Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09COLOMBO775
2009-08-05 11:11:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Colombo
Cable title:
Addendum on Food: Report Number One on Interagency Policy
how-toVZCZCXYZ0019 PP RUEHWEB DE RUEHLM #0775 2171111 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 051111Z AUG 09 FM AMEMBASSY COLOMBO TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0350 INFO RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU PRIORITY 7087 RUEHBK/AMEMBASSY BANGKOK PRIORITY 3931 RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 3221 RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD PRIORITY 8848 RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA PRIORITY 1832 RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 3671 RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 1280 RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI//J3/J332/J52// RHMFIUU/CDRUSARPAC FT SHAFTER HI//APCW/APOP//
UNCLAS COLOMBO 000775
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INS AND PRM
STATE ALSO PASS TO USAID
AID/W FOR ANE/SCA
AID/W FOR DCHA/FFP FOR JDWORKEN, JBORNS
AID/W FOR DCHA/OFDA FOR ACONVERY, RTHAYER AND RKERR
BANGKOK FOR USAID/DCHA/OFDA WBERGER
KATHMANDU FOR USAID/DCHA/OFDA MROGERS AND POL SBERRY
USMISSION GENEVA FOR NKYLOH
USUN FOR ECOSOC DMERCADO
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID PREL PREF PGOV PHUM MOPS ASEC CE
SUBJECT: Addendum on Food: Report Number One on Interagency Policy
Committee (IPC) Benchmarks for Sri Lanka
REF: A) Colombo 753 B) State 69689 C) Colombo 691
UNCLAS COLOMBO 000775
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INS AND PRM
STATE ALSO PASS TO USAID
AID/W FOR ANE/SCA
AID/W FOR DCHA/FFP FOR JDWORKEN, JBORNS
AID/W FOR DCHA/OFDA FOR ACONVERY, RTHAYER AND RKERR
BANGKOK FOR USAID/DCHA/OFDA WBERGER
KATHMANDU FOR USAID/DCHA/OFDA MROGERS AND POL SBERRY
USMISSION GENEVA FOR NKYLOH
USUN FOR ECOSOC DMERCADO
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID PREL PREF PGOV PHUM MOPS ASEC CE
SUBJECT: Addendum on Food: Report Number One on Interagency Policy
Committee (IPC) Benchmarks for Sri Lanka
REF: A) Colombo 753 B) State 69689 C) Colombo 691
1. (SBU) SUMMARY: This is an addendum to the July Interagency Policy
Committee Benchmarks Report for Sri Lanka, adding information about
humanitarian food supplies to the IDP camps.
2. (SBU) Benchmark: Acute humanitarian needs are met with dignity.
Key areas are food, water/sanitation, health, shelter, and
protection.
-Status on Food: With the recently announced second tranche of P.L.
480 Title II emergency food aid this year to Sri Lanka, USAID's
contribution in support of IDPs in 2009 is now 38,550 metric tons of
mixed commodities, valued at more than USD 29 million. These
resources form part of the dry rations that IDPs receive in the
temporary camps in the North. These rations are distributed by the
U.N. World Food Program (WFP),in consultation with government
officials and through NGO implementing partners. To date, there
have been few complaints about the timely availability of these dry
rations - calculated, at international standards, to meet the
minimum daily nutritional requirements of IDPs living in camps. WFP
and its implementing partners have full access to all the IDP camps
and are able to monitor the distribution and, to a lesser degree,
the post-distribution use of food aid. The recent shift from
communal to individual family cooking in many of the IDP camps,
especially as the camps are decongested to smaller, more remote
sites, has presented a number of logistics challenges in terms of
transport and food storage. The primary concern, however, has been
the depletion of INGO and NGO resources to provide complementary
food, primarily condiments, fresh produce, and other sources of
protein such as canned fish. Though not considered essential by
international survival ration standards, complementary food has
taken on political importance. The GSL is concerned that a shortage
or the elimination of complementary food items from the daily diet
will sow discontent among the IDP population. Since complementary
food is not considered life-saving, and because of its cost, the
donor community has almost uniformly refused to provide resources to
purchase these items.
MOORE
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INS AND PRM
STATE ALSO PASS TO USAID
AID/W FOR ANE/SCA
AID/W FOR DCHA/FFP FOR JDWORKEN, JBORNS
AID/W FOR DCHA/OFDA FOR ACONVERY, RTHAYER AND RKERR
BANGKOK FOR USAID/DCHA/OFDA WBERGER
KATHMANDU FOR USAID/DCHA/OFDA MROGERS AND POL SBERRY
USMISSION GENEVA FOR NKYLOH
USUN FOR ECOSOC DMERCADO
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID PREL PREF PGOV PHUM MOPS ASEC CE
SUBJECT: Addendum on Food: Report Number One on Interagency Policy
Committee (IPC) Benchmarks for Sri Lanka
REF: A) Colombo 753 B) State 69689 C) Colombo 691
1. (SBU) SUMMARY: This is an addendum to the July Interagency Policy
Committee Benchmarks Report for Sri Lanka, adding information about
humanitarian food supplies to the IDP camps.
2. (SBU) Benchmark: Acute humanitarian needs are met with dignity.
Key areas are food, water/sanitation, health, shelter, and
protection.
-Status on Food: With the recently announced second tranche of P.L.
480 Title II emergency food aid this year to Sri Lanka, USAID's
contribution in support of IDPs in 2009 is now 38,550 metric tons of
mixed commodities, valued at more than USD 29 million. These
resources form part of the dry rations that IDPs receive in the
temporary camps in the North. These rations are distributed by the
U.N. World Food Program (WFP),in consultation with government
officials and through NGO implementing partners. To date, there
have been few complaints about the timely availability of these dry
rations - calculated, at international standards, to meet the
minimum daily nutritional requirements of IDPs living in camps. WFP
and its implementing partners have full access to all the IDP camps
and are able to monitor the distribution and, to a lesser degree,
the post-distribution use of food aid. The recent shift from
communal to individual family cooking in many of the IDP camps,
especially as the camps are decongested to smaller, more remote
sites, has presented a number of logistics challenges in terms of
transport and food storage. The primary concern, however, has been
the depletion of INGO and NGO resources to provide complementary
food, primarily condiments, fresh produce, and other sources of
protein such as canned fish. Though not considered essential by
international survival ration standards, complementary food has
taken on political importance. The GSL is concerned that a shortage
or the elimination of complementary food items from the daily diet
will sow discontent among the IDP population. Since complementary
food is not considered life-saving, and because of its cost, the
donor community has almost uniformly refused to provide resources to
purchase these items.
MOORE