WFP. The resourcing level amounts to 62% of total requirements for the PRRO and 55% for the Country Programme.

Transcription

1 NIGER WFP Situation Report 14 July HIGHLIGHTS Since the beginning of 2006, 18'471 metric tonnes of food have been dispatched by WFP through its various operations (including: EMOP, PRRO and Country Programme) benefiting a total of nearly 1.4 million beneficiaries to date. Based on the preliminary results of the SAP, INS, SIMA, WFP, FEWS-NET, FAO and the European Commission joint food security assessment 1, intensive discussions have been held so as to adapt the food aid strategy and address the situation of the 1.8 million people severely food insecure. Agreed plan of actions within the National Food Security Mechanism (NFSM) include general food distribution to 700,000 beneficiaries, discharge ration through therapeutic and supplementary feeding centres to 1.9 million beneficiaries and cereal banks (200,000 beneficiaries). Considering current in-country stocks, commodity in transit and scheduled arrivals in August, September and October, WFP will cover the PRRO requirements including additional food commodities required to cover the agreed plan of actions within the NFSM. The blanket supplementary feeding operation targeting children under 3 years old is now planned to start early August, partners have now completed the recruitment process, next week training session will be held followed by a registration and sensitization phase. The delayed start of the rainy season is raising concerns over this year s crop, especially millet. Seasonal rains are on average 2 to 4 weeks late over large portions of southern Niger. Crop recovery will strongly depend from the performance of rainfall throughout the month of July. Even though there are indications that seasonal rains may be about to start areas of south western Niger are likely to experience a shortened rainy season this year. Joint markets monitoring by SIMA, Fews Net and WFP indicates that over the month of June cereal prices are stable thanks to a regular supply mainly coming from imports. Current prices are below the last five years average. The resourcing level amounts to 62% of total requirements for the PRRO and 55% for the Country Programme. 1 SAP : Système d Alerte Précoce (Early Warning System), INS: Institut National de la Statistique (National Statistics Institute), SIMA : Système d Information sur les Marchés Agricoles (Agricultural Markets Information System). The European Commission partially funded the assessment and the French Cooperation partially pre-financed the activities. 1

2 2. SECURITY Niger is under security phase 0, with the exception of Agadez region which is under phase PROGRAMMING ISSUES 3.1 Target populations/beneficiaries The SAP, INS, SIMA, WFP, FEWS-NET, FAO and the European Commission joint food security assessment indicates that 1.8 million people are severely food insecure and that 2 million people are moderately food insecure in Niger. Within the most vulnerable group, the study identified more than people particularly vulnerable having the following general characteristics: - exhaustion of household cereal stocks - very poor food consumption - no livestock - no resources to buy food These vulnerable households have the specific characteristic to be led by women or widows/widowers. In terms of nutrition, the increase in admissions to supplementary and therapeutic feeding centres keeps rising as expected. UNICEF records an increase on average of newly admitted children per week. So far since the beginning of the year severely and moderately malnourished children have been admitted in therapeutic and supplementary feeding centres (see Graph). Evolution in the number of admissions of severely and moderately malnourished children in therapeutic and supplementary feeding centers January- July 2006 Number of admissions expected actuals Weeks 3.2 Food Distributions Since the beginning of the year, through the different operations (EMOP, PRRO and CP) more than 790'000 beneficiaries have received food aid through therapeutic and supplementary feeding centres; rural development activities have benefited to more than 495'000 beneficiaries; some 57'000 children have received food rations through school feeding activity; take home rations distributed to mothers of girls enrolled in schools benefited to an additional beneficiaries. Overall, since the beginning of the year, WFP has distributed about 18'471 MT of food commodities to nearly 1.4 million beneficiaries. Based on the joint food security assessment (refer to following section 3.3 Assessments), 2

3 intensive discussions have been held to review and adapt the current food aid strategy. The agreed plan of actions within the NFSM include general food distribution to 700,000 beneficiaries, discharge ration through therapeutic and supplementary feeding centres to 1.9 million beneficiaries and cereal banks (200,000 beneficiaries). In a joint endeavour food stocks from WFP, the National Food Security Stock (SNS) and the Niger Marketing Board (OPVN) will cover the MT required to reach the most vulnerable households during the lean season (see table) Under this plan of action WFP will distribute MT over the coming month through October. WFP will cover 50% of the general food distribution requirements, 60% of the discharge ration requirements and 50% of the cereal banks requirements. No WFP stock will be devoted to subsidized sales MT will be made available through the SNS and MT through the OPVN. Tonnage Beneficiaries Actions SNS WFP OPVN Total General food distribution Discharge rations Subsidised sales Cereal Banks Total The overall plan for general food distribution per department has been approved during the NFSM meeting held on 14 July. (see map). The general food distribution will consist of a first round of 100 kg of cereals per household and a second round of 50 kg of cereals per household. Completion date is estimated to be mid-october. 3

4 The finalization of the plan of distribution for the discharge ration (50 kg cereals, 7.5 kg pulses, 2.5 kg veg. oil) for children who have completed treatment is almost completed. WFP awaits feedbacks from some partners. Distributions will take place through the 423 operational therapeutic and supplementary feeding centres in the Tahoua, Zinder, Maradi and Diffa regions from the last week of July until mid-october. The blanket supplementary feeding operation (12.5 kg of CSB/UNIMIX, 1.25kg of oil and 0.94 kg of sugar per child per month) targeting children under 3 years old is now planned to start early August, partners have now completed the recruitment process, next week training session will be held followed by a registration and sensitization phase MT targeting beneficiaries to reinforce existing cereal banks are currently being dispatched on site. The remaining MT ( additional beneficiaries) will be used to create new Cereal Banks in July. 3.3 Assessments The preliminary results of SAP, INS, SIMA, WFP, FEWS-NET, FAO and the European Commission joint food security assessment have been endorsed by NFSM on 7 July. The assessment evaluates and characterizes food insecurity of households based on a representative sample (at the departmental level) of households. Based on the statistics analysis of the three dimensions of food security, namely availability, access and utilisation of food, the results of the study shows that: 15% of the households are severely food insecure ; 15% of the households are moderately food insecure; 29% of the households are at risk; 41% of the households are food secure. En sécurité alimentaire 41% Insécurité alimentaire sévère 15% Insécurité alimentaire modérée 15% A risque 29% Extrapolated over a population of 12 million inhabitants, the results indicate that 1.8 million people are severely food insecure and that 2 million people are moderately food insecure. In addition to that, 61% of the households do not have food stocks, 32% assert that they reduced the number of daily meals and 57% say that they reduced the quantity of their usual daily food intake. The map below shows the percentage of food insecure households by departments: 4

5 The results of the assessment were well received by all NFSM stakeholders. The study is perceived as giving a comprehensive picture of the food security situation. It will be used as a baseline and the main programming tool by the NFSM for the planning of food aid in the coming month. Ongoing agricultural season Rainfalls have been weak or moderate in the major part of the country and are in deficit compared to last year s situation. As a consequence, the agricultural season has been starting slowly and is on average 2 to 4 weeks late (see graph). Niger: sowing coverage N u m b e r o f v i l l a g e s April May June July Source: Ministry of Agriculture; Data for July: as of 10 July 2006 Five years average 5

6 On average only 60% of the villages have sowed by 10 July according to the Ministry of Agriculture. The situation in the Zinder region, which accounts on average for 20 to 25% of the national production, is of particular concern as only 44% of the villages have sowed to date. Crop recovery will strongly depend on the levels of rainfall throughout the second half of July. The Ministry of Agriculture will undertake with FAO support in early August a mid-year assessment of the agricultural season. WFP will update its contingency plan in September. 4. RESOURCING AND PIPELINE PRRO Strengthening the Means of Subsistence of Vulnerable Populations and Targeted Assistance for Malnourished Children- began in April and will last for 18 months, through September With a total budget of 37.3 million US dollars, the operation will reach 2.9 million beneficiaries, over 70% of which are malnourished children and their families, with 46'950 MT of food. Contributions totalling million US dollars have been received, representing 62% of the PRRO requirements. The current shortfall is million US dollars or 38% of the PRRO requirements. The resourcing level of the CP amounts to million US dollars representing 55% of its total requirements. The current shortfall is million US dollars or 45% of the CP requirements. Considering the newly agreed plan of actions and the growing concerns on the on-going agricultural season, WFP will elaborate a budget revision (increased food basket) to adequately address the deteriorating food security situation in Niger. 5. LOGISTICS The commodities in transit as of 13 July are the followings: Commodities in transit as of 13 July 2006 Origin Commodity Mode of transport At point of origin In transit Received at EDP Total MT Cotonou CSB Truck 5 339,95 430, , ,55 OIL Truck 898,79 61,22 835,28 896,50 Total 6 238,74 491, , ,05 The stock situation for all projects as of 13 July is the following: Régions BISCUIT CEREALS CORN MEAL CSB OIL PULSES SALT SUGAR Agadez 273,47 2,54 20,19 0,5 Diffa 445,93 14,98 14,7 3,95 Dosso 803,05 Maradi 526,34 644,98 971,07 210,96 201,21 3,26 82,8 Niamey 2 106,52 351,7 407,57 428,15 39,63 Tahoua 1 087,79 985, ,36 176,23 215,32 3,35 306,35 Tillabery 729,73 Zinder 0,15 319,85 322, ,54 115,32 396,25 4,65 260,14 Grand Total 0, , , ,67 927, ,81 11,26 693,37 Considering current in-country stocks, commodity in transit and scheduled arrivals in August, September and October, WFP will cover the PRRO requirements including additional food commodities required to cover the agreed plan of actions within the NFSM. 6

7 6. COORDINATION/EXTERNAL RELATIONS Many key coordination meetings were held within the NFSM during the period under review. These meetings allowed to endorse the preliminary results of the SAP, INS, SIMA, WFP, FEWS- NET, FAO and the European Commission joint food assessment. The major outcome of these meetings was to agree on the necessity of the general food distribution, on the planning of the general food distribution and on the commitment from the Government to provide the food and financial resources necessary for implementing the Government s part of the plan. On 14 July, the UN Country Team met with the NGO Community for a briefing on the latest developments. An exchange of information on food security and nutrition took place among the participants. The UN Country Team and the NGOs agreed on the necessity to closely coordinate respective advocacy and resource mobilisation strategies. Communication focal points are to meet shortly to prepare a meeting with the Government on communication, advocacy and resource mobilisation issues. 7