- HIGHLIGHTS
Insecurity linked to train movements between Wau and Aweil town in Bahr el Ghazal continued to disrupt WFP operations in neighbouring locations.
2. DISTRIBUTION
Northern Sector
Kassala
During the week, WFP distributed 189 MT of food to 11,366 IDPs in Gulsa and Fedayeeb IDP camps in Kassala. The food distributions during the week were part of November rations for the beneficiaries.
Equatoria
Kapoeta: WFP distributed 129 MT of food to 27,335 food insecure beneficiaries. The food was delivered to Kapoeta by air from El Obeid.
Southern Sector
Bahr el Ghazal
In Aweil East County, 172 MT of food was distributed to 16,740 beneficiaries in Baau and 129 MT of food was distributed to 32,016 beneficiaries in Malualbai. In Gogrial County, 93 MT of food was distributed to 14,700 beneficiaries in Adet, 239 MT of food was distributed to 17,958 beneficiaries in Atukuel, 140 MT of food was distributed to 14,700 beneficiaries in Majakliet and 77 MT of food was distributed to 12,740 beneficiaries in Pakor. In Rumbek County, 44 MT of food was distributed to 5,100 beneficiaries in Agangrial and 66 MT of food was distributed 3,900 Malou Pec. In Twic County, 74 MT of food was 9,359 beneficiaries in Liil. In Yirol County, 79 MT of food was distributed to 7,500 beneficiaries in Abuyong.
In Adet (Gogrial County) poor security measures resulted in loss of crowd control and the theft of some food during distribution. Air deliveries were temporary halted until stolen food was returned.
Unity/Upper Nile/Jonglei
In Bor County, Jonglei a total of 32 MT of food was distributed to 5,004 beneficiaries in Kolmerek. In Leech State, Upper Nile a total of 376 MT of food was distributed to 25,000 beneficiaries in Nyal.
3. ASSESSMENTS
Unity State
Two WFP staff returned to Bentiu on 29 November. WFP subsequently conducted a beneficiary verification exercise, which indicated the presence of 10,735 WFP beneficiaries (out of a pre-fighting total of 16,000) with ration cards. Both host and IDP populations in Bentiu are experiencing food shortages, and are relying heavily on wild foods. Reports from local authorities indicate a daily influx of about 10 persons into Bentiu. The influx is mainly from Nhialdhiu, Kuer Silik and Dorkhan. WFP staff reported an increase in malaria and diarrheal diseases due to deterioration of environmental sanitation following flooding. In response, CARE opened six outpatient health centres: 4 in Bentiu and 2 in Rubkona and is treating about 45 people a day.
4. LOGISTICS
During the reporting period four C-130 Hercules and two Buffalo aircraft delivered food aid out of Lokichoggio, and one C-130 Hercules and one Ilyushin-76 operated out of El Obeid and Khartoum respectively.
During the week, 651 MT of food was delivered by air from north sector locations, a decrease of 46% over the previous week. The decrease was due to the interruption of activities for two days due to lack of jet fuel. The operations of WFP-contracted commercial carriers were also interrupted for the same reason. Food was delivered to Baar (180 MT), Malual Bai (72 MT), Gok Machar (36 MT), Adet (54 MT), Akak (54 MT), Mangar Angui (36 MT), Amou (18 MT), Majakliet (18 MT) in southern sector and airlifted to Wau (183 MT) in northern sector.
A number of airstrips were recently opened - three in Aweil West County, one in Gogrial County and two in Twic County, Bahr el Ghazal, as well as two in Western Upper Nile - thereby helping to decentralise operations in these counties and reduce walking distances to distribution sites.
During the reporting period, WFP staff carried out a road survey in Kapoeta County, Eastern Equatoria to identify which road sections could be improved through food-for-work initiatives.
Two workshops attended by a total of 37 WFP staff were completed during the week. The workshops introduced participants to WFP's electronic system for commodity tracking and management. The system, entitled Commodity Movement Processing and Analysis System (COMPAS), was installed in Sudan in mid November. The system provides comprehensive information on food commodities from when are received in-country to the day they are distributed.
5. SECURITY
Kassala: A WFP security assessment conducted in five settlements in southern Hamashkoreib province indicated that the situation had improved enough for humanitarian activities to be carried out. Based on these findings, WFP is planning to conduct a food needs assessment in these areas. The presence of landmines will not permit the assessment in several other locations in the northern parts of the province. Humanitarian agencies estimate that there are over 30,000 IDPs in Hamshkoreib who cannot be reached due to insecurity in the province. The IDPs were displaced by insecurity from villages near the border with Eritrea. The villages covered in the assessment are about 50 km from Kassala. However, the area is difficult to access since the Kassala-Port Sudan road is closed to UN agencies due to insecurity associated with rebel activity.
Baau and Bararud (Aweil East County) remained "no-go" areas due to insecurity linked to Government of Sudan train movements on 28 November but returned to security level "normal" on 29 November. Similarly, because of insecurity linked to train movements Nyamlell, Gok Machar and Marial Bai in Aweil West County were placed on security level "tense" on 28 November and remained at this level until the end of the reporting period on 4 December. However, WFP teams were allowed to receive air drops in advance of a food aid distribution in all three locations as of 2 December despite the security level remaining at "tense." Wuncum (Aweil East County) was declared a no-go" area on 29 November until the end of the reporting period on 4 December.
The presence of militia raiders in Aweil West County in November disrupted WFP activities in the area including food aid distributions, assessments and the opening up of new airstrips to cut down the distance travelled by beneficiaries to distribution sites.
The road between Natinga and New Cush (Kapoeta County), Eastern Equatoria remained closed to OLS agencies throughout the reporting period ending 4 December due to insecurity in the area.
6. OTHER ISSUES
Gender
An evaluation of food-for-work scheme implemented for a women's group in Malakal earlier this year showed that WFP support was instrumental in the success of the project. Targeting IDP women, particularly heads of household, the project supported the Lomerika Women's Group to learn skills for income generating activities. With family rations provided by WFP, the 64 IDP women organised themselves to produce tie-and-dye fabrics, groundnut paste and handicrafts. These items were sold locally and the profit shared among group members, thereby augmenting their household incomes. The women's training is facilitated by Oxfam.
Food-for-seed exchanges
WFP staff completed visits to Pieri (Bieh State), Jonglei to discuss future plans with the local community for food-for-seed exchanges in the area.
Visitors
WFP field staff met with the British Ambassador to Sudan, Richard Makepeace, in Lokichoggio to brief him on WFP activities in the southern Sector of OLS.
On 2 December, WFP field staff in Lokichoggio briefed Simon Mansfield from DFID on WFP activities in the southern Sector of OLS.
The WFP Sudan Bulletin is available on the WFP Website at http://www.wfp.org. For further information on WFP operations in Sudan, please contact the WFP Africa Bureau - Mr Ismat Fahmi, Programme Coordinator for Sudan: email Ismat.Fahmi@WFP.org. telephone 39 06 6513 2338; or Ms. Leslie Elliott, Reports Officer, e-mail: Jouko.Ala-Outinen@WFP.org. telephone 39 06 6513 2871. The address of WFP is Via Cesare Giulio Viola 68, Parco dei Medici, 00148 Rome, Italy.
©: 1999, World Food Programme. All rights reserved.