Status of 2000 Food Aid Needs and Shortfalls
Overview
World Food Programme May00
Complete Report at WFP

The World Food Programme would like to thank donors for their generous contributions thus far in 2000, which amount to US $680 million. WFP has used these resources to mobilise some 1.64 million tons of food distributed to needy people.

Even though the level of contributions has increased compared to the same level last year, food aid needs around the world have gone up even faster. Donors have responded quickly to severe drought conditions in the Greater Horn of Africa, as the international community tries to avert a humanitarian disaster. However, needs may continue to increase if rains are poor again this season. Meanwhile, violence persists in other parts of Africa, including Sierra Leone, Angola, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, driving relief requirements to even higher levels. At the same time, food aid needs in Asia have not gone down with significant requirements in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and Afghanistan - to name only two countries - demanding attention from the humanitarian community.

 Overall Contributions to WFP
(1999 and 2000)

Natural Disasters Creating Higher Food Aid Needs

Despite improved early warning systems, global food aid requirements as a result of natural disasters have increased sharply in recent years. In the last five years, drought-related food aid needs alone have almost quadrupled.

In the Greater Horn of Africa alone, WFP is providing relief food aid to some eight million victims of natural disasters. WFP is responding to the emerging drought crisis through new and existing relief operations, as well as through development activities, which have been vital in disaster mitigation efforts. (see special Horn of Africa section later in the text). In her function as Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Drought, the WFP Executive Director toured the region to assess global humanitarian needs and develop recommendations to the United Nations Secretary-General to address the emerging crisis. As a result of her mission, WFP launched a broad-based request for resources for the affected areas, and a WFP staff member was appointed Humanitarian Co-ordinator for the region.

Drought has not just struck Africa. Extremely dry weather patterns have also resulted in food shortages in the Middle East, and WFP continues to implement drought relief operations in Syria and Jordan. Afghanistan, India, Iran, Pakistan have also been hit by drought conditions. Earlier in the year, massive flooding caused devastation in Mozambique and Madagascar, and people in Central America are still recovering from the destruction of Hurricane Mitch.

WFP’s development activities in all of these areas are absolutely essential in mitigating the effects of natural disasters, and reducing the need for emergency assistance after a catastrophe strikes. Unfortunately, global funding for WFP’s development activities has decreased slightly this year.

WFP Drought Operations Requirements (tons)

Shift to Protracted Relief and Recovery Operations Results in Large Shortfalls

As highlighted in previous editions of the Yellow Pages, the expansion of this programme category to bridge the gap between relief and recovery has resulted in a substantial increase in both the number and needs of protracted relief and recovery operations (PRROs). Since 1999, 15 emergency operations have been converted into PRROs, including large operations such as those in the Great Lakes, Indonesia, Central America, and the Caucasus. These operations represent almost half of year 2000 PRRO requirements. PRRO funding has been further strained by greatly increased requirements in long-standing PRROs, including operations in Angola and the West Africa Coastal Region.

q In early 1999, WFP implemented eighteen PRROs; now, the number has leaped to 32. Overall PRRO needs have doubled in this period.

q The expected decrease in emergency operation needs has not occurred – global requirements for EMOPs have remained high.

q Serious food shortages are looming for major humanitarian operations, and WFP urges donors to increase their generosity towards PRROs.

 

2000 PRROs Requirements vs. Contributions
(as of 15may00)

Directed Contributions

The percentage of fully untied contributions remains very low. Thus far, only six percent of all contributions to emergency operations were untied – that is, without restrictions on recipient operations, area of purchase, etc. Some donors have even begun targeting their contributions to specific activities within relief operations, making it difficult to use scarce PRRO funding most effectively. Additional untied funds would allow WFP to react to crises – such as a natural disaster, or sudden influx of refugees – more immediately, while the normal resourcing process gets underway.

Resources Mobilization Strategy

Since 1999, WFP has been working on a Review of its Resources Mobilization Strategy. A number of areas have been identified where WFP funding could be improved to enable the Programme to more effectively respond to the needs of the hungry poor, with the aim of enhancing the predictability, flexibility and security of WFP resources.

A number of measures have been reviewed to encourage more funding for development, accelerate donor response to emergencies, and enhance partnership with donors on the Food Aid Convention.

Three informal consultations have been held with the WFP Executive Board. As a result, a Resources Mobilization Strategy Paper will be submitted for approval to the third session of the Executive Board in October 2000.

Source: http://www.wfp.org/res/overview.htm