Rome, 19 November 2008 - Facts, figures and the latest updates from WFP's high profile emergencies.
Afghanistan
- As part ofthe July GoA/UN joint appeal intervention, WFP has begun food delivery to high food price and drought affected people in the Eastern and Northern region. Under this programme, 4.5 million people will benefit from 198,000 mt of WFP food assistance both in rural and urban areas in most parts of the country. In addition, 500,000 malnourished children (6-59 months) and pregnant & lactating women will benefit from the joint appeal.
Chad
- On 5 November, armed robbers hijacked a WFP staff member and stole the vehicle at the entrance of the staff's compound in Abéché. The vehicle was recovered later by local security forces.
DRC
- WFP dispatched food to the International Committee of the Red Cross who are carrying out registrations in and around Sake, west of Goma, ahead of distributions to about 25,000 people planned in the coming days. WFP is also planning distributions to displaced people south of Sake in Minova (South Kivu) where as many as 100,000 people are thought to be in need of assistance.
Ethiopia
- Since January 2008, 335,632 mt of relief food have been allocated to almost 6.6 million beneficiaries and 282,284 mt dispatched.
Kenya
- The refugee operation continues to report an influx in the number of Somali refugees into Kenya that has been increasing steadily since 2006 resulting in congestion of the camps. The current population at the camp is 224,000 compared to 171,000 in January 2008.
- To address the operational constraints, UNHCR, UNICEF and WFP issued a press release on 12 November to raise concern over the growing numbers in the Dadaab refugee camp and to highlight the urgency for the establishment of a new camp.
- The rainy season continues countrywide with localized floods reported in the western parts of the country. Road accessibility has also been affected with reports of trucks getting stuck in the mud between Garissa and Dadaab in the past week.
Sudan
- Food rations for over 2 million beneficiaries in Darfur will remain at 70 percent in November and December 2008 given the need to replenish buffer stocks to meet monthly programme needs as well as pre-position food reserves during the dry season.
- In Southern Sudan, WFP has distributed a second round of emergency food rations to over 3,000 refugees affected by the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo, totalling 58 mt of food to 3,950 people since the conflict started in September 2008. While the influx of refugees is much lower than initially anticipated, WFP and partners continue to register and assist new arrivals.
Zimbabwe
- In November 2008, WFP aims to assist 4 million beneficiaries: some 3.35 million under the VGF withapproximately 39,000 mt of food and over 600,000 beneficiaries under the Safety Net with some 6,500 mt of food.
- Due to significant resource constraints, WFP decided to cut the cereal ration from 12 kg to 10 kg per person/per month and pulses from 1.8 kg to 1 kg per person/per month for all VGF and SN take home rations as of November 2008.If no additional resources are mobilised, WFP may have to cut rations further.