Part I: Operational Requirements and Shortfalls

Overview of the 2008 Programme of Work

As the second semester of 2008 begins, the World Food Programme continues to focus its attention on the more than 81 million beneficiaries requiring food assistance. The total cost of 2008 activities is just over US$4.78 billion. Considering carry-over stocks and resources mobilized so far in 2008, and considering US$1 billion for prepositioning of food stocks for 2009, the total shortfall at this time of the year is US$2.71 billion.

OVERVIEW

As of February 2004, the number of countries facing serious food shortages throughout the world stands at 38 with 24 in Africa, 7 in Asia, 5 in Latin America and 2 in Europe. In many of these countries, food shortages are being compounded by the effect of the HIV/AIDS pandemic on food production, marketing and transport: recently published joint FAO/WFP Crop and Food Supply Assessment reports highlight this factor

Dr Sassan Eshghi 1) and Dr Mehdi Zaré 2)
International Institute of Earthquake Engineering and Seismology,
Tehran, P.O.Box: 19395/3913, IRAN
e-mails: 1)s.eshghi@dena.iiees.ac.ir, 2)mzare@dena.iiees.ac.ir

1. Introduction

The Bam earthquake of December 26, 2003 (Mw6.5) occurred at 01:56:56 (GMT, 05:26:26 local time) around the city of Bam in the southeast of Iran (Figure-1). The earthquake happened in 5:26 am local time when most of the inhabitants were slept, that can be

The humanitarian crisis in southern Africa is deepening as international response has so far seriously fallen short of needs. Globally, 32 countries are presently facing food emergencies and need food assistance.

Global cereal output in 2001 is provisionally estimated at 1 880 million tonnes (including rice in milled terms), slightly up from the forecast in December and 1.2 percent up on the previous year. However, with global cereal utilization in 2001/02 still forecast to be well above this level at 1 935 million tonnes, the global cereal stocks will be drawn down significantly.

While overall food supply prospects for 2002 are more favourable than in the past two years, millions of people in developing countries still need emergency food assistance due

Foreword

Summary

Planting for Iran’s 2002/03 winter wheat crop began in September and continues throughout different parts of the country. The rainfall from September through November was favorable along the Caspian Sea, but rainfall was below normal for a large portion of the country. More rainfall is especially required in western part of the country where a large portion of the rain-fed wheat crop is grown (Figure 1).

November 14, 2001 Washington, D.C.

2:10 p.m. EDT

MS. CASSEL: We are very honored today to have Mr. Bear McConnell, the Director of the Central Asia Task Force of the US Agency for International Development, here to give you a briefing on the status of our aid efforts to Afghanistan.

MR. McCONNELL: I apologize for being late. I was doing some football research. (Laughter.) But anyway, if I may, I'd like to sort of start out with a commercial,

After more than two decades of war and conflict in Afghanistan, significant economic resources have been diverted for the continuation of the war at the expense of civilians. Military employment offers an opportunity of economic survival to many young men and their