WFP EXECUTIVE BOARD APPROVAL OF PROTRACTED RELIEF

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ROME 005584 SIPDIS FROM U.S. MISSION IN ROME UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 ROME 05584 01 OF 02 181330Z AMEMBASSY MEXICO CITY FOR CHARGE D'AFFAIRES STATE FOR AS/PRM DEWEY, PRM/P, WHA/CEN AND IO/D USAID FOR AA/LAC, AA/DCHA WINTER, D/DCHA/FFP LANDIS, PPC/DP, PPC/DC USDA/FAS FOR GSM KMILLER, MCHAMBLISS AND RTILLSWORTH GENEVA FOR RMA AND NKYLOH/USAID BRUSSELS FOR PLERNER USUN FOR CSERWER NSC FOR JDWORKEN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID EAGR AORC PREF EAGR AORC PREF EU WFP UN EU EAID WFP UN SUBJECT: WFP EXECUTIVE BOARD APPROVAL OF PROTRACTED RELIEF AND RECOVERY OPERATION (PRRO) FOR CENTRAL AMERICA - USD 56.62 MILLION REF: (A) ROME 5308 -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. AT ITS THIRD REGULAR SESSION (OCTOBER 21-25),THE WORLD FOOD PROGRAM EXECUTIVE BOARD APPROVED A PROTRACTED RELIEF AND RECOVERY OPERATION (PRRO) FOR CENTRAL AMERICA - THREE YEARS (MARCH 2003-FEBRUARY 2006),VALUED AT USD 56.62 MILLION, TO ASSIST 690,000 BENEFICIARIES/ANNUM. SEVERE CORN CROP LOSSES IN THE FIRST PLANTING CYCLE OF THIS YEAR WILL LIKELY FURTHER AGGRAVATE AN ALREADY DIFFICULT SITUATION IN A CHRONICALLY FOOD INSECURE REGION. USMISSION PLANS TO WORK WITH WFP HEADQUARTERS IN ITS EFFORTS TO SECURE GOVERNMENT OF UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 ROME 05584 01 OF 02 181330Z MEXICO FUNDING SUPPORT FOR THIS PRRO. END SUMMARY. -------------- BACKGROUND -------------- ¶2. THE WORSENING ECONOMIC SITUATION, PRECIPITATED BY A REPORTED 70 PERCENT DROP IN COFFEE PRICES AFFECTING MILLIONS OF COFFEE GROWERS AND THEIR FAMILIES, COUPLED WITH RECURRING NATURAL DISASTERS HAVE CONTINUED TO TRIGGER EXTREME POVERTY AND FOOD INSECURITY AMONG RURAL AND URBAN POPULATIONS IN THE FOUR COUNTRIES (GUATEMALA, HONDURAS, EL SALVADOR AND NICARAGUA). IN 2000, DROUGHTS, EARTHQUAKES, FLOODS AND TROPICAL STORMS NEGATIVELY IMPACTED FOOD PRODUCTION AND ECONOMIC INFRASTRUCTURE, AFFECTING SOME 2.4 MILLION PEOPLE. PEOPLE ARE STILL FEELING THE EFFECTS OF THESE SHOCKS IN 2002, WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY CONFRONTING A NEW ROUND OF DROUGHT AND A CONTINUING CRISIS IN THE COFFEE SECTOR. IN ADDITION, PREDICTIONS ARE THAT EL NINO WILL AGAIN CAUSE CLIMATIC DISTURBANCES IN 2003. ¶3. LOCALIZED NUTRITIONAL SURVEYS CONFIRM THAT 5 YEARS OF DROUGHT AND ECONOMIC CRISIS IS CAUSING DETERIORATION IN MALNUTRITION AMONG CHILDREN AGED UNDER FIVE IN CENTRAL AMERICA. ACCORDING TO THE UN'S FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL ORGANIZATION (FAO),THERE ARE OVER 7.1 MILLION UNDERNOURISHED CENTRAL AMERICANS (1998/2000) SHOWING AN INCREASE OF 3 PERCENT SINCE 1990/1992. IN GUATEMALA, HUNGER INCREASED FROM 14 PERCENT TO 25 PERCENT OF THE POPULATION, WITH 69 PERCENT OF CHILDREN CHRONICALLY MALNOURISHED. IN NICARAGUA, 33 PERCENT OF THE POPULATION IS AFFECTED BY FOOD UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 04 ROME 05584 01 OF 02 181330Z SHORTAGES AND MALNUTRITION. IN ONE DEPARTMENT ALONE, MATAGALPA, EMERGENCY FOOD HAD TO BE PROVIDED TO 7,500 CHILDREN SUFFERING FROM EXTREME HUNGER. -------------- -------------- WFP EXECUTIVE BOARD APPROVAL OF CENTRAL AMERICA PRRO -------------- -------------- ¶4. THE BOARD APPROVED THIS PRRO FOR THREE YEARS (MARCH 2003- FEBRUARY 2006),VALUED AT USD 56.62 MILLION, TO ASSIST 690,000 BENEFICIARIES/ANNUM. THE BOARD AGREED THAT THIS PROGRAMMING INSTRUMENT WILL PERMIT WFP TO RESPOND EFFICIENTLY AND EFFECTIVELY TO SHOCKS, IN ORDER TO PREVENT ACUTE MALNUTRITION AMONG FOOD-INSECURE CHILDREN AND FAMILIES EXPOSED TO RECURRING CALAMITIES AND ASSIST IN REBUILDING AND BUFFERING LIVELIHOODS ERODED BY EXPOSURE TO DISASTERS. -------------- US DELEGATION INTERVENTION -------------- ¶5. THE US DELEGATION HIGHLIGHTED THE FOLLOWING: UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED PTQ7327 PAGE 01 ROME 05584 02 OF 02 181330Z ACTION PRM-00 INFO LOG-00 AID-00 AMAD-00 CIAE-00 COME-00 CTME-00 WHA-00 SRPP-00 EB-00 EUR-00 E-00 UTED-00 TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-00 NSAE-00 NSCE-00 OES-00 OIC-02 OMB-01 SSO-00 STR-00 TEST-00 TRSE-00 USIE-00 SAS-00 /003W -------------- 0A7CFC 181530Z /38 P 181213Z NOV 02 FM AMEMBASSY ROME TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6949 INFO AMEMBASSY MEXICO AMEMBASSY SAN SALVADOR AMEMBASSY TEGUCIGALPA AMEMBASSY MANAGUA AMEMBASSY GUATEMALA AMEMBASSY OTTAWA EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE AMEMBASSY BERN USDA FAS WASHDC 2428 USEU BRUSSELS 2959 USMISSION GENEVA USMISSION USUN NEW YORK UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 02 ROME 005584 SIPDIS FROM U.S. MISSION IN ROME UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 ROME 05584 02 OF 02 181330Z AMEMBASSY MEXICO CITY FOR CHARGE D'AFFAIRES STATE FOR AS/PRM DEWEY, PRM/P, WHA/CEN AND IO/D USAID FOR AA/LAC, AA/DCHA WINTER, D/DCHA/FFP LANDIS, PPC/DP, PPC/DC USDA/FAS FOR GSM KMILLER, MCHAMBLISS AND RTILLSWORTH GENEVA FOR RMA AND NKYLOH/USAID BRUSSELS FOR PLERNER USUN FOR CSERWER NSC FOR JDWORKEN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID EAGR AORC PREF EAGR AORC PREF EU WFP UN EU EAID WFP UN SUBJECT: WFP EXECUTIVE BOARD APPROVAL OF PROTRACTED RELIEF AND RECOVERY OPERATION (PRRO) FOR CENTRAL AMERICA - USD 56.62 MILLION -WHEN PRESIDENT BUSH SPOKE DURING THE SUMMIT OF THE AMERICAS WITH THE PRESIDENTS OF CENTRAL AMERICA IN QUEBEC CITY ON APRIL 20, 2001, HE STRESSED THE "NEED FOR US TO CONTINUE TO THINK ABOUT HOW BEST TO HAVE IN PLACE MEASURES THAT WILL HELP IN THE CASE OF FUTURE NATURAL DISASTERS;" -USDEL NOTED THAT THE NEW PRRO PROVIDES WFP THE PROGRAMMATIC FLEXIBILITY TO RESPOND TO THE CHANGING DYNAMICS IN EACH OF THE FOUR CENTRAL AMERICAN COUNTRIES COVERED AND THE DIFFERING CHALLENGES THAT EACH PRESENTS; -WFP WAS PARTICULARLY EFFECTIVE IN THE AFTERMATH OF HURRICANE MITCH IN: A) ALMOST IMMEDIATELY STRENGTHENING STAFF LEVELS BY TRANSFERRING ADDITIONAL PROFESSIONAL STAFF TO THE REGION AS NEEDED; AND B) FORTIFYING TEAMS WITH UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 ROME 05584 02 OF 02 181330Z EXPERTS IN LOGISTICS AND COMMUNICATIONS, VULNERABILITY ANALYSIS AND MAPPING SPECIALISTS, AND UN VOLUNTEERS, ETC. -USDEL URGED CLOSE COORDINATION ON NEEDS ASSESSMENTS AND IMPLEMENTATION PLANS WITH THE RESPECTIVE USAID MISSIONS AND USDA AGRICULTURAL ATTACHES IN THE REGION. -------------- COMMENT -------------- ¶6. USMISSION SEES A CONTINUING IMPORTANT ROLE FOR WFP AND ITS UN SISTER AGENCIES IN RESPONDING TO THE FOOD CRISIS IN CENTRAL AMERICA. SEVERE CORN CROP LOSSES IN THE FIRST PLANTING CYCLE OF THIS YEAR WILL LIKELY FURTHER AGGRAVATE AN ALREADY DIFFICULT SITUATION IN A CHRONICALLY FOOD INSECURE REGION. FINALLY, USMISSION PLANS TO WORK WITH WFP HEADQUARTERS IN ITS EFFORTS TO SECURE GOVERNMENT OF MEXICO FUNDING SUPPORT FOR THIS PRRO. MEXICO IS PRESENTLY NOT A DONOR TO WFP. HALL UNCLASSIFIED > 2002ROME05584 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED