USAID FOOD SECTOR SPECIALIST VISITS EASTERN

UNCLAS NDJAMENA 001758

SIPDIS


STATE FOR AF/SPG, PRM, AND ALSO PASS USAID/W
USAID FOR DCHA SUDAN TEAM, AF/EA, DCHA
KHARTOUM FOR USAID DARFUR FIELD OFFICE
NAIROBI FOR USAID/DCHA/OFDA, USAID/REDSO, AND FAS
ROME FOR FODAG
GENEVA FOR NKYLOH
NAIROBI FOR SFO
NSC FOR JMELINE
USUN FOR TMALY
BRUSSELS FOR PLERNER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID PREF PGOV PHUM SOCI CD SU USAID
SUBJECT: USAID FOOD SECTOR SPECIALIST VISITS EASTERN
CHAD, PART 1


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Summary
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1. From November 16 to 29, the USAID Darfur Field
Office (DFO) food sector specialist traveled to eastern
Chad for the second time in 2005 to monitor USAID-
sponsored food aid operations carried out by the U.N.
World Food Program (WFP) and partners. This is the
first of two assessment cables reporting on food
security and assistance operations in eastern Chad. The
first provides a general description of the trip,
including sites visited and meetings held. The second
will include additional analysis and recommendations for
future USAID initiatives.


2. Accompanied by representatives from WFP,
implementing partners, and other humanitarian
organizations, the USAID DFO food sector specialist
visited 6 of the 12 refugee camps along the Chad-Sudan
border, as well as several villages where host
populations have been affected by the influx of
refugees. Following reports of increasing tension
between refugees and host communities, the humanitarian
community expanded food assistance programs in 2005 to
target both populations. The USAID DFO food sector
specialist reports that WFP and partners have been
consistent and thorough in the delivery of monthly food
rations in eastern Chad. In addition to food
distributions, WFP and partners also implement food-for-
work and food-for-training or education programs aimed
at improving welfare of both the beneficiaries and the
surrounding environment and infrastructure. End
summary.

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Trip Itinerary
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3. From November 16 - 29, the USAID DFO food sector
specialist visited Sudanese refugee camps and villages
in eastern Chad. The purpose of the visit was to
observe and assess the effectiveness of WFP's emergency
food aid programs in the area, referred to as EMOP

10327. The USAID DFO member worked closely with WFP
representatives and U.S. Embassy in Ndjamena officials
while in Chad, meeting with both in the capital upon
arrival and departure.


4. The USAID DFO member visited 6 of the 12 refugee
camps along the eastern border with Sudan managed by the
U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The trip
included visits to Abeche, Treguine and Farchana camps
in Farchana, Djabal and Goz Amer camps in Goz Beida, and
Oure Cassoni camp in Bahai. The agenda for each camp
was similar and consisted primarily of touring food
distribution infrastructure, such as storage facilities
and distribution centers; meeting with refugee leaders
to discuss the food program and prospects for 2006; and
visiting humanitarian assistance programs such as
feeding centers, health clinic, camp schools, and water
distribution points. Outside the camps, the USAID DFO
member visited with host communities to discuss food
security, as well as food-for-work and food-for-training
activities.

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Refugee and Host Community Relations
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5. Living and working conditions in eastern Chad are
harsh, with a desert climate that offers little
sustenance to people or animals. While hot and dry for
most of the year, flooded riverbeds isolate communities
from outside assistance for three to four months each
year. Water and firewood that was already limited prior
to the influx of approximately 200,000 Sudanese
refugees, is now severely scarce.


6. The USAID DFO member reports that the majority of
refugees expressed a desire to return home; however,
most intended to remain in eastern Chad until security


improves in Darfur. The presence of more than 200,000
refugees in an environment barely able to sustain its
local population can have a potentially destabilizing
affect in the area, with tensions increasing between
refugee and host populations. These refugees remain
entirely dependent on the generosity of the humanitarian
community and the hospitality of the Chadian people.
Food assistance programs that target refugees and local
communities are crucial not only for basic survival but
also as a means of mitigating tensions between both
populations.

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Programs Targeting Refugees
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7. Commercial trucks transport food commodities
destined for refugee camps and host populations into
Chad through two corridors: 1) Douala, Cameroon
eastward into Ndjamena and then to Abeche and the camps;
and 2) Benghazi, Libya, south into Chad, where the
eastern route along the border allows the food stocks to
be delivered to the northern camps, and the western
route transports the food directly to Abeche. WFP
maintains warehouses in each camp, where sufficient food
is stored to meet the camp's needs for several months,
allowing flexibility in distribution planning.


8. Most refugees have received a full ration in 2005
thanks to the effective management of WFP food stcks
and zero pipeline breaks. According to WFP,
approximately 90 percent of refugees have receivd full
food rations in the past six months


9. In discussions ith refugees, the USAID DFO food
sector specialist learned that most refugees are
satisfied with the quality of the food distributed
However, when given a choice, the refugee prefer wheat
to sorghum because it can be cooked various ways and
also converted to local brew. An exception is noted in
Oure Cassoni camp, where residents express dislike for
peas and lentils, as refugees are not familiar with the
taste and cooking process of these items.


10. Daily ration sizes are: 425g of cereals, 50g of
corn soy blend; 50g of pulses; 20g of vegetable oil; 15g
of sugar; and 5g of salt. The amounts are calculated to
meet minimum requirements for calories, protein, fat,
carbohydrates, and micronutrients. A common complaint
from refugees is that the rations are insufficient to
meet household needs. Refugees continually requested
meat, milk, and fresh fruits and vegetables. Many
beneficiaries admitted to using food rations to barter
for other food items and clothing, as well as to pay for
grain milling services.

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Programs Targeting the Host Population
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11. The influx of Sudanese refugees has had a
deleterious impact on the already fragile ecosystem in
eastern Chad. Competing demands between the host
population and refugees have fueled tensions and
depleted firewood and water resources. In early 2005,
the humanitarian community decided to provide assistance
to Chadian host communities, as a way to recognize their
sacrifices in providing temporary havens to refugees.
In response, WFP worked with local populations to
develop and implement temporary activities that use food
as an incentive, such as food-for-work, food-for-
training or education, school feeding, and seed
protection rations. During field visits, the USAID DFO
food sector specialist observed a number of these
activities: a completed airstrip in Farchana; a water
catchment basin on the road to Adre; a literacy program
in French and Arabic for women in Adre; a reforestation
campaign on the outskirts of Bahai; a vegetable garden
near Oure Cassoni camp; as well as fields planted with
sorghum, groundnuts, and beans in villages near Gaga
camp. In each program, laborers-mostly women-receive
food rations in exchange for their work. From January


through September, WFP and partners distributed 1,471
metric tons (MT) of food to nearly 147,000 vulnerable
Chadians who live near the camps.

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WFP Upgrades
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12. The USAID DFO food sector specialist noted several
improvements in the WFP programs since the last visit to
the area six months ago. Five WFP field offices now
have up-to-date communications equipment, as well as
sufficient vehicles and trucks to meet field
requirements. WFP efforts rehabilitated or constructed
several airstrips, linking field offices with Abeche
headquarters and providing a vital alternative to ground
transportation, particularly during the rainy season.
WFP enhanced its warehouses and commodity tracking
system. Furthermore, WFP hired additional international
staff for area and field offices in order to meet the
expanding program requirements for refugee and host
population operations.

WALL


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