FOOD SECURITY REPORT: USAID/FFP DEMOCRATIC

UNCLAS KINSHASA 000549 SIPDIS AID SIPDIS AID/W FOR DCHA/FFP TMCRAE AND CMUTAMBA NAIROBI FOR ECA/FFP ADEPREZ AND NESTES KAMPALA FOR RFFPO DSUTHER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID EAGR PREF CG SUBJECT: FOOD SECURITY REPORT: USAID/FFP DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO REF: A. KINSHASA 451 ¶B. KINSHASA 450 -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. KAMPALA-BASED REGIONAL FOOD FOR PEACE (FFP) OFFICER TRAVELED FEBRUARY 5-22 TO KINSHASA, GOMA, BUNIA, BUKAVU, MOBA AND KALEMIE, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO (DRC) TO EVALUATE FOOD SECURITY CONDITIONS AND MONITOR PARTNERS' IMPLEMENTATION IN THE COUNTRY. ¶2. IN EASTERN DRC, THE SECURITY SITUATION IS STILL A MAJOR CONCERN FOR FFP. CERTAIN AREAS HAVE IMPROVED, ESPECIALLY IN ITURI PROVINCE (BUNIA),DUE TO HEAVY MONUC/FARDC OPERATIONS AGAINST MILITIAS OPERATING IN THE AREA - THOUGH OFFENSIVES IN IRUMU WERE CAUSING DISPLACEMENT AT THE TIME OF THE VISIT. SOUTH KIVU (BUKAVU) HAS CONTINUING INSECURITY IN A NUMBER OF AREAS, BUT HAS NOT SEEN NEW LARGE-SCALE DISPLACEMENT. CONFLICT HAS INTENSIFIED IN RECENT MONTHS, HOWEVER, IN NORTH KIVU AND KATANGA PROVINCES. IN CENTRAL KATANGA - THE MANONO-PWETO-MITWABA TRIANGLE AREA - CONFLICTS BETWEEN NOTORIOUS LOCAL COMMANDER GEDEON'S MAI MAIS AND FARDC TROOPS CONTINUE TO CAUSE LARGE-SCALE DISPLACEMENT, INCLUDING WELL OVER 50,000 NEWLY-DISPLACED SINCE NOVEMBER (AND MORE THAN 100,000 PEOPLE OVER THE PAST YEAR). ¶3. WFP'S EASTERN SUB-OFFICE FOOD ALLOCATIONS HAVE BEEN CUT SIGNIFICANTLY FROM LAST YEAR, AND WFP OFFICES ARE FINDING IT DIFFICULT TO RESPOND TO NEW DISPLACEMENTS IN NORTH KIVU AND KATANGA WITHOUT SUFFICIENT FOOD RESOURCES, TRANSPORT FUNDS AND IMPLEMENTING PARTNERS. TITLE II PARTNER FOOD FOR THE HUNGRY INTERNATIONAL (FHI),HOWEVER, IS RESPONDING WELL TO THE DISPLACEMENT OF 10,000-15,000 PEOPLE IN THE MOBA (KATANGA) AREA. ¶4. FFP IS CURRENTLY WORKING WITH WFP TO ENSURE SUFFICIENT ACCESS TO POPULATIONS IN NEED. GIVEN WFP'S CURRENT RESOURCE CONSTRAINTS, FFP RECOMMENDS AN IMMEDIATE CONTRIBUTION OF APPROXIMATELY $8 MILLION TO ALLOW THE ORGANIZATION TO MEET NEEDS OF NEWLY-DISPLACED POPULATIONS. FHI WILL ALSO SUBMIT A PROPOSAL TO FFP/W FOR FY 2006 FUNDING. END SUMMARY. -------------- DRC - CURRENT FOOD SITUATION -------------- ¶5. WFP'S UPCOMING PRRO JULY 2006-DECEMBER 2008 WILL BE MORE FOCUSED ON RECOVERY ACTIVITIES, WITH SUPPORT TO RETURNEES (BOTH FORMER IDPS AND REFUGEES) AND SCHOOL FEEDING PROGRAMS EXPANDED. IT WILL, HOWEVER, MAINTAIN A SIGNIFICANT EMERGENCY CAPACITY TO RESPOND TO CONFLICT- INDUCED DISPLACEMENT AND MALNUTRITION. WFP WILL BE REQUESTING APPROXIMATELY 368,000 METRIC TONS (MT) OF COMMODITIES VALUED AT $327 MILLION FOR THE 30-MONTH PERIOD. ¶6. WHILE WFP'S CURRENT FOOD PIPELINE LOOKS FAIRLY GOOD ON PAPER, EASTERN SUB-OFFICE ALLOCATIONS WERE CUT SIGNIFICANTLY THIS YEAR TO REPAY $8.5 MILLION IN ADVANCE FUNDING FROM ROME. NEW FIGHTING AND DISPLACEMENT, ESPECIALLY IN NORTH KIVU AND KATANGA, ARE MAKING IT MORE DIFFICULT FOR WFP TO RESPOND EFFECTIVELY WITH THESE LIMITED RESOURCES. ¶7. ADDING TO WFP'S DIFFICULTIES IN RESPONDING TO NEW DISPLACEMENTS WITH VERY LIMITED FOOD, TRANSPORT FUNDING AND OVERLAND LOGISTICAL OPTIONS IS THE FACT THAT ECHO HAS REPORTEDLY REDUCED ITS FUNDING SUBSTANTIALLY IN EASTERN DRC, MEANING THAT WFP HAS NOW ALSO LOST A NUMBER OF ITS STRONGER PARTNERS. -------------- GOMA - NORTH KIVU: NEW RUTSHURU CONFLICT DISPLACES 100,000 -------------- ¶8. WFP'S GOMA SUB-OFFICE HAD FOCUSED APPROXIMATELY 60% OF ITS RESOURCES ON RELIEF - MAINLY SUPPORT FOR IDPS AND NUTRITIONAL FEEDING - WITH THE BALANCE GOING TOWARD SCHOOL FEEDING, FFW AND FOOD FOR TRAINING (FFT). HOWEVER, WITH THE DETERIORATING SECURITY IN JANUARY, WHEN FIGHTING OCCURRED IN RUTSHURU TERRITORY, WFP NOW ESTIMATES THAT THERE ARE OVER 100,000 IDPS IN NEED OF ASSISTANCE, THE BULK OF THEM DISPLACED FROM THE RECENT FIGHTING. ¶9. WITH THE NEED TO SUPPORT THE NEW CASELOAD OF IDPS, MANY OF THEM REPEATEDLY DISPLACED, WFP/GOMA'S PIPELINE (ESPECIALLY FOR CEREALS) IS CURRENTLY QUITE POOR. WFP HAS STOPPED VIRTUALLY ALL BUT EMERGENCY ACTIVITIES, AND EVEN REDUCED THE EMERGENCY RATIONS. WFP EXPECTS INSECURITY AND DISPLACEMENT TO WORSEN IN THE RUN-UP TO ELECTIONS, AND COULD CONTINUE AFTERWARDS AS WELL. ¶10. WITH POPULATIONS ALREADY DISPLACED, AND COPING MECHANISMS STRETCHED, WFP IS SHIFTING BACK TO EMERGENCY MODE IN NORTH KIVU, THOUGH WITH LESS FOOD AND FEWER PARTNERS DUE TO ECHO CUTS. WFP FED 100,000 IDPS IN FEBRUARY, COMPARED TO ONLY 40,000 IN JANUARY. NORWEGIAN REFUGEE COUNCIL (WHICH IS INDEPENDENT OF ECHO FUNDING) IS CURRENTLY WFP'S MAIN PARTNER, AS WELL AS CARITAS, AND MSF- FRANCE FOR NUTRITIONAL FEEDING IN A NUMBER OF LOCATIONS. ¶11. IN FEBRUARY, WFP DISTRIBUTED FOOD FOR 60,000 DISPLACED IN KANYABAYONGA, BUT MSF-FRANCE NOTES THAT NEW DISPLACEMENTS CONTINUE TO OCCUR, AND THERE ARE 2-3 NEW ENTRANTS PER DAY IN ITS TFC. LOCAL RESIDENTS HAVE SHARED FOOD WITH DISPLACED PERSONS, AND THE FAVOR IS NOW BEING RETURNED. MSF BELIEVES THE SITUATION WILL CONTINUE FOR SOME TIME, AND EXPRESSED DISAPPOINTMENT WITH ECHO'S PULLING OUT, AS A NUMBER OF KEY NGOS HAD REPORTEDLY LEFT DUE TO LACK OF FUNDING. ¶12. THOUGH SECURITY IN GENERAL IN NORTH KIVU HAS IMPROVED OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS, THE RECENT RUTSHURU BLOWUP EMPHASIZES THE NEED FOR WFP TO MAINTAIN SIGNIFICANT EMERGENCY CAPABILITY IN ITS PROGRAMMING. LOWER SUB-OFFICE ALLOCATIONS AND A POOR PIPELINE EXACERBATE WFP'S PROBLEMS BY SUBSTANTIALLY LIMITING ITS ABILITY TO RESPOND EFFECTIVELY TO EMERGENCY NEEDS. -------------- BUNIA - ITURI PROVINCE -------------- ¶13. IN 2005, THE WFP/BUNIA SUB-OFFICE DEALT MAINLY WITH IDPS AND RETURNEES, AND WAS ABOUT 90% EMERGENCY FOCUSED, DELIVERING 9,915 MT LAST YEAR. ¶14. DURING THE VISIT, THE WFP SUB-OFFICE HAD SUFFICIENT COMMODITIES FOR FEBRUARY AND HALF OF MARCH. RFFPO VISITED WFP SCHOOL FEEDING PROGRAMS AND CONSTRUCTION FFW, AS WELL AS RETURNEES WORKING ON FAO-SUPPORTED MOSAIC-RESISTANT CASSAVA FARMS. RFFPO VISITED VILO DISPLACED CAMP WITH APPROXIMATELY 4,000 PEOPLE DISPLACED IN JANUARY FROM 50-60 KM SOUTH, FLEEING FIGHTING BETWEEN FARDC AND MILITIAS. SECURITY IN VILO WAS GOOD, AND ITALIAN NGO CESVI WAS SUPPORTING THE GROUP. THE AREA APPEARED TO HAVE EXTREMELY FLUID DISPLACEMENT AND RETURNS. ¶15. GERMAN AGRO-ACTION (GAA) HAS BEEN WFP'S LARGEST PARTNER IN ITURI, DISTRIBUTING APPROXIMATELY 95% OF COMMODITIES. HOWEVER, WITH ITS LOSS OF ECHO FUNDING, GAA WILL ONLY BE ABLE TO ASSIST WITH SOME FFW, BUT NO LONGER IDP/RETURNEE SUPPORT. ACCORDING TO PARTNERS, THE SECURITY SITUATION, EXCEPT IN IRUMU, IS MUCH BETTER NOW THAN IN THE PAST TWO YEARS, WITH MANY RETURNS. THERE IS STILL SOME DISPLACEMENT NEAR MONUC/FARDC OPERATIONAL AREAS, BUT ALSO HOPE THAT IDPS CAN RETURN SOON.(NOTE: WFP DOES NOT HAVE ENOUGH RESOURCES TO FUND NGO PROGRAMS AND STAFF TO BE ON THE GROUND, BUT RATHER TAPS INTO THOSE ALREADY IN PLACE WITH SUPPLEMENTARY FUNDING FOR TRANSPORT AND DISTRIBUTION MONITORING. END NOTE.) ¶16. ON THE WHOLE, THIS WAS THE MOST POSITIVE AREA OF THE EAST, WITH THE SECURITY SITUATION FAR IMPROVED FROM PREVIOUS YEARS. WHILE CONFLICT IN CERTAIN AREAS CONTINUED TO CAUSE SOME DISPLACEMENT, IMPROVED SECURITY IN MUCH OF THE PROVINCE WAS ALLOWING PEOPLE TO RETURN AND PLANT THEIR FIELDS. SINCE FFPO VISIT, HOWEVER, A FARDC/MONUC JOINT OFFENSIVE SOUTHEAST OF BUNIA LED TO SERIOUS SETBACKS FOR THE FARDC AND FORCED AN ESTIMATED 13,000 IDPS TO THE TOWN OF CANTONNIER (REF A). -------------- -------------- BUKAVU-SOUTH KIVU: MORE OF THE SAME - NOT TOO GOOD -------------- -------------- ¶17. SECURITY IN SOUTH KIVU CONTINUES TO BE POOR, AND IS AFFECTED BY RECENT FARDC/MONUC OFFENSIVES. SEVERAL FDLR- RELATED GROUPS ARE REPORTED TO BE IN KAHUZI-BIEGA PARK, AND IN NUMEROUS LOCALITIES (BUNYAKIRI, KALEHE, MWENGA AND SHABUNDA) POPULATIONS CONTINUE TO FACE ATROCITIES BY THE VARIOUS MILITIAS. ¶18. MALNUTRITION RATES ARE A BIT BETTER THAN IN 2005, THOUGH NOT VERY STABLE, CURRENTLY AT APPROXIMATELY 5-15% GLOBAL ACUTE MALNUTRITION (GAM). MAJOR REFUGEE RETURNS (150,000 PEOPLE IN TANZANIA) ARE BEING PLANNED WITH UNHCR. AS OF MID-FEBRUARY, THERE HAVE BEEN ONLY 8,000 OFFICIAL AND APPROXIMATELY 16,000 SPONTANEOUS RETURNS, BUT NUMBERS ARE EXPECTED TO RISE SUBSTANTIALLY THIS YEAR. ¶19. WFP HAS A MIXED PROGRAM IN SOUTH KIVU, WITH SUPPORT TO IDPS, RETURNEES, NUTRITIONAL FEEDING, FFW, FOOD FOR TRAINING, SCHOOL FEEDING AND DEMOBILIZATION ACTIVITIES. HOWEVER, IT ALSO FACES A NUMBER OF CONSTRAINTS: IDENTIFICATION OF IDPS DUE TO THEIR CONTINUAL MOVEMENT; INSECURITY; LACK OF PARTNERS; EXPENSIVE AIRLIFT IF OVERLAND NOT POSSIBLE; INSUFFICIENT LOCAL TRANSPORT; BAD ROADS; HIGH FUEL COST; AND POOR FOOD PIPELINE. ¶20. THE PIPELINE WAS A MAJOR ISSUE. IN FEBRUARY, WFP DISTRIBUTED ONLY BEANS AND SALT, DUE TO LACK OF CEREALS AND VEGOIL, THOUGH EXPECTED ARRIVALS SHOULD ALLOW DELIVERIES TO PROCEED WITH A FULLER BASKET. WFP'S PIPELINE FROM MARCH LOOKS REASONABLY GOOD ON PAPER, BUT AGAIN, THE $8.5 MILLION REPAYMENT AND INCREASED NEEDS WILL MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO RESPOND AS EFFECTIVELY AS HOPED. ¶21. WFP/BUKAVU'S FOOD ALLOCATION WAS CUT FROM 2,800 MT/MONTH LAST YEAR TO THE CURRENT 1,690 MT. WITH INCREASED NEEDS AND A POOR PIPELINE, SUB-OFFICES ARE SCRAMBLING FOR SCARCE RESOURCES, OFTEN AT THE EXPENSE OF OTHER SUB- OFFICES. WHILE THERE IS A REGIONAL LOGISTICS COORDINATOR BASED IN GOMA, WFP'S REGIONAL PROGRAM COORDINATOR POSITION WAS SCRAPPED A FEW YEARS AGO. IT MAY BE HELPFUL TO REVISIT THIS POSITION (OR AT LEAST STRENGTHEN FIELD COLLABORATION) IN ORDER TO PRIORITIZE NEEDS FROM THE FIELD, RATHER THAN FROM KINSHASA, WHERE WFP RECEIVES EACH SUB-OFFICE REQUEST WITHOUT SUFFICIENT COORDINATION AND PRIORITIZATION. ¶22. WFP NEEDS TO REPRIORITIZE EASTERN DRC, AND BRING MORE ATTENTION (BOTH OF DONORS AND OF THE PUBLIC) TO ITS PIPELINE DIFFICULTIES AND CHALLENGES IN RESPONDING EFFECTIVELY TO MEET EMERGENCY NEEDS. -------------- --- KATANGA: MAI MAI/FARDC FIGHTING CAUSING LARGE-SCALE DISPLACEMENT -------------- --- ¶23. IN CENTRAL KATANGA - THE MANONO-PWETO-MITWABA TRIANGLE AREA - NOTORIOUS LOCAL MAI MAI MILITIA COMMANDER GEDEON'S CONFLICT WITH FARDC TROOPS CONTINUES TO CAUSE LARGE-SCALE DISPLACEMENT, INCLUDING WELL OVER 50,000 NEWLY-DISPLACED SINCE NOVEMBER (AND MORE THAN 100,000 PEOPLE OVER THE PAST YEAR). ¶24. ACCORDING TO UNOCHA, THOSE DISPLACED FROM MARCH- SEPTEMBER 2005 NUMBER APPROXIMATELY 75,000 PEOPLE, AND FROM NOVEMBER 2005 AT LEAST 40,000 AND GROWING. THESE OFFICIAL UN NUMBERS DO NOT INCLUDE THOSE NOW IN THE MOBA AREA - OVER 10,000 PEOPLE - AND PROBABLY MORE THAT HAVE FLED TO LESS-ACCESSIBLE AREAS. OFDA REPORTS (REF B) THAT THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 30,000 NEW IDPS AROUND MITWABA, SO THE NEWLY-DISPLACED FIGURE INCLUDING PWETO IS WELL OVER 50,000. ¶25. THE MITWABA AND PWETO AREAS ARE EXTREMELY ISOLATED, AND VIRTUALLY THE ONLY FEASIBLE ACCESS TO MITWABA IS BY AIR. MONUC DELIVERED 31 MT OF WFP FOOD TO MITWABA BY HELICOPTER, AND 99 MT REPORTEDLY ARRIVED BY TRUCK ON MARCH 2, AFTER SEVERAL WEEKS ON THE ROAD. HOWEVER, THESE MINIMAL QUANTITIES ARE INSUFFICIENT. ROAD TRANSPORT IS EXTREMELY SLOW AND AIR TRANSPORT IS VERY EXPENSIVE. WHILE MONUC'S SHORT-TERM ASSISTANCE WAS APPRECIATED, WFP NEEDS A MORE SUSTAINABLE OPTION. ¶26. FHI IS ALSO DISTRIBUTING FOOD TO IDP AND RETURNEE POPULATIONS IN NORTHERN KATANGA (MOBA, KALEMIE AND KONGOLO). DURING OUR MOBA VISIT, FHI WAS PLANNING SUPPORT TO SOME 10,000-15,000 NEW IDPS WHO WERE FLEEING FROM GEDEON ALL THE WAY EAST TO MOBA. IN LUSAKA, 50 KM WEST OF MOBA, APPROXIMATELY 1,000 IDPS HAD ARRIVED IN THE DAYS PRECEEDING THE VISIT (INCLUDING SOME ON THE MORNING OF THE VISIT),CAMPING AT A LOCAL SCHOOL. ALL WERE EXHAUSTED FROM THEIR JOURNEY, AND THOUGH MANY HAD BEEN ABLE TO CARRY SOME BASIC PROVISIONS, LACK OF FOOD WAS ALREADY BECOMING AN ISSUE FOR MANY PEOPLE. ¶27. AS WFP SUB-OFFICE FOOD ALLOTMENTS WERE CUT FROM 2005, WITHOUT RESERVE STOCKS IN PLACE, IT HAS BEEN EXTREMELY DIFFICULT FOR THE ORGANIZATION TO RESPOND TO NEW DISPLACEMENTS, ESPECIALLY IN NORTH KIVU AND CENTRAL KATANGA. POOR RESOURCES AND LOGISTICS ARE ESPECIALLY INTERTWINED IN KATANGA, AS WFP HAS NEITHER ADEQUATE FOODSTOCKS NOR SUFFICIENT FUNDS TO MOVE COMMODITIES TO MITWABA AND PWETO, AREAS THAT ARE EXCEPTIONALLY DIFFICULT TO ACCESS WITHOUT AN EXPENSIVE AIR CAPACITY. WHILE MONUC HAS ASSISTED WITH LIMITED AIRLIFTS IN THE SHORT TERM, A MORE SUSTAINABLE SOLUTION CLEARLY NEEDS TO BE FOUND. -------------- FHI KATANGA PROGRAM -------------- ¶28. IN MOBA AND KALEMIE, RFFPO VISITED A NUMBER OF SITES WHERE FHI WAS CONDUCTING GENERAL DISTRIBUTIONS FOR IDPS AND RETURNEES, FFW ACTIVITIES - MAINLY ROADWORKS - AND SEED FAIRS/SEED PROTECTION RATION (SPR) FOOD DISTRIBUTION. ¶29. FHI'S MAIN CHALLENGES HAVE BEEN THE LATE ARRIVAL OF COMMODITIES, AS WELL AS THE DAUNTING LOGISTICS TO GET FOOD INTO AND AROUND KATANGA. OUT OF ITS TOTAL 4,900 MT, IT HAD MOVED OVER 2,000 MT OUT OF DAR ES SALAAM, AND DISTRIBUTED OVER 700 MT. DISTRIBUTIONS ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE RAPIDLY NOW THAT FOOD IS ON THE GROUND IN THE LOCATIONS. ¶30. MOBA CLEARLY REMAINS THE BREADBASKET OF THE AREA, WITH TONS OF MAIZE BEING SHIPPED OUT TO KALEMIE AND UVIRA (DESTINED AS FAR AS BUKAVU) WITH EVERY BOAT. SEED AND GRAIN PRICES ARE APPROXIMATELY ONE-THIRD THE PRICE IN KALEMIE. GIVEN GOOD FOOD AVAILABILITY AND GROWING POTENTIAL, FHI NEEDS TO BE ESPECIALLY CAREFUL TO ENSURE PROPER TARGETING WITH FOOD AID DISTRIBUTIONS IN MOBA. ¶31. A NUMBER OF OBSERVATIONS CENTERED ON FHI'S SEED FAIRS AND SPR. MOST AREAS WERE VERY APPRECIATIVE OF THE SEEDS, WHICH ALLOWED THEM TO PLANT A GOOD CROP. HOWEVER, FHI CURRENTLY PROVIDES A THREE-MONTH "SEED PROTECTION" FOOD RATION, WHICH DOES NOT REALLY "PROTECT" THE SEEDS FROM BEING EATEN AFTER THE FIRST MONTH. GIVEN ALSO THAT SEED BENEFICIARIES CURRENTLY RECEIVE A LARGER PACKAGE (SEEDS/TOOLS PLUS THREE-MONTHS RATION) THAN MORE VULNERABLE IDPS AND RETURNEES WHO ONLY RECEIVE A THREE- MONTH FOOD RATION, FHI WILL REDUCE THE SPR TO 1.5 MONTHS. IT WAS ALSO NOTED THAT SEED FAIR TARGETING WAS POOR: EVERYONE IN A LOCATION WAS REGISTERED TO RECEIVE SEEDS AND FOOD, EVEN VILLAGE CHIEFS, DESPITE THE FACT THAT NEW RETURNEES WHO HAD ARRIVED AFTER REGISTRATION WERE NOT DUE TO RECEIVE ANYTHING. FHI WILL WORK WITH VILLAGE COMMITTEES TO STRENGTHEN TARGETING OF THE SEED FAIRS/SPR, AND ENSURE THAT THOSE MOST VULNERABLE ARE TARGETED. ¶32. FHI PLANS TO SUBMIT A FOLLOW-ON PROPOSAL FOR APPROXIMATELY $6 MILLION FOR MOBA, KALEMIE, KONGOLO AND EXPANDING TO KABALO. THIS CONTINUATION OF ACTIVITIES TARGETED PRIMARILY TO IDPS AND RETURNEES IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT, GIVEN CONTINUING TENSIONS IN CENTRAL KATANGA AND DISPLACED POPULATION FLOWS INTO THE MOBA AREA. FHI ALSO PLANS TO WORK AS A UNHCR PARTNER PROVIDING FOOD FOR UP TO 10,000 REFUGEE RETURNEES FROM ZAMBIA AND TANZANIA, AND TO CONTINUE SEED FAIRS AND FFW ACTIVITIES IN ORDER TO LAY A FOUNDATION FOR IMPROVED FOOD SECURITY IN THE AREA. WE BELIEVE THAT FHI, WHILE STILL IN ITS EARLY DAYS IN TERMS OF FOOD ACTIVITIES, SHOULD CONTINUE TO BE SUPPORTED, AS THERE IS A NEED TO REMAIN ON THE GROUND IN NORTHERN/CENTRAL KATANGA TO RESPOND TO EMERGENCY NEEDS AND HELP PREPARE THE GROUND FOR RETURNS. FFP LOOKS FORWARD TO RECEIVING AND HELPING REFINE FHI'S PROPOSAL. -------------- CONCLUSION/RECOMMENDATIONS -------------- ¶33. IN DRC, WFP SUB-OFFICE ALLOCATIONS HAD ALREADY BEEN CUT SIGNIFICANTLY FROM LAST YEAR, AND THE ORGANIZATION'S ABILITY TO RESPOND TO NEW DISPLACEMENTS - ESPECIALLY IN NORTH KIVU AND KATANGA - WITH INSUFFICIENT FOOD RESOURCES, TRANSPORT FUNDS AND PARTNERS HAS BEEN PROVING EXTREMELY DIFFICULT. FHI IS RESPONDING WELL TO NEW DISPLACEMENT OF 10,000-15,000 PEOPLE IN THE MOBA AREA, AND WILL SUBMIT A NEW PROPOSAL TO FFP/W FOR FY 06 FUNDING. ¶34. WFP/KINSHASA NEEDS TO REPRIORITIZE EASTERN DRC, AND BETTER PUBLICIZE ITS CHALLENGES IN RESPONDING EFFECTIVELY TO EMERGENCY NEEDS, BOTH TO DONORS AND THROUGH THE MEDIA. GIVEN WFP'S CURRENT RESOURCE DIFFICULTIES, WE RECOMMEND AN IMMEDIATE CONTRIBUTION OF APPROXIMATELY $8 MILLION TO ALLOW IT TO RESPOND TO THE NEEDS OF NEWLY-DISPLACED POPULATIONS. MEECE