VZCZCXRO3703
RR RUEHRN
DE RUEHKI #1362/01 2410830
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 290830Z AUG 06
FM AMEMBASSY KINSHASA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4687
INFO RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 4950
RUEHKM/AMEMBASSY KAMPALA 4574
RUEHRN/USMISSION UN ROME
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 2067
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0441
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KINSHASA 001362
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
AID/W FOR DCHA/FFP TMCRAE AND CMUTAMBA; NAIROBI FOR ECA/FFP NESTES;
KAMPALA FOR RFFPO DSUTHER
AFREA AFRGHAI AHANS AMENGHETTI ARALTE
BSILVERS DCHAAA DCHACMM DCHADG DCHAOFDA DCHAPPM DCHAPPMAMS DCHAPVC
ECLESCERI GKACHRA JBORNS JESCALONA
JHASSE JMAJERNIK KHUBER KODONNELL LBARBOUR LWERCHICK LWHITLEY
MAWILLIAMS NNICHOLSON OAAT PEBALAKRISHNAN PMOHAN PPCDCO PPCMCA PPCP
RLEE SBRADLEY SECPSP SPARKS THOMPSON
TLAVELLE TRASH WHENNING
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID EAGR ETRD PREF CG
SUBJECT: USAID/FFP MONITORING MISSION TO CENTRAL KATANGA
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SUMMARY
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1. Kinshasa-based Regional Food for Peace Officer (RFFPO) James F.
Conway traveled to Southern and Central Katanga Province of the
Democratic Republic of Congo August 11-18, 2006 to evaluate the food
security situation, particularly of Internally Displaced Persons
(IDPs), and to monitor USAID-supported food assistance programs.
RFFPO spent a day each in Mitwaba and Dubie, and additional days in
Likasi, Bulanda and Mulingweshi. In addition, the RFFPO visited NGO
offices in Lubumbashi of Action Against Hunger (ACF), Medecins Sans
Frontiers (MSF) Holland and Belgium, Food for the Hungry
International (FHI), PACT, HAS/WFP, AirServ, the United Methodist
Committee on Relief (UMCOR), PRODAS, and World Vision to get a feel
for their joint programming and coverage of health and food security
aspects of the vulnerable populations, as well as the linkages
between their emergency and recovery programs. Food storerooms of
FHI and WFP were visited to see their food flow situation (i.e.
their ability to manage the food pipeline to meet projected needs),
their local purchase efforts, and the pre-rainy season efforts to
supply and pre-position stocks.
2. Katanga province is at a unique moment of peace, with no
significant post-electoral violence. Large numbers of Mai Mai have
demobilized with their leader Gideon or otherwise returned to
civilian life, and many IDPs are returning to their villages of
origin to plant before the rainy season starts. Residual militia
groups have not been active in recent months. The NGO GOAL is
investigating some displacement caused by Congolese Armed Forces
(FARDC) movements. Humanitarian strategies are moving from a
strictly emergency response to a recovery footing.
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Mai Mai situation
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3. Mai Mai militia, formed as village self-defense groups in central
Katanga, were not integrated into the FARDC. When Gideon turned
himself over to MONUC on May 12, 2006 to be demobilized, some Mai
Mai accompanied him, while others turned to indiscriminate
rampaging. This disruption caused tens of thousands of persons to be
displaced to Mutabi/Dubie, Mpweto, Mitwaba, Kasungeji and Sampwe,
called locally the "polygon of death." Some other IDPs went north to
Kongolo, Moba, Kalemie and Kabalo.
4. Fields and crops were left abandoned, bridges were down and
access roads were seasonally impassable. WFP initially conducted an
airlift operation to provide food, but subsequent funding was not
available and food in the WFP sub-office in Lubumbashi was in short
supply. IDPs were not getting a regular daily sustenance ration,
and local inhabitants began to share their meager stocks with their
fellow tribesmen. MSF Holland in Mitwaba resorted to buying on the
local market in Lubumbashi and providing a half-ration. WFP did
manage to get some trucks through, and by August dry season roads
became passable. Supplies were topped up and villagers are being
repaid the food they "loaned" to the IDPs. The WFP pipeline became
fully adequate, and WFP is now pre-positioning village stocks for
the coming rainy season in the "polygon" cities.
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IDP situation
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5. An estimated one-third of the approximately 200,000 IDPS have
returned to their villages of origin encouraged by; a) promise of a
three-month food ration there; b) desire to plant before the rains
begin in order not to lose the major harvest of the year; and c)
integrated recovery programs being initiated in their villages of
origin.
6. The cooperation strategy between relief and development providers
in the polygon cities to which the IDPs fled involves an integrated
package of activities. These services are available to villagers as
well as IDPs. All activities are supported indirectly by MONUC,
which provides security through a regional base in Mitwaba supported
by troops from Benin. WFP also supplies food to ACF for their
supplemental and therapeutic feeding centers (SFC and TFC); acutely
malnourished are supported in the TFCs and the severely malnourished
KINSHASA 00001362 002 OF 002
in the SFCs. ACF is also about to launch a system of Mobile Feeding
Centers (MFC) to reach out in various surrounding villages to the
chronically malnourished. MSF, using their own resources, works in
village health clinics to service vaccination needs as well as
provide a whole spectrum of health services in the area to deal with
everything from infections to malaria. At times, and depending on
their local strategy and funding, MSF also provides potable water
and sanitation equipment. WFP contracts with local NGOs such as the
AASF (Association des Agriculteurs sans Frontiers) in Dubie and ACP
(Action Against Poverty) in Mitwaba to carry out food distribution
and warehousing, and to provide training in agriculture, food
security and women's empowerment. WFP recently signed an agreement
with Concern to provide commodity and cash support for returnee
villages in a recovery-development mode, and Concern will now
provide an even wider spectrum of recovery/development services in
the villages to which IDPs return. Village committees will be formed
for housing, health, and educational actions.
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WFP Role
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7. The WFP Sub-Office in Lubumbashi covers activities in the seven
districts of Katanga province through food provided to their
Protracted Relief and Recovery Operation (PRRO 10288). FFP provides
65% of this food at the moment. The WFP warehouse in Lubumbashi
receives truckloads of food directly from Durban, South Africa,
arriving via paved roads the whole way. Current stocks as of August
17 include 2,982 MT of cornmeal from the USA, 534 MT of yellow split
peas from the USA, and 69 MT of Canola Oil from Canada, with more
trucks arriving each day. WFP was also dispatching trucks each day,
and RFFPO believes that WFP is supplying all the IDP villages to the
best of their ability.
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Recommendations
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8. WFP should make local purchase a viable option by allowing funds
in the sub-offices to be used to purchase smaller quantities from
local farmers. Minimum quality specifications can be maintained.
The current WFP thinking on decentralized purchases requires large
quantities that can only be provided by middle-men and companies who
often buy at low prices from the farmers. MSF in Dubie carried out a
local purchase when WFP was not flexible enough to do so.
9. Trucking sub-contracting to final delivery points should be done
with many partners by WFP to retain flexibility and availability.
10. More pre-positioning of foods can be done in the dry season when
transport rates are lowest but this would require WFP to plan ahead
and be more organized.
11. Airdropped food, as in Dubie, should not be held for long
periods, waiting for a complete ration basket, before being
distributed. It should be moved immediately for distribution to the
people.
12. Recovery programs must be launched in Katanga in tune with
continued peace and preparations for the newly-elected government to
assume office.
Meece