WFP EXECUTIVE BOARD APPROVES ANGOLA PROTRACTED

UNCLAS ROME 005002

SIPDIS


AIDAC

FROM U.S. MISSION IN ROME

LUANDA FOR USAID RHELLYER AND ADWYER
GENEVA FOR RMA FOR NANCE KYLOH
BRUSSELS FOR PLERNER
NAIROBI FOR OFDA/ARO
NSC FOR JDWORKEN
USUN FOR MLUTZ
USAID FOR DCHA/AA, DCHA/FFP, DCHA/OFDA, AFR

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID EAGR AORC PREF WFP UN
SUBJECT: WFP EXECUTIVE BOARD APPROVES ANGOLA PROTRACTED
RELIEF AND RECOVERY OPERATION FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS


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Summary
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1. The U.S. Delegation (USDEL) provided a number of
comments to the U.N. World Food Program (WFP) regarding
its new Protracted Relief and Recovery Operation (PRRO)
for Angola during WFP's Executive Board (EB) meeting the
week of October 20. The USDEL complimented WFP on its
current work during its many years in Angola, requested
further details regarding its work and beneficiary
numbers, cautioned WFP to use implementing partners that
were capable of taking on additional responsibilities
and to properly compensate them, and appealed to the
Government of the Republic of Angola (GRA) to do more in
its support of WFP, by way of monetary, as well as
logistical, support. WFP addressed USDEL's comments and
has already supplied a breakdown of the beneficiary
numbers. The GRA announced that 7.5 million U.S.
dollars (USD) has been set aside in its 2004 budget for
WFP operations. End Summary.

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Background
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2. WFP's current PRRO to initially address the needs of
1.16 million beneficiaries for a period of 18 months
began on July 1, 2002. It was subsequently revised to
accommodate the increased caseload caused by the end of
Angola's 30-year civil war. The new PRRO, to begin in
January 2004, spans the period of 24 months and
addresses the needs of an average of 1.4 million
beneficiaries per month. WFP reports that two million
internally displaced persons (IDPs) returned to their
homes by May 2003, from a total of an estimated 4.1
million that were displaced when the war ended in
February 2002. Total requested tonnage for the two-year
period in the new PRRO is almost 400,000 MT.

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WFP Executive Board Presentation
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3. The U.S. delegation made the following comments to
WFP during the WFP EB.


A. USDEL takes note of the tremendous efforts that have
been invested in feeding and caring for the millions of
Angolans that have been affected by the almost 30 years
of war in Angola. This new PRRO reflects the fact that
major needs remain in Angola, even though the future
looks much brighter.


B. We also compliment WFP on its use of the
Vulnerability and Analysis Mapping (VAM) and rapid-food
need assessment surveys (RFNA) that have guided WFP in
its work in identifying the most vulnerable, as well as
in weaning people off food aid after a successful
agriculture season. We also support WFP's efforts to
have its implementing partners for educational programs
mainstream HIV/AIDS issues into their curricula and
support HIV/AIDS education for WFP truck drivers. This
work is important.


C. Also important is the need for WFP to continue to
work closely with FAO in reviving agriculture activity
throughout the country. Food for Seeds, Food for
Assets, and Food for Work (FFW) are vital and timely


programs, as Angola moves out of its long-term emergency
status. We are pleased to see that WFP has included in
its budget the non-food items to support these programs.
We would appreciate explanations of how the Food for
Assets and Food for Work programs have been working over
the last year.


D. And even though we applaud WFP's desire to move from
general feeding programs to FFW interventions, we are
concerned that WFP not expand this use of food
commodities too quickly so that management and
monitoring becomes a burden. At present, WFP has 130
different implementation partners throughout Angola with
varying levels of capacity. We urge WFP to ensure that
all its implementing partners are capable of
implementing FFW activities.


E. We do not see in the document a breakdown of the
beneficiary numbers over the two-year period of the
PRRO. Only the average number of 1.4 million
beneficiaries is given with an anticipated decrease in
the numbers in 2005. We would like to receive a chart
of the anticipated number of beneficiaries to be
serviced in each quarter (or six month periods) over the
next two years, broken down by the various interventions
listed on Table 2 of the program proposal. We also
request that the chart break out figures by regions.
This is especially important to the USG as we are also
funding the Consortium for Developmental Relief Programs
in Angola (CDRA) which is being implemented in the Plan
Alto and engaged in resettlement/FFW activities.


F. Following on our intervention in May 2002, we would
once again like to take this opportunity to strongly
encourage the Government of the Republic of Angola (GRA)
to make a substantive cash contribution to this new
PRRO. We recall that the GRA contributed three million
USD to the previous PRRO in February 2001 and note that
no contributions have been made to the current PRRO. We
urge the GRA make a substantive contribution in the near
future as such action would be looked upon quite
favorably by the donor community.


G. We note that the PRRO states the logistical capacity
of the GRA Ministry of Social Affairs and Reintegration
(MINARS) "is still developing, so WFP will continue to
be responsible for its own logistics operation." We
understand that significant logistical challenges remain
in Angola and feel that the GRA should soon be playing a
larger role in WFP's operation.


H. WFP's overland transport of food has now increased
to over 85 percent, however we see that the Land
Transport, Shipping, and Handling (LTSH) rate remains
quite high in the new PRRO: 235 USD/MT. Associated
with this, adequate compensation to the implementation
partners remains a concern to the USG. Compensation
rates currently range from 8 USD to 47 USD per metric
ton, depending on the specific agreements. The USG
urges WFP to select only those partners capable of
meeting WFP's strict criteria and to ensure that the
partners are properly compensated for distributing
commodities.


I. Given the fact that there will continue to be many
changes taking place in Angola over the coming year, we
would like to request that WFP provide a progress report
at next year's third regular session of PRRO 10054.2.



J. And with these comments, we recommend approval of
the new PRRO.


4. The USDEL also took the opportunity to thank
Francesco Roque-Castro, the WFP Country Director for
Angola, for his work in Angola at this critical juncture
in Angola's history. Roque-Castro is retiring from WFP
this month.

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WFP's responses
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5. Roque-Castro made the following responses to the
USDEL intervention, as well as to other donors'
comments.


A. WFP's Food for Work (FFW) and Food for Assets
Creation programs over the last years have steadily
grown. In 2000, WFP had 123,000 beneficiaries in these
two programs, and currently there are over 205,000.
Under the new PRRO, these programs will significantly
increase.


B. WFP agreed to provide the beneficiary tables, which
included break down of numbers by region, and has done
so. FODAG forwarded the tables to USAID/FFP,
USAID/OFDA, State/PRM and State/IO on November 3.


C. Roque-Castro said WFP agreed with the implementation
limitations of some NGOs and noted that WFP needed to do
a better job of ensuring proper payment in a timely
fashion.


D. WFP's surface transport of food is now at almost 90
percent, but some air capacity is still required for
places that become newly accessible, which is still
occuring. The LTSH rates have steadily decreased each
year from 355 USD/MT in 2000, to 322 USD in 2001, to 272
USD in 2003, and 235 USD in 2004. WFP will review the
rates again this November. Note: The PRRO document is
prepared four to five months before the EB, so the rates
in the new PRRO document are an estimate for 2004. End
Note.


E. WFP noted the importance we place on working with
FAO, and felt that the relationship between the two
organizations had improved. WFP had provided transport
for FAO seeds and tools.


F. As requested by the USDEL, WFP agreed to provide an
report work achieved under the new PRRO at the October
EB session in 2004.


G. Roque-Castro noted that WFP needed funding for its
Special Operation, which provides air support to the
humanitarian community.

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GRA's response
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6. The GRA announced that in its 2004 budget it was
planning to contribute 7.5 million USD to WFP in support
of the new PRRO.


7. The GRA reminded the EB that pockets of emergency
needs remain in some areas due to the presence of mines
(making areas inaccessible),bridges being out, or other


hindrances. It estimated that over the next six months,
access could decrease because of the rainy season and
that food needs would remain high until the 2004
harvest. FFW programs will help to rehabilitate basic
infrastructure for access and opening markets, voiced
the GRA.


8. The GRA said that even though HIV/AIDS rates are
fairly low in Angola compared to other African
countries, it had recently approved a national plan for
combating HIV/AIDS which it hoped to launch within 7-10
days time at the national, as well as regional, level.
HALL


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2003ROME05002 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED