WORLD FOOD PROGRAM BRIEFING ON SOMALIA COMMODITY DIVERSIONS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 UN ROME 000077 SENSITIVE CORRECTED COPY SIPDIS STATE FOR IO/HS, PRM/MCE AND EB/IFD/ODA USAID FOR DCHA, FFP, OFDA, AND AFRICA BUREAU NAIROBI FOR GEORGIANNA PLATT, SUREKA KHANDAGLE AND NICK COX E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: WFP SO AORC EAID PREF UN SUBJECT: WORLD FOOD PROGRAM BRIEFING ON SOMALIA COMMODITY DIVERSIONS INVESTIGATION: 'NO WRONGDOING' BY WFP STAFF ¶1. (U) This message is sensitive but unclassified. Please handle accordingly. -------------- Summary -------------- ¶2. (SBU) On December 4, WFP Deputy Executive Director (DED) Amir Abdulla and Inspector General (IG) Suresh Sharma briefed Executive Board members on the just completed internal investigation into alleged diversions of WFP commodities in Somalia. The investigation found no wrongdoing on the part of WFP or WFP-contracted transporters. However, between 2-10 percent of commodities were found in Mogadishu markets, resulting in the cancellation of working agreements of six implementing partners (IPs),issuance of warning letters to two other IPs, and the suspension of deliveries to the Bakool region. (An unsubstantiated 10 percent is also believed to have been diverted across border to Kenya.) The investigation also found gaps in needs assessments, monitoring and access, logistics supply chain, and information-sharing. IG recommendations include developing an alternative framework of operations in procurement, transportation, and other areas where conditions are limiting. WFP reported it is in the process of enhancing certain systems and ramping up contingency planning in response to recent declarations by Al-Shabaab or other similar groups (plans should be firmed up in the coming days). If WFP is no longer permitted to operate in Al-Shabaab-controlled territories, WFP's approximate 3.4 million beneficiary workload would be halved. DED Abdulla stressed that, as reports of deficiencies were received from the field, HQ took immediate corrective measures (see Paragraph 6). End summary. ¶3. (SBU) In response to donor requests for information and as announced during its Second Regular Session of the WFP Executive Board in early November, WFP called a briefing on December 4 to update Board members on its recently concluded investigation into alleged diversions of WFP commodities in Somalia. Due to the last minute notification, a Rome-wide transportation strike and competing meetings, attendance was low with participation from only Canada, Finland, the European Commission, Iran (curiously represented by both the Ambassador and his deputy), Italy, Mexico, Russia, United Kingdom and the United States. -------------- Background and Investigation Summary -------------- ¶4. (SBU) IG Sharma reported that the WFP Country Office (CO) launched an internal investigation after the UK's Channel 4 News story broke on June 15, 2009, about alleged diversions of WFP commodities. Due to limited access for WFP staff in certain parts of Somalia, the CO contracted two private firms based in Nairobi to begin investigating the claims. A team from WFP/HQ, including the IG, subsequently traveled to Nairobi to interview WFP staff, transporters, journalists, traders, NGOs, donors and UN partners, in an effort to "triangulate" the information gathered by the private firms. The investigation's findings centered on six allegations which were supported or refuted as follows: A) WFP staff selling commodities: The investigation found no evidence of any wrongdoing on the part of WFP staff selling commodities to traders. Similarly, there was no evidence of traders purchasing commodities from WFP staff. According to the IG, WFP engages transporters at the port and monitors the transfer of goods with no actual "hands" on the food. However, the investigation could neither confirm nor deny the role of WFP implementing partners (IPs). Also, in an attempt to ascertain what happened to the extra food that was leftover at sites that had fewer beneficiaries than planned, the report came to two conclusions: camp elders may have distributed the extra food UN ROME 00000077 002 OF 004 evenly in camps, as is a common practice, or beneficiaries confirmed to the investigative team that they themselves had sold some of their food for other goods (such as soap and other hygiene products). B) Creation of fictional IDP camps: The investigation found no evidence of fictional camps. However, the number of beneficiaries in some camps differed from the planning figures WFP used when allocating resources. Reasons for this difference include: using year-old beneficiary data from UNICEF; fluid movement of beneficiaries between camps in the Afgooye corridor, with family units sometimes leaving behind one member to collect family rations; and, although the number has not been substantiated, one camp appeared to have a higher number of beneficiaries than originally planned, resulting in the perception that fewer commodities were delivered. C) Diverted commodities sold on markets: In a special bag marking exercise utilizing two different methodologies, there were two instances where between 2 percent (20 MT or approximately 400 bags) and 10 percent (900 MT out of 9,000 MT) of WFP commodities destined for the Afgooye corridor were found in Mogadishu markets. D) Transporters partially offloading consignments at camps: The investigation did not detect any transporters diverting commodities, but such a perception may have resulted since not all commodities are offloaded at the first campsite. "A very small truck (run by an IP) comes thru the corridor the day after commodities are distributed, collecting small bags," according to the IG. E) Beneficiaries receiving partial rations: The investigation found no evidence of a deliberate reduction in rations on the part of WFP. However, as previously noted, community practice by elders is to evenly distribute any commodities arriving in camps. As camp numbers rise and fall, beneficiaries either get more or less food than planned under this arrangement. F) Beneficiaries eating boiled leaves: The IG reported that there could have been occasions when food was not delivered for a period of up to several weeks due to limited access or when distribution was reduced due to good harvest, but the investigation did not observe beneficiaries eating boiled leaves. Similarly, with regard to the Channel 4 News allegations that beneficiaries were malnourished, the investigation revealed that the allegation was based on an interview by a Nairobi-based MSF doctor who gave general responses to general questions, e.g., the reason for rising number of malnourished was due to lack of food, but comments were taken out of context. -------------- -------------- Investigation Recommendations and Corrective Actions by WFP -------------- -------------- ¶5. (SBU) The investigation found gaps in needs assessments, monitoring and access, logistics supply chain, and information-sharing. The IG made a series of recommendations: A) Alternate business plan: WFP needs to develop an alternative framework of operations in procurement and transportation, among other areas, where conditions are limiting. The framework should be developed and shared with the Board and take into account risk and risk management (e.g., issues relating to further displacement of people); B) Information gaps: The CO should reconcile information gaps from multiple sources to compensate for needs assessment and monitoring gaps related to limited access by staff (it was noted that national staff from one region are not permitted to travel to another region). Data should also be triangulated, e.g., on commodity amounts, on a regular basis. And joint food UN ROME 00000077 003 OF 004 assessment missions, which are currently done at the district level, should also be conducted at the final distribution points. The CO should also make a concerted effort to move or rotate staff conducting assessments. With regard to the perception and exaggeration of information, especially with the Board, WFP could share more information with donors to correct misinformation on the part of the media; and C) Logistics supply chain: although not covered in the Channel 4 News report, the investigation revealed deficiencies with the internal management of projects. WFP should institute an internal control system especially in cases where commodities cross multiple hands. ¶6. (SBU) WFP action to date: DED Abdulla stressed that, as reports of deficiencies were received from the field, HQ took corrective measures as follows: A) Instituted a month-long, cross-border monitoring on claims that commodities were being diverted to Kenya (although it was difficult to get an exact picture, WFP projected about 10 percent of commodities were diverted); B) Special bag markings were used to determine the source of leakages from the Afgooye corridor, which helped to narrow down which IPs and transporters may have been responsible. This led to the cancellation of working agreements with six IPs, the issuance of warning letters to two IPs, and the suspension of deliveries to the Bakool region. (NOTE: WFP works with 126 IPs throughout Somalia, less than 60 of which operate in areas of Lower Shabelle where WFP cancelled contracts. END NOTE) Although transporters were not implicated, WFP also issued warning letters to six transporters to let them know that WFP is "watching them like hawks." (In one instance WFP found a conflict of interest between a married couple in which the husband was the director of a transport company and the wife was the head of an IP - WFP canceled that contract as an immediate action.) DED also reported that WFP contracts include clauses with penalties if an IP is found to be coercing beneficiaries, and at the start of the investigation WFP suspended payments to all contractors. C) Alternative operating framework and enhancing systems: Recognizing that an "off the shelf" program is not applicable in Somalia, in order to better target beneficiaries WFP is contemplating the idea of working thru elders (as a trusted social safety net). WFP is also implementing a more sensitive system of risk assessment including costs of not operating in certain areas. WFP may accept a certain degree of decreased monitoring if this prevents large-scale movement of people. WFP is also working with IPs to improve their reporting requirements. Relative to IPs, WFP is developing new credible selection criteria which will be applied to new partners; D) Degrees of access: WFP is classifying areas (from "free and unfettered," which means rigorous monitoring, to "no access," with the Afgooye corridor being the most difficult). WFP sub-offices are now implementing access/monitoring plans. Food distributions in Bay and Lower Shabelle have been suspended because the risk to monitoring staff is too high (DED Abdulla noted that WFP may need to reinstitute distributions after the January harvest); E) Logistics supply chain: An improved vetting process in selecting transporters thru a transportation selection committee has been established. The committees will allocate distribution accordingly (at the beginning of the month, the logistics unit will review contracts and produce a report at the end of the month on how much each transporter received. If any transporter gets "out of balance," a corrective balance will be instituted immediately. The system will be put in place with the first report issued at the end of November 2009). In early 2010, WFP plans to revise its transportation manual to strengthen it. UN ROME 00000077 004 OF 004 F) Information-sharing: The CO will be more proactive in keeping UN partners informed, actively engage with donors and enhance its relationship with the TFG. -------------- -------------- Recent Declarations by Al-Shabaab and Other Groups -------------- -------------- ¶7. (SBU) DED Abdulla showed three maps of areas controlled by Al-Shabaab (electronic copies can be obtained by contacting USUN-Rome's Harriet Spanos at SpanosH@state.gov). Uncertain as to how its operations will be impacted by recent declarations by Al-Shabaab or other related groups (for example, one based in Kismayo with believed ties to Afghanistan has asked WFP to empty out its warehouses by January 1, 2010),WFP is in the process of developing contingency plans. If restrictions worsen, WFP plans to cease all procurement exercises and operations in Lower Juba and Shabelle, which could result in IDP movements across to Dadaab Camp in Kenya. Despite a longer and costlier transit as well as a higher risk of piracy, WFP is also looking to ramp up plans to transport commodities through Bossaso Port in lieu of Mogadishu if WFP is no longer able to operate in Al-Shabaab-controlled territories. Reduced access of WFP to these areas would result in a halving of WFP's 3.4 million beneficiary caseload. DED Abdulla assured that WFP would fully consult with all stakeholders (UN/international humanitarian community, donors, and neighboring governments) prior to embarking on any operational changes. WFP/HQ awaits further analysis from the CO and Nairobi-based partners that is expected to take place December 6-7. GLOVER