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

World Food Programme Emergency Report 2005

Issued Weekly by the United Nations World Food Programme

Report No. 46 / 2005 – Date 11 November 2005

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(B) Middle East,Central Asia and Eastern Europe:  (1) Afghanistan (2) Occupied Palestinian Territories (3) Pakistan

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(2) Occupied Palestinian Territories

(a) The security situation remains highly volatile. Access of WFP staff to Gaza Strip has been especially difficult during the week. A WFP mission to the Gaza Strip had to be cancelled due to long delays at the Erez border crossing.

(b) In the West Bank, a total of 962 Special Hardship Cases (SHC) received their food rations for the September- October allocation.

(c) All the distributions conducted by the Ministry of Social Affairs were monitored in the Northern area to ensure that the SHC received the correct ration. Monitoring showed that more than 70% of those collecting rations at the distribution point were women, while 80% of household entitlements were issued in the woman’s name.

(d) In the Gaza Strip, a total of 201 tons were distributed through the Ministry of Social Affairs to 5,316 SHCs.

(e) Selection of local committees for the ‘New Poor’ assisted by the Ministry of Agriculture in the Middle, North and South has been completed. The Ministry of Agriculture held a meeting in the Northern directorate with members of the local committee and other implementing organizations to inform them of their tasks. Registration has started in Middle and Southern Gaza and will start in the North next week.

(f) Community Housing Foundation (CHF) selection of ‘New Poor’ is ongoing. CHF conducted meetings with local committees in Southern Gaza to guide them on the new beneficiary application form and targeting criteria.

(g) WFP participated in the UN contingency plan meeting, which also UNICEF, WHO, UNSCO and OCHA attended.

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