WFP EXECUTIVE BOARD APPROVAL OF PROTRACTED RELIEF

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ROME 005778 SIPDIS FROM U.S. MISSION IN ROME STATE FOR A/S IO HOLMES, A/S PRM DEWEY, IO/EDA WINNICK USAID FOR AA/DCHA WINTER, D/DCHA/FFP LANDIS, DCHA/PPE LYNCH NSC FOR JDWORKEN USDA/FAS FOR MCHAMBLISS/RTILSWORTH USUN NEW YORK FOR CSERWER NAIROBI FOR REDSO TOKYO FOR USAID REP E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID EAGR AORC PREF EAGR AORC PREF EAGR AORC PREF EU WFP UN EUEAID WFP UN EUEAID WFP UN SUBJECT: WFP EXECUTIVE BOARD APPROVAL OF PROTRACTED RELIEF AND RECOVERY OPERATION (PRRO) FOR WEST AFRICA COASTAL REGION - USD 56.81 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 THE WEST AFRICA COASTAL REGION - ONE YEAR (JANUARY- DECEMBER 2003),VALUED AT USD 56.81 MILLION, TO ASSIST 789,430 (INCLUDING 50,000 CONTINGENCY CASELOAD) BENEFICIARIES/ANNUM. THE WEST AFRICA COASTAL REGION HAS BEEN IN A STATE OF DEEP CRISIS FOR MANY YEARS. LIBERIA IS ONCE AGAIN AT THE EPICENTRE OF A CONFLICT UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 ROME 05778 01 OF 03 291636Z THAT COULD CONTINUE TO SPREAD TO THE REGION. THE CURRENT CRISIS IN COTE D'IVOIRE HAS ALREADY CAUSED MAJOR INTERNAL DISPLACEMENTS WITHIN THE COUNTRY (180,000 PEOPLE SINCE 19 SEPTEMBER 2002) AND MAY RESULT IN EVEN LARGER POPULATION DISPLACEMENTS IN OTHER COUNTRIES OF THE WEST AFRICAN REGION, EFFECTIVELY EXPANDING THE THREAT TO PEACE AND SECURITY WELL BEYOND COTE D'IVOIRE. END SUMMARY. -------------- BACKGROUND -------------- ¶2. WITH NO SUSTAINABLE POLITICAL SOLUTION IN SIGHT IN LIBERIA, THE HUMANITARIAN SITUATION THERE IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN CRITICAL THROUGH 2003 AND THE PROSPECTS FOR RECOVERY IN NEIGHBORING GUINEA AND SIERRA LEONE ARE LIKELY TO SUFFER AS A RESULT. ¶3. SIGNIFICANT NEW INFLUXES OF LIBERIAN REFUGEES HAVE BEEN RECORDED IN SIERRA LEONE, GUINEA AND COTE D'IVOIRE (UP TO A CERTAIN EXTENT, BEFORE THE CRISIS),DUE TO THE INTENSIFICATION OF CONFLICT IN LIBERIA, WHICH HAS CREATED A NEW POPULATION OF INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS (135,300 AS OF SEPTEMBER 2002). MOREOVER, DEPENDING ON THE EVOLUTION OF THE CURRENT CRISIS IN COTE D'IVOIRE, POPULATION INFLUXES IN GUINEA AND LIBERIA ARE TO BE EXPECTED. ¶4. THE CURRENT PROTRACTED RELIEF AND RECOVERY (PRRO) OPERATION (10064.0) IS FACING A SHORTFALL OF 12,688 MT, OR 12 PERCENT OF THE TOTAL REQUIREMENTS. AS THE EARLY RESPONSE MECHANISMS PROVIDED FOR UNDER THIS REGIONAL OPERATION HAVE UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 04 ROME 05778 01 OF 03 291636Z BEEN ACTIVATED TO RESPOND TO URGENT FOOD NEEDS IN COTE D'IVOIRE (INCLUDING THE USE OF WFP AIRCRAFT BASED IN CONAKRY TO AIRLIFT HIGH-ENERGY BISCUITS TO YAMOUSSOUKRO), CONTRIBUTIONS ARE URGENTLY NEEDED TO REPLENISH THE PIPELINE OF THOSE COUNTRIES WHICH "LOANED" RESOURCES TO COTE D'IVOIRE. ¶5. SHORTFALLS WILL BECOME PARTICULARLY CRITICAL AT THE BEGINNING OF 2003, WHEN THE NEW PRRO WILL START. LIBERIA WILL REPORTEDLY FACE SHORTFALLS FOR MOST OF THE COMMODITIES AS EARLY AS JANUARY 2003. GUINEA WILL LACK CEREALS, PULSES AND OIL FROM MARCH 2003 ON. SIERRA LEONE WILL FACE A BREAK IN ITS PIPELINE IN EARLY 2003, AS REQUIREMENTS ARE LIKELY TO INCREASE DUE TO THE CURRENT TREND IN THE INFLUX OF LIBERIAN REFUGEES (75,000 ESTIMATED AT THE END OF 2002). AS FOR COTE D'IVOIRE, REINTEGRATED IN THE REGIONAL OPERATION AS OF JANUARY 2003, FOOD COMMODITIES ARE URGENTLY NEEDED INTER ALIA TO TAKE CARE OF THE CASELOAD OF LIBERIAN REFUGEES IN NICLA. -------------- -------------- WFP EXECUTIVE BOARD APPROVAL OF WEST AFRICA COASTAL PRRO -------------- -------------- UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED PTQ3088 PAGE 01 ROME 05778 02 OF 03 291637Z ACTION IO-00 INFO LOG-00 AF-00 AID-00 AMAD-00 CIAE-00 COME-00 CTME-00 WHA-00 SRPP-00 EAP-00 EB-00 EUR-00 E-00 UTED-00 TEDE-00 INR-00 NSAE-00 NSCE-00 OES-00 OIC-02 OMB-01 SSO-00 STR-00 TEST-00 TRSE-00 USIE-00 PRM-00 SAS-00 /003W -------------- 107D47 292059Z /38 P 291511Z NOV 02 FM AMEMBASSY ROME TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7115 INFO EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE AMEMBASSY OTTAWA AMEMBASSY ABIDJAN AMEMBASSY FREETOWN AMEMBASSY MONROVIA AMEMBASSY CONAKRY AMEMBASSY DAKAR AMEMBASSY BERN AMEMBASSY NAIROBI USDA FAS WASHDC 2441 USEU BRUSSELS 2971 USMISSION GENEVA USMISSION USUN NEW YORK AMEMBASSY TOKYO UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 ROME 05778 02 OF 03 291637Z UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 03 ROME 005778 SIPDIS FROM U.S. MISSION IN ROME STATE FOR A/S IO HOLMES, A/S PRM DEWEY, IO/EDA WINNICK USAID FOR AA/DCHA WINTER, D/DCHA/FFP LANDIS, DCHA/PPE LYNCH NSC FOR JDWORKEN USDA/FAS FOR MCHAMBLISS/RTILSWORTH USUN NEW YORK FOR CSERWER NAIROBI FOR REDSO TOKYO FOR USAID REP E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID EAGR AORC PREF EAGR AORC PREF EAGR AORC PREF EU WFP UN EUEAID WFP UN EUEAID WFP UN SUBJECT: WFP EXECUTIVE BOARD APPROVAL OF PROTRACTED RELIEF AND RECOVERY OPERATION (PRRO) FOR WEST AFRICA COASTAL REGION - USD 56.81 MILLION ¶6. THE BOARD APPROVED THIS PRRO FOR ONE YEAR (JANUARY -DECEMBER 2003),VALUED AT USD 56.81 MILLION, TO ASSIST 789,430 BENEFICIARIES (INCLUDING 50,000 CONTINGENCY CASELOAD). THE BOARD AGREED THAT THIS PROGRAMMING INSTRUMENT WILL PERMIT WFP TO RESPOND EFFICIENTLY AND EFFECTIVELY TO THE COMPLEX NATURE OF THIS OPERATION. SIMPLY, THE CONTINUOUS INSTABILITY OF THE REGION REQUIRES MAXIMUM FLEXIBILITY IN THE ALLOCATION OF RESOURCES, WHERE WFP HAS TO FREQUENTLY RESPOND TO UNEXPECTED MASS MOVEMENTS OF PEOPLE. -------------- US DELEGATION INTERVENTION -------------- UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 ROME 05778 02 OF 03 291637Z ¶7. USDEL TOOK NOTE OF THE IMPORTANCE OF NON-FOOD ITEMS (NFIS) IN ANY REFUGEE/IDP OPERATION AND ENCOURAGED WFP TO WORK CLOSELY WITH UNHCR TO ENSURE THAT THESE ITEMS ARE BEING PROVIDED BY THE PROPER U.N. AGENCY, SO THAT HIGH-VALUED FOOD COMMODITIES ARE NOT BARTERED FOR NFIS. THIS, AS WELL AS POST-DISTRIBUTION MONITORING (THAT CONSTITUTE PART OF THE REVISED WFP/UNHCR MOU),ARE IMPORTANT ISSUES THAT REQUIRE CONSTANT VIGILANCE AND DEDICATION BETWEEN THE TWO UN AGENCIES. USDEL NOTED WFP'S EFFORTS TO BEGIN POST- DISTRIBUTION MONITORING IN MANY OF ITS OPERATIONS IN WEST AFRICA, BUT ALSO POINTED OUT THAT SUCH MONITORING IS STILL MISSING FROM PARTICULAR REFUGEE AND IDP OPERATIONS AND ASKED THAT THIS BE PROMPTLY RECTIFIED. ¶8. USDEL FURTHER NOTED THAT ON A RECENT MISSION TO GUINEA AND LIBERIA, A USAID TEAM FOUND DELAYS AND PROBLEMS WITH REGISTRATION OF LIBERIAN REFUGEES IN GUINEA AND OF IDPS IN LIBERIA. IN EACH CASE, THE WFP TEAM IS QUITE AWARE OF THE PROBLEMS AND WORKING TO RESOLVE THEM, BUT USDEL HIGHLIGHTED THE IMPORTANCE OF A COMPETENT REGISTRATION PROCESS AS A PREREQUISITE TO A DISCIPLINED FOOD DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM. ¶9. MOREOVER, USDEL REQUESTED THAT THE RATION SIZE FOR IDPS IN LIBERIA BE ASSESSED TO ENSURE THAT THE BASIS FOR THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN 2,100 KILOCALORIES (KC) AND 1,800 KC IS SOUND. WE EXPECTED THAT THE RESULTS FROM THE UPCOMING FOOD SECURITY ASSESSMENT OF THE REFUGEES IN GUINEA WOULD ALLOW FOR A DECREASE IN RATIONS, INSOFAS AS REFUGEES HAVE HEARTILY ENGAGED IN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION. UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 04 ROME 05778 02 OF 03 291637Z ¶10. FINALLY, IT WAS POINTED OUT THAT THE USAID MISSION TO GUINEA OBSERVED THE FRUITS OF FAO/WFP COLLABORATION IN AND AROUND THE REFUGEE CAMPS IN ALBADARIAH IN THE FOREST REGION (AS FUNDED BY STATE/PRM). AS A RESULT OF THIS INVESTMENT, THE SIERRA LEONEAN REFUGEES WILL BE RETURNING HOME WITH A SIGNIFICANT HARVEST. WE EXPRESSED SATISFACTION IN WITNESSING THE TWO AGENCIES WORKING TOGETHER ON A STRATEGY FOR FOOD SECURITY IN SIERRA LEONE AND USDEL STRONGLY ENCOURAGED THE CONTINUATION OF THESE LINKAGES. -------------- COMMENT -------------- ¶11. USMISSION SEES A CONTINUING VITAL ROLE FOR WFP AND ITS UN SISTER AGENCIES IN RESPONDING TO THE CONTINUING CRISIS IN THE WEST AFRICA COASTAL REGION. CLEARLY, THE DETERIORATION OF THE SECURITY SITUATION IN NORTHERN LIBERIA, COUPLED WITH THE RECENT SECURITY DEVELOPMENTS IN COTE D'IVOIRE, WILL FURTHER WEAKEN THE ALREADY DEVASTATED SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC INFRASTRUCTURE OF THE REGION. THE CURRENT CRISIS IN COTE D'IVOIRE HAS ALREADY CAUSED MAJOR INTERNAL DISPLACEMENTS WITHIN THE COUNTRY (180,000 PEOPLE SINCE 19 SEPTEMBER 2002) UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED PTQ3093 PAGE 01 ROME 05778 03 OF 03 291637Z ACTION IO-00 INFO LOG-00 AF-00 AID-00 AMAD-00 CIAE-00 COME-00 CTME-00 WHA-00 SRPP-00 EAP-00 EB-00 EUR-00 E-00 UTED-00 TEDE-00 INR-00 NSAE-00 NSCE-00 OES-00 OIC-02 OMB-01 SSO-00 STR-00 TEST-00 TRSE-00 USIE-00 PRM-00 SAS-00 /003W -------------- 107DA7 292100Z /38 P 291511Z NOV 02 FM AMEMBASSY ROME TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7116 INFO EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE AMEMBASSY OTTAWA AMEMBASSY ABIDJAN AMEMBASSY FREETOWN AMEMBASSY MONROVIA AMEMBASSY CONAKRY AMEMBASSY DAKAR AMEMBASSY BERN AMEMBASSY NAIROBI USDA FAS WASHDC 2442 USEU BRUSSELS 2972 USMISSION GENEVA USMISSION USUN NEW YORK AMEMBASSY TOKYO UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 ROME 05778 03 OF 03 291637Z UNCLAS SECTION 03 OF 03 ROME 005778 SIPDIS FROM U.S. MISSION IN ROME STATE FOR A/S IO HOLMES, A/S PRM DEWEY, IO/EDA WINNICK USAID FOR AA/DCHA WINTER, D/DCHA/FFP LANDIS, DCHA/PPE LYNCH NSC FOR JDWORKEN USDA/FAS FOR MCHAMBLISS/RTILSWORTH USUN NEW YORK FOR CSERWER NAIROBI FOR REDSO TOKYO FOR USAID REP E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID EAGR AORC PREF EAGR AORC PREF EAGR AORC PREF EU WFP UN EUEAID WFP UN EUEAID WFP UN SUBJECT: WFP EXECUTIVE BOARD APPROVAL OF PROTRACTED RELIEF AND RECOVERY OPERATION (PRRO) FOR WEST AFRICA COASTAL REGION - USD 56.81 MILLION AND MAY RESULT IN EVEN LARGER POPULATION DISPLACEMENTS IN OTHER COUNTRIES OF THE WEST AFRICAN REGION, EFFECTIVELY EXPANDING THE THREAT TO PEACE AND SECURITY WELL BEYOND COTE D'IVOIRE. 2003 WILL ONCE AGAIN ENGAGE THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY IN REACHING OUT TO SAVE LIVES. HALL UNCLASSIFIED > 2002ROME05778 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED