Sri Lanka - DCHA/FFP Monitoring Report on WFP

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 COLOMBO 001680 SIPDIS SIPDIS SENSITIVE DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INS AND PRM, MPITTOTI STATE ALSO PASS TO USAID AID/W FOR ANE/SA AID/W FOR DCHA/FFP AID/W FOR DCHA/OFDA KLUU, ACONVERY, RTHAYER, JNUTTALL, HSHEPPARD, SBISWAS KATHMANDU FOR DCHA/OFDA REGIONAL ADVISOR WBERGER BANGKOK FOR DCHA/OFDA REGIONAL ADVISOR TDOLAN USMISSION GENEVA FOR NKYLOH KATHMANDU FOR OFDA WBERGER USMISSION GENEVA FOR NKYLOH E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID PGOV PHUM PREF PINS CE SUBJECT: Sri Lanka - DCHA/FFP Monitoring Report on WFP Protracted Relief and Recovery Operation REF: COLOMBO 12598 ¶1. Summary: From November 25 to December 4, 2007 USAID/DCHA Food for Peace Officer (FFP/O) visited Sri Lanka to monitor the UN World Food Program (WFP) Protracted Relief and Recovery Operation (PRRO),which receives U.S. Title II Emergency Assistance. FFP/O visited multiple sites in the conflict affected district of Vavuniya and discussed future funding possibilities with the Mission and WFP. ¶2. FFP is supportive of the current WFP PRRO in Sri Lanka, which addresses the acute needs of the conflict affected persons. WFP reported that the rate at which commodity is reaching the final beneficiary has improved; however, as the security situation is constantly changing, it is not known whether these improvements will remain. Due to concerns over a possible major GSL offensive against the LTTE in the North, WFP, along with other UN agencies, has developed contingency plans to respond to potential mass displacement. End Summary. -------------- Background: -------------- ¶3. The WFP PRRO in Sri Lanka has been providing assistance to over 1 million persons annually since 2005. Per the WFP budget revision approved in October 2007, the PRRO has been extended through December 2008 with activities focused on displaced and conflict affected persons through vulnerable group feeding, food for work, mother child nutrition and food for education activities. ¶4. In FY07 USAID/DCHA/FFP in-kind contributions of wheat, lentils and vegetable oil totaled USD 14 million. The commodities are currently being used and WFP has reported positive feedback regarding their consumption by beneficiaries. FFP has recently made another contribution in FY08 valued at USD 6 million which is estimated to arrive in April FY08. ¶5. FFP was last in Sri Lanka for a monitoring trip in July 2007 and produced cable Colombo 12598 for reference. 
 -------------- Update on WFP Operation: -------------- ¶6. WFP reported that the rate at which commodity is reaching the final beneficiary in the conflict-affected populations in northern and eastern Sri Lanka has improved over the past 6 months with greater access and fewer transport delays affecting WFP operations. However, as the security situation is constantly changing, it is not known whether these improvements will remain. The GSL military imposed new restrictions on the movement of goods and persons after multiple acts of violence in Colombo and in Kilinochchi during the week of November COLOMBO 00001680 002 OF 004 24-28. Examples include stopping the train line from entering into Vavuniya, preventing civilians from re- entry south through the checkpoint and adding further checks in the Medawachchiya checkpoint. ¶7. The GSL has an arrangement with WFP to allow WFP trucks that have specific seals to cross into the Vanni (uncleared areas) without being opened and unloaded. To date, this arrangement has succeeded in preventing the trucks from being searched at the checkpoints but delays still exist as the drivers and cabins are searched. Private trucks that accompany WFP trucks carrying such items as fuel must be completely unloaded and searched. This process also applies to the private trucks hired by the GSL carrying food commodities for humanitarian relief. WFP states that the restrictions in movement often make it difficult to monitor the final distribution points in the Vanni. The GSL requires several days notice for the approval of international staff to travel across checkpoints and has recently shut down the Mannar checkpoint completely, which means WFP must travel much farther to get into the northern Mannar area. In addition, WFP and INGOs report that national staff continue to be harassed and intimidated by various armed groups which further hampers the ability to monitor operations. Government officials in Vavuniya reported that the situation has improved dramatically in the last three months in terms of security in the city, but INGOs and the UN still report that such incidents occur throughout the Vanni, especially in more rural settings. As the local Government Agent in Vavuniya stated, ?until the conflict is over and peace is restored, the support of WFP and the UN is very necessary.? ¶8. The recent shelling by GSL security forces of the LTTE Voice of Tigers transmitter station in Kilinochchi damaged WFP offices and residences. While WFP staff did not incur any injuries, the buildings were clearly marked as UN property and as such, the UN has condemned this action by the GSL. ¶9. The IDP registration process is functioning relatively well; WFP is confident in the beneficiary numbers and believes there is minimal double-counting. However, local government agents in Vavuniya explained that IDPs must cancel registration cards in one district before receiving a new registration card from a new district and this proved difficult for some who had to leave quickly and are unable to return. This can prevent some vulnerable persons from receiving humanitarian food for a period of time. ¶10. Due to concerns over a possible major GSL offensive against the LTTE in the North, WFP, along with other UN agencies, has developed contingency plans to respond to potential mass displacement. WFP is in the final stages of building a regional hub with multiple large warehouses and space for additional warehouses to be installed, if needed, in Vavuniya. This will enable them to serve the COLOMBO 00001680 003 OF 004 humanitarian food needs of an additional 100,000 IDPs should a major offensive take place. This regional hub is in addition to the warehouses in Vavuniya, which have a capacity of 1000mt to serve the immediate area. In addition to their own commodities, WFP stores and transports food and non-food items for other UN agencies and INGOs through their special operation 10539.0; these warehouses also store commodities for Unicef, Danish Relief Council and World Vision. The worst case predictions by the local government estimate IDPs could reach 300,000 in Vavuniya, however, due to the shelf lives of food commodities; WFP cannot preposition stocks for more than 100,000 additional IDPs. ¶11. While WFP and INGOs have reported that their commodities have been used in specific cases in particular districts for political reasons by local government authorities, based on discussions with WFP in Colombo and Vavuniya, these are very isolated instances and do not occur in Vavuniya or most areas of the Vanni. ¶12. As rice is the primary commodity used in the WFP PRRO in Sri Lanka, the current shortage of rice in country is having an effect on the WFP distributions. The GSL has been very hesitant to allow the importation of rice but WFP has reported that they recently received permission to import 3000mt of rice from Japan for humanitarian use which will improve the pipeline. Multiple reasons for the short supply are attributed in the media, discussions with local government authorities and INGOs including: a significant portion, up to forty percent, of the arable land is located in the non-accessible area and was therefore not planted; suppliers are facing high transport and processing costs and have raised prices; and suppliers are hoarding supply to maintain the artificially high price. The next rice harvest in January/February will alleviate some of the shortage currently being faced. However, much of the rice is planted in the northern LTTE controlled areas and in order for WFP to procure it, the GSL requires they transport the rice into southern Sri Lanka for processing. This incurs additional costs as it is shipped or trucked back into the North. ¶13. The partnership that WFP has with the GSL requires the GSL to provide rations for IDPs from the previous conflict and/or the Tsunami. WFP, in turn provides for any IDPs displaced since August 2006. While the WFP commodities are provided based on kilo/cal needed per day, the GSL rations are based on pre-established funding levels. This level was determined in 1995 and has not been reassessed, so the amount of commodity it can purchase has decreased. IDPs who receive this government ration report that it does not buy enough food. WFP is in discussions with the GSL to revisit the issue. -------------- COLOMBO 00001680 004 OF 004 Conclusion: -------------- ¶14. FFP is supportive of the current WFP PRRO in Sri Lanka that addresses the acute needs of the conflict affected persons. As the conflict evolves, FFP will remain in close contact with the Mission and WFP regarding food aid related needs. FFP recommends future discussions in collaboration with the Mission and WFP on the development of the next WFP operation to begin January 2009. Blake