Highlights

Repatriation and the attainment of self-sufficiency in Central African Republic and for the Togolese and Malian refugees have meant that emergency operations in these areas have ended. Unusually heavy rains in Ethiopia, Sudan, Uganda, Kenya and Somalia are causing widespread flooding and leading to the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people in the affected regions. Whenever possible, humanitarian aid is delivered by boat and helicopter. These floods have also wiped out crops in many particularly food insecure areas, and will most likely lead to an increased need for humanitarian assistance in the long term.

Angola A deteriorating security situation in Angola is leading to fresh population displacements and affecting humanitarian aid programmes. Prior to this, there had been significant spontaneous return of refugees as peace appeared to be holding. Humanitarian agencies are increasingly reluctant to commit large scale resources for rehabilitation activities in case insecurity forces sudden closure of programmes.

The Great Lakes Insecurity in Burundi is still widespread and continues to lead to significant displacement. Regroupment camps are being disbanded where security allows, but the nutritional situation in many of the camps is very poor. Levels of wasting in recent surveys were over 13% and measles immunisation coverage was low. There are also some reports of alarming nutritional situations amongst resident populations in areas of conflict. The war in Congo/Brazzaville is now formally over. Many people have been displaced across national borders or within the country and an estimated 650,000 people will need humanitarian assistance. The total number of refugees and IDPs in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is now much reduced as the majority of Rwandan and Burundi refugees have returned home. However, violence still continues in Eastern DRC and the nutritional situation in many of the areas affected remains poor. In Rwanda, the return of over one million refugees and escalating insecurity in many prefectures is placing a considerable strain on food security. It is likely that the nutritional situation across much of the country will deteriorate until the next harvest in January and that the demand for food for work projects will increase until then. The nutritional situation of refugees in the Tanzanian camps is generally adequate and stable, with levels of wasting at or below 5%.

Ethiopia The nutritional situation in the Somali refugees camps in the east is stable but poor with wasting levels varying from 8.2% to 19.2%. The blanket supplementary feeding programmes in the camps are helping to prevent any nutritional deterioration in spite of inadequate general ration deliveries in recent months. However, the Sudanese refugees camps in the west have experienced a marked decline in nutritional status in recent months. Levels of wasting were measured between 10.8-27.2%, indicating an acute emergency in some camps. Much of this deterioration has been attributed to inadequate provision of general rations.

Kenya Prior to flooding in the Dadaab area, the nutritional situation in the camps for Somali refugees had improved markedly since the previous survey in January 1997. The blanket supplementary feeding programme for under fives had contributed significantly to this situation. The nutrition situation in Kakuma is better than previously thought.

Liberia/Sierra Leone As the peace process gathers momentum, there is an increasing spontaneous return of refugees to Liberia. The new-found stability has meant that most areas of the country are now accessible and that food security and nutritional status are much improved for the majority of the population. Some agencies are experiencing difficulties importing food and non-food items into Sierra Leone due to an embargo imposed after a coup d'etat. In-country stocks are reportedly depleted. There are large numbers still displaced by the recent fighting and levels of wasting of 13% have been measured in several locations.

Somalia The recent floods in Somalia have caused extensive damage to crops and housing and has displaced hundreds of thousands of people. This is compounding food insecurity caused largely by poor harvests in the grain producing belt of the country and insecurity. It is anticipated that many households will remain at nutritional risk until the next harvest in June 1998.

Sudan Emergency conditions in the drought affected areas of rural Red Sea State still prevail in spite of the distribution of a general ration and selective feeding programmes. There is also a high reported prevalence of vitamin A deficiency. Deteriorating security in parts of Southern Sudan has led to further displacements and continues to jeopardise humanitarian interventions. In spite of the considerable efforts of those involved in Operation Lifeline Sudan, levels of wasting as high as 26% are still being found in camps for the displaced.

Afghanistan Although fighting is still perilously close to Kabul, the nutritional status of the capital's population has remained more or less stable for the past two years. This can largely be attributed to feeding programmes and the subsidised bakery programme established by humanitarian agencies. However, the news from Hazarajat region is worrying, with reports of over 160,000 people facing starvation due to poor harvests and a blockade on all items, including food aid, imposed by the Taliban.

Adequacy of Factors Affecting Nutrition

Factor		Angola	Burundi	Rwanda	Tanzania	Dem Rep Congo	Liberia	Sierra Leone	Somalia	Sudan	N. Uganda
1. Degree of accessibility to large population groups due to conflict		O	X	O	Ö	O	Ö	X	X	O	X
2. General resources
	- food (gen. stocks)	Ö	Ö	Ö	Ö	Ö	Ö	X	Ö	X	?x
	- non-food	X	?Ö	?Ö	Ö	Ö	Ö	X	?	X	?x
3. Food pipeline		Ö	Ö	Ö	Ö	Ö	?Ö	Ö	?Ö	X	?
4. Non-food pipeline		X	Ö	Ö	Ö	Ö	?Ö	Ö	Ö	?x	?
5. Logistics		O	X	O	Ö	O	Ö	X	X	O	X
6. Personnel*		Ö	X	?Ö	Ö	O	Ö	Ö	Ö	Ö	Ö
7. Camp factors**		Ö	X	?Ö	Ö	Ö	Ö	?	O	O	X
8. Rations
	- kcals	Ö	X	O	Ö	O	Ö	X	X	O	X
	- variety/micronutrients***	Ö	X	O	Ö	O	Ö	X	X	O	X
9. Immunization		Ö	X	Ö	Ö	O	X	X	X	X	X
10. Information		Ö	X	X	Ö	O	Ö	X	X	O	X

	Ö	Adequate
	O	Problem in some areas
	X	Problem
	?	Don't know
	?Ö	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.