HIGHLIGHTS

There has been an overall decrease in the number of refugees and internally displaced people in Sub-Saharan Africa requiring emergency food assistance. This is largely due to the attainment of self-sufficiency of many in Mozambique due to increased food production. Around 2 million people remain at heightened nutritional risk. This includes mainly people in Burundi, those affected by the crisis in Masisi, Eastern Zaire, and many in the Liberia/Sierra Leone region.

Angola Sustained peace is allowing an expansion of relief and rehabilitation activities throughout the country. However, over one million people are still estimated to require emergency assistance until March 1997. Nutritional surveys generally show low levels of wasting although the nutritional status of some population groups appears to be declining as a result of several factors including, loss of crops through vandalism and insecurity, the withdrawal of emergency general rations which continue to be phased out in many areas, and poor harvests in certain locations.

Burundi/Rwanda/Eastern Zaire Region With the exception of Burundi and the newly displaced from Eastern Zaire, the nutritional situation in the region appears to be stable. The escalation of violence in Burundi is now affecting virtually every province. Assessments are difficult so that the level of internal displacements are hard to assess. Many families are moving to Uvira, in Zaire and to Tanzania. Furthermore, numerous relief agency staff have been evacuated so that humanitarian aid deliveries are presently extremely limited. In Rwanda, the situation is stabilising further as returnees establish former subsistence patterns. There is however continuing insecurity in western areas bordering the Zairian camps. The most vulnerable population in Rwanda presently are refugees fleeing ethnic violence in the Masisi zone, and more recently, the Rutshuru zone of Eastern Zaire. Nutritional surveys show high levels of wasting amongst this refugee population. The nutritional situation of Rwandan refugees in Zaire and Tanzania is generally good, although there is continuing anxiety over host government statements regarding repatriation deadlines and the possible effects on food security of the ban on refugee movement and economic activities.

Liberia/Sierra Leone Region The recent violence in Monrovia has led to large-scale displacement to “safe” buildings or areas within the capital. The nutritional and health situation of many of those displaced has until recently been extremely precarious. Attacks on NGO property and general abuse of humanitarian principles by the warring factions has led to the decision by many agencies to significantly scale down relief and rehabilitation measures. Relief activities have largely been focussed upon Monrovia, although attention is now turning to rural areas where there are frequent anecdotal reports of high levels of food security. In contrast, the situation in Sierra Leone appears to be substantially improving where a relatively stable security situation is allowing for more effective humanitarian activities. Most recent nutritional surveys show much lower levels of malnutrition than those reported earlier in the year.

Mozambique Pellagra, which has been reported to be a problem, particularly in some districts of Tete Province, is reportedly under control due in part to the distribution of fortified blended foods. The total number of people estimated to require emergency food aid has decreased drastically because of increased food production in most areas.

Somalia A combination of insecurity, poor crops in some areas and the effect of the monsoon on food prices and trader access, is causing marked food insecurity in a number of areas. Although there have been no recent nutritional surveys, populations in Mogadishu, Baidoa, Kismayo, Bardera and, in particular, Middle and Lower Juba, are reportedly most affected. The situation is extreme in the Juba valley with large-scale displacements. Recent press reports speak of several thousand women and children, some severely malnourished, moving into Kismayo.

Sudan The nutritional and health situation of the displaced populations around Greater Khartoum continues to deteriorate; under-five mortality rates of 4110,0001 day (13x normal) are reported with malnutrition considered a primary cause. This is attributed to the gradual impoverishment of this population, many of whom have been displaced for up to eight years. In many areas of southern Sudan security has remained quite volatile in the previous two months. Operation Lifeline Sudan has continued to face financial and government imposed restrictions which have impeded programme activities. Two recent nutritional surveys on both resident populations and displaced camp populations found very high levels of wasting of 15-25%. With the advent of the hungry season (between June and August), it can be expected that levels of malnutrition may rise to similarly high levels amongst displaced and conflict affected populations, particularly where current constraints on OLS are preventing targeted relief measures.

ADEQUACY OF FACTORS AFFECTING NUTRITION

Factor

Burundi/Rwanda Region

Angola

Burundi

Rwanda

Tanzania

Zaire

Liberia

Mozambique

Sierra Leone

Somalia

Sudan

Uganda

Zaire-Masisi

1. Degree of accessibility to large population groups due to conflict

X

O

O

O

O

X

2. General resources

- food (gen. stocks)

X

?

- non-food

X

?

?X

?

3. Food pipeline

X

X

?

4. Non-food pipeline

X

?

?

?X

?

5. Logistics

O

X

O

O

O

O

O

0

X

6. Personnel*

X

O

O

X

7. Camp factors**

O

na

O

O

0

na

8. Rations - kcals

X

O

O

?X

?X

- variety/micronutrients***

X

O

O

?X

?X

9. Immunization

X

?

O

X

X

O

?X

X

10. Information

X

O

O

O

X

Adequate O Problem in some areas X Problem ? Don't know
? Don't know, but probably adequate ?X Don't know, but probably inadequate na not applicable

* This refers to both adequate presence and training of NGOs and local staff where security allows.

** This refers to problems in camps such as registration, water/sanitation, crowding, etc.

*** Rations may be inadequate due to inaccessibility.

Note: Situations for which detailed information is available are included in this table. Other potentially critical situations (e.g. Ethiopia or Shaba, Zaire) are not currently included due to a lack of detailed information. They will be included as more information becomes available.