WFP SUDAN EMOP 200027

2010 ACHIEVEMENTS/CHALLENGES
First Quarter (1 January 15 April)

OVERVIEW
The Emergency Operation in Sudan remains one of WFPs largest ongoing and complex emergencies. The combination of conflict, large-scale population displacement and poverty makes it one of the most challenging environments in which WFP operates. During 2010, WFP needs to assist close to 11 million food insecure people in Sudan by distributing some 764,000 metric tonnes (mt) of food assistance across the country. Compared with the previous year, the 2010 plan represents a significant increase, resulting from a rise in the number of people affected by drought or displaced by conflict in Southern, Western and Eastern Sudan during the second half of 2009. In terms of food security, the effects of last years drought as well as continued insecurity in 2010 have contributed to an earlier onset of the hunger season in 2010. In the first quarter, more households are food insecure compared to previous years, and food stocks are being depleted earlier than anticipated. With the rainy season approaching, seasonal food security and malnutrition are expected to worsen in the coming months.

2010 ACHIEVEMENTS FIRST QUARTER

SOUTHERN SUDAN Findings from the 2009 Annual Needs and Livelihood Assessment (ANLA) indicate that the food security situation in the region has further deteriorated. In response, WFP has scaled up its operational capacity to reach some 4.3 million beneficiaries, quadrupling its beneficiary caseload over last year. For March and April, and in advance of the elections, WFP distributed double rations in select locations, and reached 1.9 million people with 31,000 mt of food, some 80 percent of which was distributed directly by WFP. As part of its massive scale-up of assistance in Southern Sudan, WFP was required to ramp up its logistics capacity. Already this year, WFP has dispatched more than 95,000 mt of food to Southern Sudan in the first three months of 2010 which is more than the total amount WFP dispatched to the South in all of 2009. To augment storage capacity for pre-positioning in the South, 54 mobile storage tents were established in key locations. Pre-positioning allows WFP to avoid costly airdrops when roads become impassable and locations inaccessible during the rainy season. WFP has prepositioned, as of 9 April, 42,847 mt (or 74 percent of the total requirement) to final locations. DARFUR This year, some 4.6 million conflict-affected people require food assistance, the bulk of which will be assisted with monthly food rations through the general food distribution (GFD) programme. In addition to almost half a million children supported through food-for-education activities, approximately 500,000 malnourished women and children are being targeted through supplementary and blanket supplementary feeding (BFSP) programmes. BFSP is scheduled to begin in May as a preventative measure targeting children under five during the hunger season. Additionally, to reduce free food distributions, beneficiaries are being shifted from a 12 month GFD ration to seasonal support and targeted recovery activities. The milling voucher programme successfully piloted last year in North Darfur is being significantly expanded this year to include West and South Darfur. IDP sensitization on re-verification exercises is ongoing in several Darfur locations. The fifth round of the Darfur Food Security Monitoring System (FSMS) was completed during March. CENTRAL, EASTERN & THREES AREAS (CETA) WFP plans to assist more than 1.7 million people (over 80 percent to be reached through direct or government distributions) this year. At the end of February, WFP handed over to the government and parent teacher associations coverage of 90,000 schoolchildren. WFP also aims to implement various innovative programmes across the region including: cash voucher programmes targeting HIV/TB patients; carbon credit subsidised food-for-work activities; and connecting small-scale farmers to markets.

EMOP 200027: January - April 2010 Distribution Figures January people (mil) mt 2.60 33,672 0.23 4,106 0.44 3,000 3.30 40,730 February people (mil) mt 3.10 22,712 1.30 14,576 0.46 3,500 4.80 40,810 March/April* people (mil) mt 2.60 35,000 1.90 31,000 0.40 3,600 4.80 69,600

DARFUR SOUTH CETA Total

* In selected locations in the South and Darfur, double distributions were completed for March and April in advance of the elections. March final distribution figures are forthcoming and final April figures for all Sudan will be available in May.

RESOURCING UPDATE
WFPs 2010 Emergency Operation (EMOP 200027) requires US$897 million in funding. Thanks to contributions from the United States of America, Australia, Canada, Denmark, ECHO, Finland, France, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Norway, Switzerland and the UNs CHF, as of 9 April 2010 the EMOP is almost 56 percent funded.

2010 EMOP Donors

Shortfall

Australia Canada ECHO Finland France Ireland Italy Japan

USA CHF Japan Switzerland Ireland Norway

Canada Australia ECHO Finland France

Norway Switzerland CHF USA Shortfall

However, current shortfalls in Italy funding will result in significant breaks in WFP's Sudan food pipeline beginning in August, affecting WFP's operations across Sudan, including Darfur and the South.

The break occurs during the peak of the hunger season (May to September) when the population is at its most vulnerable in terms of food security, and the risk of malnutrition is at its highest, particularly among children under five. To avoid sudden disruptions in food assistance and to stretch stocks for as long as possible, WFP is prioritising certain life-saving/emergency activities while suspending/revising other planned assistance that WFP can no longer afford to support without additional resources. Strategies to stretch existing stocks allows WFP to reach beneficiaries until August. Beyond August, there will be no more WFP food assistance available.

PIPELINE BREAKS AND EXPECTED SHORTFALLS OF COMMODITIES

MITIGATING THE PIPELINE BREAK
WFP is revising its planned assistance to prioritise certain activities while suspending others.

Non-life saving activities will be suspended starting April/May until additional resources become available and they can resume; Certain life-saving/emergency activities will be prioritised while others will be either cut or reduced in plan.

Altogether, the prioritisation of activities will affect overall planned assistance to some 1.8 million people in Sudan, resulting in disruption of assistance or reduction in rations due to shortfalls of available resources. These cuts or reductions will make available more than 74,000 mt of food that will be prioritised towards life-saving/emergency activities. If contributions materialize in time, cuts in assistance may be avoided for some beneficiaries and activities. However, if the pipeline situation does not improve immediately WFP may be forced to cut even further.

PRIORITISING AND REVISING THE PLAN FOR 2010

In Southern Sudan, WFP is revising its targeted resident caseload under general food distribution from 2.5 million food insecure people (both severe and moderate) to 1.9 million who are now severely food insecure. WFP has suspended its country-wide support to Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) for some 30,000 ex-combatants (which includes rations for a family of five). Commissions in the North and South as well as donors have been informed. All food-for-training in Southern Sudan will be halted, affecting 56,800 people as well as an additional 10,500 beneficiaries in the Central, East and Three Areas. Food-for-education in central and eastern parts of Sudan will also be on hold for some 180,000 beneficiaries and WFPs Girls Incentive project in Southern Sudan aimed at assisting 81,000 schoolchildren will be suspended until further notice. Other activities affected will be institutional and some therapeutic feeding for caretakers and families of HIV/AIDS and TB patients affecting about 16,500 people. In Darfur, a pipeline break is expected in corn soya blend (CSB) beginning in June. As part of WFPs prioritisation effort, WFP will need to remove CSB from food-for-education rations in June (as schools will start in June) affecting some 450,000 schoolchildren in Darfur for a minimum of one month. This will allow WFP to reallocate CSB stock for its important blanket supplementary feeding programme (BSFP) that benefits some 450,000 children under the age of five during the critical hunger gap period. Additionally, the ration size for dried skimmed milk used in BFSP has been reduced from 20g to 10g, while the general food ration size of 62 percent will be maintained throughout the year.
For additional information please contact: WFPSudan.Information@wfp.org