Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09KAMPALA491
2009-05-14 04:02:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Kampala
Cable title:  

FOOD SECURITY ASSISTANCE: AN APPEAL FROM THE

Tags:  EAGR EAID ECON PREL UG 
pdf how-to read a cable
R 140402Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY KAMPALA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 1412
USDA FAS WASHDC
INFO AMEMBASSY KAMPALA
UNCLAS KAMPALA 000491 


AIDAC

NAIROBI FOR USDA,STEPHEN HAMMOND
USAID/W FOR DCHA/FFP,AMY SINK,JEANETTE LEE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAGR EAID ECON PREL UG
SUBJECT: FOOD SECURITY ASSISTANCE: AN APPEAL FROM THE
FIELD FOR GREATER COORDINATION

UNCLAS KAMPALA 000491


AIDAC

NAIROBI FOR USDA,STEPHEN HAMMOND
USAID/W FOR DCHA/FFP,AMY SINK,JEANETTE LEE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAGR EAID ECON PREL UG
SUBJECT: FOOD SECURITY ASSISTANCE: AN APPEAL FROM THE
FIELD FOR GREATER COORDINATION


1. Summary: In order to maximize the development impact
of taxpayer-funded foreign assistance, the U.S. Mission in
Uganda strives to ensure that all U.S. Government (USG)
assistance programs are well coordinated internally, as
well as with the Government of Uganda (GOU) and other
development partners. In recent weeks, the U.S. Mission
learned through the Ugandan press of two programs funded by
the U.S. Department of Agriculture that will operate in
Uganda to support a World Food Program (WFP) school feeding
activity in one region of Uganda, and provide micro finance
credit support to the Foundation for International
Community Assistance (FINCA) throughout the country. These
activities may affect the U.S. Mission's ability to
implement existing programs, given limited infrastructure
to import increased quantities of food from Mombasa port,
as well as the fact that the quantities proposed for
monetization may take us above our Bellmon ceiling. We
will stagger our commodity imports to address these issues,
but Post requests that all USG agencies that are planning
to implement assistance programs in Uganda consult with the
U.S. Mission in advance of program approval. We need to
ensure that the totality of USG assistance to Uganda is
coordinated among USG agencies, as well as with the GOU.
Effective coordination will ensure the success of programs
critical to achieving U.S. foreign policy and economic
development objectives in Uganda. End summary.


2. USG food security programs are critical to our ability
to achieve the U.S. Mission's top two policy objectives in
Uganda: Regional Peace, Security, and Stability, Recovery
and Development in Northern Uganda. The U.S. Mission in
Uganda has built strong working relationships with the
leadership of Uganda's Ministries of Finance and
Agriculture to ensure proper coordination of its food
assistance programs.

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U.S. Mission Managed Food Security Assistance
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3. USAID's Food for Peace program (FFP) supports food
security in Uganda through contributions to the World Food
Program (WFP) and to cooperating sponsors. FFP requires

that its donations to WFP are prioritized for direct
distribution in areas of acute need. Cooperating sponsors
receive both food commodities and monetary support in
Multi-Year Assistance Programs (MYAPs). MYAPS specify the
amount of commodities which the cooperating sponsors will
distribute directly to beneficiaries, and the amount which
will be monetized (converted into cash through sales) in
the Ugandan market, with proceeds used to support broader
development programs which focus on a variety of activities
that increase the availability of, access to, and
utilization of food by strengthening individual, household
and community coping and resiliency capacities. Proceeds
also support the strengthening of local governance and
civil society institutions to address food insecurity.


4. In FY 2008, FFP contributed 47,850 MT of commodities to
WFP in Uganda, valued at $46.3 million. In FY 2009 to
date, FFP has committed approximately $10 million to WFP's
Uganda Appeal, targeted for distribution in areas of acute
need in the Karamoja region of northeast Uganda.


5. FFP is currently implementing two MYAPS in Uganda. In
2007, FFP committed $76 million over five years to
ACDI/VOCA for programs focused on the northern sub-regions
of Acholi, Teso and Lango that support increased food
security in the north through farmer training, improved
agricultural practices and market linkages. In 2008
USAID/FFP committed $23 million over five years to Mercy
Corps International's Healthy Practices, Strong Communities
Program focused in the Kitgum and Pader Districts of
northern Uganda. This program seeks to increase food
production and sales, improve health and nutrition among
children and pregnant/lactating women and provide access to
clean water and improved sanitation. FFP contributed $26.5
million to the two MYAPS in FY 2008.


6. In March 2009, USAID/OFDA began implementation of a $5
million activity that will provide essential humanitarian
assistance through food for work, and initial inputs for
agriculture, which stimulate and link to economically
productive value chains. The activity is being implemented
in the Moroto, Nakapiripirit, Abim, Kaabong, and Kotido
districts of the Karamoja region.

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GOU Launches Emergency Appeal for Karamoja
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7. In February 2009, WFP, under the coordination of
Uganda's Office of the Prime Minister launched an appeal to
provide $69.3 million for WFP's unfunded Emergency
Operations (EMOP) to address emergency needs in Karamoja.
At the end of 2008, the Karamoja sub region began facing a
severe humanitarian crisis, following three consecutive
years of drought. Since then, the humanitarian situation
has deteriorated significantly as Karamoja moves into the
traditional hunger season and with the next harvest not due
until October 2009. More than one million people,
approximately 85% of the population of the Karamoja sub
region, are estimated to be food insecure and in need of
immediate food and nutrition assistance.


8. FFP funding for FY09 has diminished and requests for
additional contributions for Uganda will be weighed against
worldwide demands. It is unclear at this point whether FFP
will provide any funding to WFP beyond the $10 million
already committed for FY 2009. It is, therefore, important
that with limited resources, all USG agencies strategically
coordinate their contributions to accommodate the priority
needs in Uganda. Emergency needs as well as longer-term
development needs should be carefully analyzed and
considered.

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Surprise! New U.S. Food Security Interventions in Uganda
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9. Over the past several weeks, the U.S. Mission to Uganda
has learned through word of mouth and the local press of
additional USG-funded food assistance programs to be
implemented in Uganda. The Uganda press reported that the
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) McGovern-Dole
International Food for Education and Child Nutrition
Program awarded $19 million in commodities assistance to
WFP to support school feeding and maternal and child
nutrition projects in Karamoja. These funds will support
WFP's long-term Country Program, which addresses
development rather than emergency needs.


10. We have also learned that USDA will provide 15,000 MT
of hard red winter wheat (valued at approximately $5
million) for monetization to the Foundation for
International Community Assistance (FINCA international).
The proceeds will be used to expand FINCA's national
microfinance program in several districts in Uganda, but
not in the deprived Karamoja region. Post has learned that
the USDA/FINCA commodities are expected in-country for
monetization in September and October of 2009. This will
coincide with planned FFP-funded monetization of the same
commodity, and this could result in a glut of commodities,
reduced prices and lower revenues.

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An Appeal for Greater USG Coordination
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11. USG-donated commodities to Uganda are limited by the
Bellmon Amendment to ensure that local markets are not
adversely affected by food aid contributions provided by
the USG. Post urges all USG agencies to coordinate their
plans and share information regarding planned commodity
contributions with the U.S. Mission to Uganda in advance to
ensure that USG commodity contributions in aggregate are in
compliance with Bellmon.


12. More broadly, the U.S. Mission to Uganda requests that
all USG agencies planning to implement assistance programs
in Uganda coordinate with us in advance, before entering
into agreements with the GOU and/or cooperating
organizations. This will allow the U.S. Mission to ensure
that USG and GOU priorities are being effectively
addressed, that the 'package' of USG assistance programs is
well coordinated with the GOU, and that ultimately USG
assistance achieves its intended U.S. taxpayer-funded
purpose: achieving U.S. policy goals by advancing peace,
stability, and economic development in East Africa.

HOOVER