INTRODUCTION
Countries where violence persists and populations live in fear. People in Hunger's Global Hotspots don't know what tomorrow will bring and they often have to rely on WFP for their next meal.
AFGHANISTAN
On 13 September a convoy of three commercial trucks carrying 84 metric tonnes of WFP wheat was attacked by armed assailants on the Kabul-Kandahar highway reroute to Khas Uruzgan district of Uruzgan province. Two of the vehicles were taken and 56 mt of wheat was looted. The trucks and drivers were later released.
Prepositioning of food for winter is well underway. Thus far 4,800 mt of the planned 20,000 mt has been dispatched. Faizabad AO, where winter starts early, has nearly completed its dispatches during the past week.
In response to reports from several sources concerning alleged severe food shortages in the central Ghor province, a joint assessment mission has been sent to the province. A preliminary report on the situation is expected by 23 September.
CHAD
The overall security situation remains volatile and unpredictable in eastern Chad. Robbery incidents, banditry attacks and tensions between inter-ethnic groups continue to be reported.
Due to heavy rains in eastern Chad, several IDP sites including Kerfi and Koukou in the Goz-Beida area remain inaccessible by road.
A joint assessment mission (JAM) conducted by WFP and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has been completed over the past week in the CAR refugee camps in southern Chad. Findings of the assessment are yet to be released.
Logistics assessment
WFP is preparing a logistics capacity assessment (LCA) mission to update information on the transport infrastructure. Findings of the assessment will allow WFP to improve logistics preparedness for contingency planning.
In southern Chad, WFP and the Chadian National Programme for fight against HIV/AIDS are jointly organising series of training sessions to raise awareness of transporters along the N'Djamena-Moundou- Sarh traffic roads.
ETHIOPIA
The report of the UN joint assessment mission to Somali region was issued on 19 September. Some of the main findings and recommendations include:
(i) restrictions on commercial trade have had a serious impact on the food security situation, affecting access to food and livelihoods
(ii) without speedy resumption of normal trade flows, longer-term damage to livelihoods will occur (as pastoralists slaughtering animals), and the food security and nutrition situation will further deteriorate
(iii) even if commercial trade resumes, food aid will still be needed for a short-term bridging intervention for the poorest households who are currently deprived of access to food; and (iv) a three-month allocation is recommended.
If commercial trade is not quickly resumed, it is expected that food aid needs will be higher and for a longer duration.
Convoys dispatched
As of 19 September, 100 percent (4,231 mt) of the food allocated to Afder, Liben and Shinile was dispatched, and 60 percent (3,241 mt) of the food allocated to the five zones under military operation.
During the past week no additional convoys were dispatched. Dispatches started again on 17 September, with some trucks loaded in Dire Dawa for Fik and Gode.
Response plan
WFP is preparing a response/operational plan to assist the Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Agency (DPPA) with the delivery and distribution of additional food allocations to Somali region, as recommended by the mission.
Over 226,000 people in six regions (Amhara, Afar, Gambella, Southern Nations and Nationalities People's Region, Tigray and Somali) are affected by floods, including nearly 71,000 displaced.
To date, the DPPA, as part of the relief programme, has dispatched over 1,800 mt of food for some 83,500 flood affected people.
DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF KOREA
Heavy rains in the wake of Typhoon Wipha hit the DPRK this week. According to initial reports from the IFRC, parts of South Hwanghae Province have received more than 200 millimeters of rain over 2 days causing further damage to housing, infrastructure and crops.
The DPRK Cabinet was due to meet on Friday to discuss the situation and hopefully more information will be forthcoming after this.
WFP will monitor the situation and is ready to provide additional support if requested by the Government.
WFP response to the August floods is continuing and the first cycle of emergency food distributions to over 215,000 beneficiaries in 37 focus counties has been completed.
Monitoring visits to 18 out of 37 recipient counties took place from 4-14 September and the remainder will be monitored in October.
NICARAGUA
WFP Nicaragua has submitted for approval EMOP (10700.0), "Emergency Food Assistance to Victims of Hurricane Felix", to provide food aid to the people affected by this natural disaster.
The operation is planned to last 9 months; during this period some 80,000 persons will be assisted through GFD for 90 days; 50,000 will receive food under the FFW component and 30,000 people will receive Supplementary Feeding through the recovery intervention for the remaining 180 days.
European Food Safety Authority results will be used to plan WFP future interventions in the RAAN.
Food insecurity
EFSA reported 80,000 persons (16,000 households) are food insecure. Twenty-five percent of the affected population are estimated severely food insecure while 50 percent are moderately food insecure. EFSA recommends to provide 90 days of food aid relief assistance and a 180 day recovery intervention.
Four field offices and three warehouses are currently available in the country. Due to the emergency, three wiikhalls and one office accommodation are expected to be active in the coming weeks.
SOMALIA
Access to food has recently become a serious issue as casual labour opportunities are disrupted due to the ongoing insecurity. WFP Somalia has not been able to undertake general food distributions in Mogadishu since June 2007 due to insecurity.
WFP travelled to Mogadishu to assess the situation and held a meeting with cooperating partners and looked at alternative strategies, which would reduce the risk for WFP staff and beneficiaries at distribution sites.
WFP will review the nutrition situation in Mogadishu with the nutrition cluster and assess the possibility of expanding the current selective feeding programmes.
Heavy rain
Somalia Water and Land Information Management Unit of FAO (SWALIM) this week reported that heavy rainfall in neighbouring Ethiopia caused the rivers downstream in Somalia to flood, a problem compounded by breaks in the river embankments.
Flood Watch Somalia's rainfall forecast for the coming week indicates that there is a moderate level risk of significant flooding in the lower reaches of Shabelle River in Somalia.
Meanwhile, WFP started a general distribution of 918 mt of food to 44,544 beneficiaries in Balad, Middle Shabelle region. Target beneficiaries include internally displaced persons (IDPs) and vulnerable residents.
SRI LANKA
WFP will deliver 5,300 mt of food commodities to Jaffna this month, with regular monthly deliveries of 2,300 mt thereafter, allowing WFP to build a buffer stock.
WFP has distributed food commodities to 3,888 IDPs in Muttur division of Trincomalee district who cannot return back to their home due to the High Security Zone.
WFP has also fed 10,000 returnees who have now resettled in Eachchilampattai Division.
As the number of people returning back to Trincomalee district continues to increase, strain is being placed on the education system to open new facilities.
WFP has already distributed non-food-items to six schools that reopened in the last two weeks in Eachchilampattai.
SUDAN
Insecurity remains WFP's biggest concern in Darfur. German Agro Action's September food distributions in Birmaza, North Darfur, were disrupted by the ongoing conflict, while targeted attacks against aid workers became more violent, particularly in South Darfur, where a near fatal attack on World Vision staff left 3 with serious injuries, GAA, and WV are two of our largest partners in Darfur.
Weather forecasts indicate further flooding in parts of South Sudan over the next few days. Food deliveries by road to flooded areas in Upper Nile, Jonglei and Lakes States have virtually ground to a halt as roads and bridges have been washed away.
Preparations are being made to transfer food to these areas by air in October.
Heavy rains and flash floods since late June have destroyed more than 100,000 homes, displacing an estimated 500,000 people. WFP continues to provide emergency food to some 89,000 flood victims across the country.
Contact us
Brenda Barton
WFP/Rome
Tel: +39-06-65132602
Mobile: +39-347-258221
(ISDN line available)