- HIGHLIGHTS
The President of Sudan, Omar Al-Beshir declared a three-month, country-wide state of emergency in a televised speech at 11.00 PM ( 21.00 GMT) on Sunday, 12 December and dissolved parliament in Sudan.
The WFP/FAO Crop and Food Supply Assessment mission, which concluded during the week is the second leg of a mission covering Sudan as a whole. It involved assessment of northern Sudan. The first leg covered south sector and the southern part of the north sector of Sudan.
During the reporting period, a total of 185,811 beneficiaries received WFP food in sixteen locations across the southern sector of OLS.
Recent assessments have found 14,000 IDPs in Thiek Thou (Gogrial County), Bahr el Ghazal from Western Upper Nile, as well as 613 IDPs in Mading and 400 IDPs in Maiwut (Latjor State), Upper Nile from Longochok in the same state. These IDPs were displaced by fighting in their home areas, and left with few or no possessions.
2. DISTRIBUTION
Northern Sector
Bahr el Ghazal
Beneficiaries receiving food in Wau comprised leprosy and TB inpatients, IDPs, vulnerables including the malnourished and blind, as well as food for work recipients. A total of 17,140 beneficiaries encompassing 10,837 women and 6,303 men, i.e. a ratio of 63:37 received 284 MT of food, which included 30 MT for school feeding through IDP feeding programs for 1,625 girl-children and 829 boy-children. Distributions were carried out in conjunction with partner NGOs GLRA, CM, MSF, NCA, as well as the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.
Unity State
Distributions were resumed this week in Bentiu, after the return of staff to the area following improvement in the security situation.
Mixed commodities including sorghum, corn-soya blend, pulses and vegetable oil amounting to 54 MT were distributed to 6,535 beneficiaries. WFP also provided food to CARE feeding centres.
Upper Nile
WFP distributed 9 MT of mixed commodities to beneficiaries in Malakal during the week. They comprised 3,169 children at a school feeding programme and 156 inpatients at the teaching hospital.
White Nile
During the reporting period, WFP distributed 77 MT of food to 9,825 IDPs in Goz and Laya camps. Female beneficiaries were 6,398 while men were 3,427 i.e. a ratio of 65:35. They included malnourished children in supplementary feeding programmes.
Equatoria
Juba: 7 MT of WFP mixed commodities were distributed to 500 disabled beneficiaries through an Ursutana centre for the Handicapped in Juba Town.
Southern Sector
Bahr el Ghazal
In Aweil East County, 142 MT of food was distributed to 29,170 beneficiaries in Madhol. In Aweil West County, 141 MT of food was distributed to 18,702 beneficiaries in Gok Machar. In Gogrial County, 107 MT of food was distributed to 17,904 beneficiaries in Amou and 240 MT of food was distributed to 21,000 beneficiaries in Thiek Thou. In Rumbek County, 137 MT of food was distributed to 16,500 beneficiaries in Cueibet and 67 MT of food was distributed to 9,000 beneficiaries in Mayath. In Twic County, 222 MT of food was distributed to 26,910 beneficiaries in Baar. In Yirol County, 44 MT of food was distributed to 5,400 beneficiaries in Agany and 78 MT of food was distributed to 10,350 beneficiaries in Mapuordit.
Unity/Upper Nile/Jonglei
In Bor County, Jonglei a total of 32 MT of food was distributed to 5,000 beneficiaries in Pakam.
Equatoria
In Kapoeta County, Eastern Equatoria, 44 MT of food was distributed to 3,000 beneficiaries in Jie, 196 MT of food was distributed to 13,500 beneficiaries in Kalokupe, 36 MT of food was distributed to 2,250 beneficiaries in Lochoa, 44 MT of food was distributed to 3,000 beneficiaries in Mogos, 37 MT of food was distributed to 2,625 beneficiaries in Moruengan, 19 MT of food was distributed to 1,500 beneficiaries in Peimong.
3. ASSESSMENTS
The second part of the FAO/WFP Crop and Food Supply Assessment Mission to the Sudan was completed during the reporting period. The mission covered all the Northern States. Initial findings show that there is considerable crop loss in the Western States because of pests. Due to the exceptionally good harvest last year, prices have been very low - negatively affecting commercial farmers. Consequently, a significant shift from sorghum to sesame cultivation has been observed.
Bahr el Ghazal
Wau: During the reporting period, an outflow of people occurred in Wau in the range of 50-80 persons per day. The reason was given to be family reunions of the IDPs for Christmas and New Year. They are expected to return to the area after these events.
Aweil: An assessment report of floods that struck Aweil in August indicates that the floods affected private farms, which were not protected by embankments. Villages in the surrounding areas did not face a food deficit as Dura, their staple food, was mature and ready for harvest before the floods. However, the report stated that WFP beneficiaries in the area (IDPs) have no direct access to cultivated land and therefor were not adversely affected by the floods. The assessment therefor recommends that WFP food assistance for IDPs and vulnerable groups in Aweil should remain the same as for targeted beneficiaries.
Pibor/Aweil: An airdrop to Pibor and Aweil has been rescheduled because of the state of emergency in the country.
Kassala
A meeting took place between WFP, SRC, the Ministry of Education and ITDG during which ITDG and WFP discussed the provision of food for work in the construction of school buildings and distribution sheds in the IDP camps. ITDG is to present a proposal for construction shortly.
A joint WFP/SRC population needs assessment of five areas (Arfat, Tawaweet, Kanger, Tahanger and Bashmeet), recently cleared by the WFP Security officer, began during the week. However, the assessment of two locations was suspended as a precautionary measure following the declaration of the state of emergency in the country. A full report on the assessment is expected shortly.
The joint WFP/FAO crop assessment visited Kassala during the reporting period. They visited all scheduled sites including the Gash agricultural scheme and the IDP camps.
Unity State/Upper Nile
Nutrition: Following the little information available on the effect of the current conflict on the population and given that population movements have been reported, the impact on nutrition status is unknown. However, there are indications that the nutrition status may have deteriorated. Training for the nutrition survey was conducted and the nutrition survey implemented from 12 - 15 December 1999 jointly with UNICEF, WFP and CARE. The survey findings are being finalized.
An assessment of rubb-Hall conditions in Bentiu showed that the structural physical condition to be fair.
Government officials have assured that the WFP Rubb-hall in Pariang was well kept during recent insecurity.
Plans for road works within the next three weeks on the Rubkona-Bentiu road should render the area accessible for land transportation.
WFP staff met with Ministry of Education and Agriculture to follow up on the ongoing school feeding and food for work (sweet potato/ cassava-cutting) projects. A WFP team has also left for Bor to assess the current food security situation.
Equatoria
One member of WFP Juba sub-office staff attended a two-day training workshop organised by ACF on conducting nutritional surveys. The workshop is to act as preparation for a six-day nutritional survey to be carried out in Juba during the month.
Transitional Zone
South Darfur: A resettlement project in Ed Daein has been indefinitely delayed due to the reluctance of donors to fund the next phase in October 2000. A coordination meeting is scheduled in Nyala next week in which alternatives will be explored.
A school feeding programme has been interrupted because of absence of teachers due to administration problems. Food for work assistance is to be used to complete school construction work at Khor Omer camp.
Bahr el Ghazal
In Thiek Thou (Gogrial County), a recent WFP population assessment found a total of 14,000 Nuer IDPs from the Mankien area in Western Upper Nile currently residing in the location, and placing a heavy strain on the food security situation of the area. WFP therefore organised an emergency food distribution to the food insecure IDPs which was completed during the reporting period.
Unity/Upper Nile/Jonglei
Preliminary information from a rapid assessment by WFP and UNICEF to locations in Western Upper Nile on 7 December revealed that a large portion of the populations of several areas have remained in their home areas despite the fighting and bombings. Medical services followed by food were identified as the key, short-term humanitarian needs in the areas visited.
WFP field staff from Mading (Latjor State), Upper Nile reported the recent arrival of a total of 613 IDPs displaced by fighting from Longochok in the same state located west of Mading. The IDPs arrived with few or no possessions. WFP is currently planning its response to the recent influx of food insecure IDPs in Mading. WFP is also targeting around 400 IDPs displaced by fighting from Longochok in Maiwut (Latjor State), Upper Nile.
4. SECURITY
A three-month country- wide state of emergency was declared by the president of Sudan, Omar Al-Beshir on Sunday 12 December. This call went into effect on Monday December 13th and resulted in suspension of all UN activities for that day. A skeleton staff operated WFP Khartoum on Tuesday December 14th, but normal activities have resumed from 15th December.
The state of emergency has, however resulted in many delays and rescheduling of WFP field activities and suspension of air activities.
Bahr el Ghazal
On 6 December, WFP staff in Nyamlell (Aweil West County) were evacuated to Lokichoggio due to insecurity linked to train movement in the area, though the location returned to security level "tense" on 8 December, and remained at this level until 11 December. Despite the "tense" security level, WFP received a green light for rapid interventions on 10 December. Gok Machar and Marial Bai (Aweil West County) remained at security level "tense" throughout the reporting period from 5-11 December, though the two locations were cleared for rapid WFP interventions on 11 December.
On 7 December, WFP staff in Mangar Angui (Aweil East County) were evacuated due to nearby shooting. Thereafter, Mangar Angui was placed on security level "tense" until the 10 December when it was declared a "no-go" area once more due to potential insecurity linked to train movements. Mayom Akol (Aweil West County) was declared a "no-go" area on 10 December due to potential insecurity linked to train movements, and remained so until the end of the reporting period on 11 December. On 12 December, both Mangar Angui and Mayom Akol returned to security level "normal" and WFP field staff returned to Mangar Angui to complete the food distribution.
On 11 December, OLS received reports of one Government of Sudan train stationed at Ariath (Aweil East County) and two others in Aweil town.
Upper Nile/Jonglei
On 12 December, all locations in Western Upper Nile open to WFP were cleared for short-term interventions only.
Equatoria
The road between New Cush, Natinga and Chukudum in Eastern Equatoria remained closed throughout the reporting period from 5-11 December due to ongoing insecurity in the area.
5. LOGISTICS
During the reporting period, four C-130 Hercules and two Buffalo aircraft delivered food out of Lokichoggio, and one C-130 Hercules and one Ilyushin-76 operated out of El Obeid and Khartoum respectively.
A total of 628 MT of food were delivered by air from north sector locations to areas in Sudan (north and south sector) over the reporting period, a decrease of 4% over the previous week. Food was airdropped at Akak (36 MT), Akon (72 MT), Amou ( 18 MT), Kuleny (72 MT), Mangok ( 36 MT), Marial Bai ( 90 MT), Nyamlell ( 54 MT), Wunrok ( 36 MT) and Wau ( 36 MT). Food was also delivered by commercial airfreight to Aweil (66 MT) and by a WFP-leased Antonov to Wau ( 112 MT). At the end of the week, the Illushyn was moved to Russia for maintenance.
6. OTHER ISSUES
Bahr el Ghazal
During a meeting of agencies in Wau within the reporting period, MSF informed WFP that there were seven cases of meningitis registered in the area, two of whom had died. Two others had been put under simultaneous meningitis and malaria treatment and were improving.
Food-for-seed Exchanges
WFP field staff visited Mading and Udier in Upper Nile to explore the possibility of carrying out food-for-seed exchange programmes in the area in 2000.
School Feeding
WFP field staff visited the pilot school feeding project in Akon on 5 December. The last recorded number of pupils benefiting of emergency WFP food through the school was 1,395 in late November. The WFP field staff re-emphasised the short-term nature of the intervention in Akon, which officially ends at the end of December.
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.
=A9: 1999, World Food Programme. All rights reserved.