Assistance to the Palestinian people – Emergency report on OPT – WFP report (excerpts)

WFP Emergency Report No. 2 of 2004

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A) Middle East and Central Asia: 1) Iran 2) Afghanistan, (3) Palestinian Territories

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(3) Palestinian Territories 

(a) In the last two weeks of December there was a suicide bombing in Tel Aviv, aerial attacks in Gaza and serious incursions in the West Bank and southern Gaza. The situation was particularly severe in Nablus, where many sections of the city remained under curfew for three weeks to this date. Closure of the city entrances has also been strict, formidably hampering movement. It is reported that the Israeli incursion into the city resulted in the killing of 19 Palestinians, the total destruction of five Palestinian homes, and the partial destruction of 60 homes rendering 20 families homeless. Another 20 families are displaced because their buildings are under the danger of total collapse. This has urged the WFP to prop up its operations in the city, as many affected families are in dire need for emergency assistance. Also, the situation has put limitations on WFP activities and have a stressful impact on the working conditions of staff.

(b) Under EMOP 10190.1 a total quantity of some 5049 MT of mixed commodities consisting of wheat flour, sugar oil and lentils were distributed in the West Bank and Gaza Strip to some 287,927 beneficiaries in the PT during the month of December.

(c) A quantity of some 7803.65 MT of wheat flour, 73.6 MT of vegetable oil, 500 MT of lentils and 838.5 MT of sugar arrived in the PT through the port of Ashdod and Haifa during the month of December. The custom strike over the past three months in Israel has finally officially ended. Despite the strikes, the WFP has not faced major delays of shipments and thus the operations have been able to run smoothly.

(d) The receipt of 8940 MT of wheat flour from the US Food-for-Peace Program will facilitate the smooth and timely progression of the current EMOP. Previous worries of facing a shortfall between March and April are allayed, as this contribution will be sufficient to cover the needs of the beneficiaries until June 2004.

(e) 12. 4.45 million USD was donated by the US Food-for-Peace Program, which amounts to 8940 MT in-kind.

(f) In the West Bank, the Catholic Relief Services have picked up on Food-for-Work and Food-for-Training projects throughout the month of December in Bethlehem, Jenin and Hebron governorates.

(g) A Letter of Extension (LoE) was signed with the Palestinian Agriculture Relief Committees (PARC) to start the second phase of the operation in January 2004.

(h) The ICRC has officially terminated its operations in the West Bank; the Urban Voucher Program (UVP) and Rural Relief Program (RRP). WFP has finalized the negotiations with the Ministry of Social Affairs (MSA) to start the hand-over in the urban areas. The MSA will be looking for new warehouses in Jericho and Ramallah since current ones have failed to meet WFP criteria. The negotiations between WFP and the MSA on supervising the distribution of food rations to Hardship Social Cases in rural areas are still in process.

(i) WFP is negotiating with the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) on a small FFW/FFT pilot project to take place in Ramallah, Tubas or Salfit. The area will comprise of 10 to 18 villages involving 10,000 to 15,000 individual beneficiaries.

(j) Several coordination meetings with the Ministry of Agriculture directors took place in the northern governorates of the West Bank to prepare for the implementation of the olive oil project

(k) In the Gaza Strip, Ard El-Insan has completed its first round of distribution to malnourished children and their families (5000) through their five warehouses in the Gaza Strip.

(l) The Directorate of Fisheries at the Ministry of Agriculture completed its first round of distribution to 1400 fishermen. Moreover, beneficiaries of Bedouin in the Gaza Strip were selected and are ready to receive their monthly allocation before mid January 2004.

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Note: All tonnage figures in this report refer to metric tonnes.

END Emergency Report No 2, 2004