ensure the continuation of ongoing recovery projects.

WFP initiates recovery projects to assist Misseriya nomads

Efforts are being made to start food for recovery (FFR) and school feeding projects in the northern parts of Abyei, mainly in the Misseriya inhabited areas of Difra, Umm Khaer, and Dombaloya. Having cited schools as one of their main priorities, FFR will be used to construct schools with local materials as well as provide household food rations to participants on the project. School feeding is also being initiated to support nomadic children enrolled in dry season education programmes, encouraging their regular attendance. It is hoped that reaching out to these communities will help to correct the perceived imbalance in assistance directed towards Dinka IDPs, and, therefore, reduce tensions in the area.

WFP supports 370 ex-combatants with food assistance

On 10 February, the Government of National Unity launched the Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration programme in Damazine, Blue Nile state, in which the Government plans to reintegrate 180,000 soldiers into civilian life. As part of the assistance package during the demobilization phase of the programme, WFP provided three months rations to 370 ex-combatants and their families.

SRSG Ashraf Qazi visit to IDP / refugee camps in Kassala

The Special Representative of the Secretary General (SRSG), Mr. Ashraf Qazi, visited Kassala on 17 February 2009 to look into the refugee and IDP situation in the state. During his visit to Wad Sharife refugee camp and Fedayeib IDP camp, he observed a WFP school feeding project at Fedayeib School. Fedayeib Primary School, established in 2000, currently has 637 IDP children, 47 percent of who are girls, from Grades 1 to 8. WFP has been providing daily school meals to the children since 2000, and has contributed to a significant reduction in the dropout rates; from 18 percent in 2000 to 2 percent in 2008.

FOOD SECURITY ASSESSMENT IN WHITE NILE STATE

White Nile state, situated south of Khartoum state and bordering South Sudan, is home to an estimated 107,000 displaced persons who arrived in the 1980s. A devastating famine that struck large parts of Sudan in 1983 and the northsouth civil war saw a significant influx of IDPs to the state. While some people have since returned to their places of origin, a large number of IDPs still remain in White Nile state, reluctant to return home due to poor social services and infrastructure in their places of origin. Following an unusually poor season for the large agricultural schemes that account for much of the employment opportunities for IDPs, WFP undertook an assessment on 3 to 16 February in Kosti—the state capital, to better understand the food security situation of the IDP population, the majority of who reside in and around the city.

Preliminary findings show that although income is low, over 90 percent of surveyed households have an acceptable diet. Many common income generating activities, such as domestic work and agricultural wage labour, are unprofitable due to low pay and the impact of the poor agricultural season on the entire agriculture-based economy of White Nile. Nonetheless, most IDPs living in and around Kosti seem to be sufficiently integrated into the urban economy to sustain a viable livelihood. Households living far away from Kosti have a considerably worse diet and also a somewhat lower income compared to households in and around Kosti. The relatively poor performance of the households outside Kosti is not compensated by a corresponding over-performance in land cultivation or livestock rearing, as the high cost of land prevents these livelihoods to be widely adopted. This suggests that the food security divide between urban and rural households is as important as that between residents and IDP households.

Of the assessed population, 79 percent are food secure, 18 percent are moderately food insecure, and 3 percent are severely food insecure. However, despite a stable food security situation, malnutrition continues to be a problem for a small segment of the population. The assessment concluded that poor feeding practices are common, that water sources are almost exclusively unsafe, and that latrine coverage is inadequate. These are all possible explanations for the nutritional situation.

LOGISTICS

WFP delivered 35,158 mt of food from external hubs to warehouses across the country in February. Of the total delivered, 2,135 mt were delivered during the month to different destinations in the Central East and Three Areas. Despite insecurity, food deliveries to Darfur, accounting for the bulk of total food moved this month totaled 25,544 mt of food, over 100 percent against planned deliveries. Planned secondary transport operations were completed successfully by all service providers along transport corridors in Darfur, despite prevailing insecurity. Timely adjustments in reallocating quantities to another transporter when delays were anticipated during the month, facilitated implementation of deliveries as planned. Food pre-positioning is currently ongoing with commodities in some locations already meeting the targeted stock level. Monthly plans are progressing to align non-cereals stock level at each location. Establishment of an in-transit hub for Darfur in El Nuhud, South Kordofan to replace the Khartoum hub, is ongoing. Construction work at El Nuhud is expected to commence in March and the new hub, expected to be operational in June 2009, is expected to save truck turnaround for over 400 km.

In South Sudan, WFP dispatched 7,479 mt of food from Koboko, Lokichoggio, El Obeid and Kosti/Rabak to various destinations in South Sudan in February, bringing total deliveries in 2009 to 10,984 mt of food. During the month, WFP fleet of trucks made inward deliveries of 1,200 mt of food from logistical hubs to various distribution points. Furthermore,inland deliveries included some 270 mt of food dispatched in support of LRA-affected populations in Western and Central Equatoria. In February, WFP completed planning for the 2009 pre-positioning exercise following a series of joint consultations and re-organization of pre-positioning locations in South Sudan. In 2009, WFP plans to preposition 25,400 mt of food, compared to 42,000 mt in 2008. The reduction is a result of improved road infrastructure to some distribution points and re-organization of final distribution points, all expected to result in reduced operational costs. Bor was designated as a transshipment point for pre-positioning requirements for Jonglei State to ease monitoring of food movement, as well as reduce transport cost as 50 percent of the 5,500 mt requirements for Jonglei is scheduled for dispatch from Kosti, White Nile by barge to Bor for onward inland deliveries by WFP trucks. An additional five trucks were borrowed from Darfur to support inland deliveries. Food pre-positioning exercise is scheduled to commence in March and concluded in mid-April 2009.

HUMANITARIAN AIR SERVICE

The United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS), managed by WFP, remains vital to the humanitarian effort of over 300 agencies in Sudan, particularly in Darfur with rising insecurity and limited access by surface means. The lack of commercial alternatives and poor road networks in much of the western and southern parts of the country leaves UNHAS as the only viable, reliable and safe option. The service is being extended until 31 December 2009 with an operational budget of US$ 89 million. The current fleet composition comprises of 23 aircrafts; 18 fixed-wing and 5 helicopters, with a combined capacity of 412 seats.

In February, the air service transported a total of 8,480 passengers and 84 kg of humanitarian cargo to 108 destinations in Sudan, in addition to executing medical evacuations for 4 persons and security evacuation/relocation for 176 persons (145 from Malakal, 21 from El Fasher, 9 from Nyala and 1 from Wau). The US contribution of US$ 8 million received in February, brought UNHAS funding level to 44 percent and needs are covered through to July 2009. WFP strongly appeals to donors to provide urgent support to UNHAS to ensure continuation of services beyond the second quarter of 2009. The second UNHAS Steering Committee Meeting in 2009 is scheduled in March.

RESOURCE UPDATE

WFP´s programme for 2009, EMOP 10760.0, was approved in September at a value of US$ 921 million for 677,000 mt of food in support of 5.9 million people. The latest US$ 40 million from the U.S. makes the EMOP 10760.0 almost 60 percent resourced against its 2009 requirement of US$ 921 million, thanks to generous contributions from the USA, European Commission, Japan, New Zealand and Switzerland. Early fund raising has been a part of WFP resourcing strategy to secure at least 65% of the requirement before the start of the year. This will support first quarter distribution needs as well as support pre-positioning efforts to build up buffer stocks in Darfur to mitigate access issues caused by insecurity, and in South Sudan ahead of the rainy season to avoid costly food deliveries by air.

WFP projections show that the food pipeline will be healthy until September/October 2009. However, it remains imperative that WFP secures food to cover distributions in the last quarter of 2009 as well as a three-month carryover stock into 2010. Given the lead time of 4 to 6 months needed for contributions to become food distributed, WFP needs to secure resources before the rainy season (May 2009) to cover the needs of the last quarter of the year and the first quarter of 2010. WFP is appealing to donors to provide timely contributions, particularly for cash contributions, to enable WFP to buy in the region, significantly reducing lead time and transport costs. A planned Budget Revision is expected to decrease requirements to US$ 830 million.

In February, WFP received US$ 60,000 from the US Friends of WFP as new support to the emergency operation.

Friends of the World Food Program Darfur Emergency Appeal