Operational requirements: OPT – WFP update (excerpts)

WFP'S OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS,

SHORTFALLS AND PRIORITIES FOR 2007

October 2007

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Early warning update

WFP monitors natural hazards and socio-political trends, and provides latest information in the form of early warning updates.

LOCATION – DETERIORATING TREND

MIDDLE EAST – OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY

Major humanitarian needs caused by continuing violence, restricted movement

• The capacity to provide basic social services continues to be severely limited, with the potential for further deterioration in the coming months due to lack of access, supplies, funding and international support.

• A large part of the population in certain areas remains food insecure. As important industries are collapsing, agriculture is becoming less and less viable as a source of income, reducing the availability of food and resources to purchase it.

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Part II: Operational Priorities

High Profile Operations

Many high profile operations also face critical pipeline breaks in the next three months.

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Occupied Palestinian Territory

PRRO 10387.1 – Protracted Relief Operation for Non-Refugee Palestinians

September 2007 – August 2009

Under the PRRO, WFP supports the most vulnerable and food-insecure, non-refugee population in the West Bank and Gaza who have been affected by a steady decline of living standards, by providing food rations through general distribution (40 percent) food-for-work and food-fortraining programmes (60 percent).

• While pipeline breaks appear imminent, recently received contributions have not been programmed, and may alleviate these through the end of the year.

• The economy of the Gaza strip is deteriorating rapidly. Due to road closures and limited crossing points available since mid-June, only basic essentials (including food and medicine) are entering Gaza. There are virtually no exports from the strip, leading to the near collapse of Gaza’s industry and agricultural sectors.

• Over 70,000 jobs have been lost in the past three months and incomes for daily workers are falling. Pregnant and lactating women, children, the sick and elderly are the most acutely affected due to their higher nutritional needs. There is a threat of economic collapse as a result of the lack of commercial activity and growing dependence on humanitarian supplies.

• As import-dependent industries are collapsing, many farmers are having to choose between harvesting their goods to dump on the local market or leaving their products to rot in the fields as agriculture is becoming less and less viable as a source of income.

In the West Bank, high-level political optimism has yet to be reflected in the lives of the growing number of poor people. The economic fragmentation, which is linked to internal movement restrictions associated with the near completion of the barrier, is leading to a progressive deterioration in living standards in many areas.

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