wfp afghanistan quarterly report july - september 2003

7/28/2019 WFP Afghanistan Quarterly Report July - September 2003

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Significant Events

July

On 15 July, the 2003 National Risk and Vulnerability Assessment was launched across the country.

August

On 19 August, the Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan celebrated Independence Day.

On 20 August, the Ministry of Communications and WFP signed a Letter of Agreement to enhance the countrys

communications network.

September

On 2 4 September, the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development and WFP organized the first quarterly

workshop to review the implementation of WFPs Protracted Relief and Recovery Operation.

THIRD QUARTER 2003


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July - September 2003

3

Government / WFP

Agreements

Consultative Groups

The Consultative Group (CG) process was

initiated in January 2003, to ensure a fully

transparent and participatory process led by

the Government in which different

stakeholders interact and assist in the

countrys reconstruction. On 27 August, the

Government organized a workshop to

discuss the effectiveness of the CG process

and how it could be improved.

In preparation for the review of the CG

process, a series of CG meetings took place

to undertake a mid-year assessment of the

financing and implementation status of

programmes in the 2003 National

Development Budget.

Among the salient points of discussion at

the CG meetings were:

Returnees and IDPs: considering theslower rate of return in the first half of

2003, the estimated number of returnees

was revised downwards from 1,010,000

to 810,000.

Health and nutrition: in August 2003,

the Ministry of Health, UNICEF and

WFP endorsed a phase out strategy for

the emergency supplementary feeding

programme, considered a short-term

intervention for high-risk groups withdeteriorating nutritional conditions.

Education and training: in August 2003,

it was agreed at the CG that a Grant

Management Unit be established in the

Ministry of Education to coordinate

donor activities and funding.

The various CG meetings reviewed and

acknowledged WFPs integral role in the

reconstruction of the country, particularlyin the areas of education and training, health

and nutrition, refugees and IDPs, and

Government capacity building.

Establishment of GovernmentCommunication Centers

The Ministry of Communications and WFP

signed an agreement on 20 August 2003 onre-establishing communication centers in

all provincial capitals to help improve

communication between government

departments. WFP will assist the Ministry

in implementing the project, by providing

some of the necessary equipment and

technical expertise. Two WFP staff will be

seconded to the Ministry.

Disarmament, Demobilization and

Reintegration

Afghanistans New Beginnings Programme

(ANBP) and WFP signed an agreement on

Disarmament, Demobilization and

Reintegration on 10 September 2003.

WFP will assist 100,000 soldiers and officers

who choose to re-enter civilian life with a

one-time food package of wheat, pulses, oil

and iodized salt. ANBP, responsible for the

implementation of the programme, willensure that all disarmed and demobilized

combatants sign a code of conduct,

renouncing the use of coercive force or arms.

Government Collaboration


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Quarterly Report

Capacity Development

Due to the scope and diversity of its activities, WFP is uniquely positioned to contribute

to the overall capacity development of ministry counterparts, implementing partners and

its own staff.

Capacity development activities include secondment of WFP staff to ministries, technical

assistance and training in key competencies such as food security and vulnerability

assessments, implementation of joint programmes, as well as assistance in refurbishing

necessary physical infrastructure. Activities are implemented at both national and provincial

levels.

The Ministry of Rural Rehabilitationand Development

Building on the achievements of phase one

(October 2002 April 2003), a project

agreement for a second phase of capacity

development at the Ministry of Rural

Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD)

was signed on 14 August 2003.

Phase two, implemented from September

2003 to June 2004, aims at building the

capacity of provincial RRD staff in key

competencies such as food security and

vulnerability assessment, project

management, monitoring and evaluation,

English language and basic computer skills.

Provincial RRD departments will

furthermore be supplied with computers,

printers and other office equipment. Foursenior MRRD staff in Kabul province have

already completed a two-week training

session.

A pastoralist advisor, seconded by WFP to

MRRD since October 2002, continued to

provide the Ministry with technical inputs

on pastoralism, to assist the Ministry in

developing a strategic framework on

appropriate programming to address thespecial needs of pastoralists, as well as to

further develop the capacities of Ministry

staff.

The Ministry of Education

During the quarter, the programme

coordination unit in the Ministry of

Education:

prepared action plans for the gradual

handover of the implementation of the

food for education programme;

installed ARGOS

1

devices and trainedteachers on how to operate them; and

as part of the deworming programme,

procured necessary drugs and produced

training and education materials in close

collaboration with the Ministries of

Education and Health and WHO.

1 The ARGOS device is a solid box, resistant to climate and shocks, with

a screen and a keypad interface through which data can be transmitted

via satellite to a central computer.


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5


Training Sessions

Training of Womens NGO Programme Officers

Participatory Rural Appraisal Training

Food for Education Review Workshop

Food & Nutrition Training

Gender Baseline Survey Review

Gender Awareness TrainingSecurity Awareness Training

Warehouse Management Training

Advocacy and Media Workshop

Training of Security Trainers

Grand Total

Trainees TotalGovernmen t NGOs WFP

-

12

8

18

-

--

46

-

-

84

10

2

-

14

-

--

2

-

-

28

-

17

23

41

12

5769

2

7

5

227

10

31

31

73

12

5769

50

7

5

339

On 24 August, the WFP Kabul area office launched a training session for women programme officersselected from NGOs run by women.

The training, which lasted one month, was the first of its kind for WFP in Afghanistan. It aimed atbuilding the capacity of women NGOs to formulate and implement projects that contribute towardenhancing livelihoods through food aid interventions.

The training provided opportunities for the programme officers to learn about project assessment, design

and implementation, as well as accountability, monitoring and reporting. Theoretical training sessionswere followed by visits to project sites and discussions with WFP field staff. At the end of the course,trainees were able to translate ideas collected from discussions with beneficiaries and local authoritiesinto concrete project proposals.

Training of NGO Wom en Programme Officers

Training Sessions

The following table summarizes training sessions for Government, NGO and WFP staff, which took placeduring the quarter:


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Security Review

The overall security situation remained

fluid throughout the quarter.

In the east, an increased number of security

incidents affected, in particular, the

activities of the NGO community.

The security situation in the south and

southeast remained volatile with numerous

incidents, ranging from attacks on the

assistance community, personnel and

facilities of the Afghan Transitional

Authority, the civilian population as wellas the Coalition forces. The combination

of increased tensions, factional violence

and military operations resulted in the

suspension of United Nations missions to

high-risk areas in Uruzgan, Zabul and

Hilmand provinces.

The northern provinces remained stable

despite factional tensions and an increase

in the number of armed elements in andaround Mazari Sharif.

The United Nations Security Cell

conducted a series of security assessments

throughout the country, aiming at enhancing

the security and safety of the United

Nations personnel. WFP implemented

additional security measures to enhance

staff members security awareness,

including security training and briefing

sessions.


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Significant security incidents targeting the international

community included the following:

In August, Halo Trust and Save the Children UK

staff were attacked by armed men while travelling

on the Sheberghan Mazari Sharif road.

On 8 September, a vehicle of the Danish Committeefor Aid to Afghan Refugees (DACAAR) was

attacked while on field mission to Maqur village in

Ab Band district of Ghazni province. Four passengers

were killed and one wounded.

On 24 September, a vehicle of the Voluntary

Association for the Reconstruction of Afghanistan

(VARA) was attacked on the Delaram Kandahar

road in Hilmand province. One staff member was

killed immediately, while another died later of

injuries. The office compound of a local NGO based in

Paktika province was seriously damaged when two

rockets exploded in its vicinity.


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Programme Management

Quarterly Report

*underground irrigation channels

Outputs: July - September 2003

Descr ip t ion Un i t Fayz Abad M az ar i Shar i f Kabu l Kandahar H i rat Total

R u r a l R o a d C o n s t r u c t i o n

Roads constructed

Side ditches cleaned

Culverts constructed

A g r i c u l t u r e - r e l a t ed Ou t p u t s

Canals restoredKarezes* rehabilitated

Springs desilted

Drainages restored

Aquaducts and flumes constructed

Land rehabilitated

Water reservoirs (navars, kandas) restored

O t h e r O u t p u t s

Wells dug

Retaining walls built (rivers)

13

-

1

23-

-

-

-

-

-

62-

10

-

-

-

134

635.7

-

-

37051

12

17.9

-

4.2

12

20

320

185

22

1

2-

2

-

4

-

-

12

140

833.7222

4575124

17.94

4.2146

32460

-

-

-

--

-

--

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

km

km

unit

kmunit

km

km

unit

ha

km

unit

CuM

Food for Work

Food for work activities were carriedout in food insecure areas where the

harvest was insufficient or where

populations had insufficient access

to food. From July to September,

15,326 MT of food were distributed

to nearly 130,000 direct

beneficiaries, who were engaged in

the rehabilitation of infrastructure

such as roads, canals, wells and

water reservoirs, or the developmentof agricultural resources such as

orchards and nurseries.

The Ogata Initiative: Update

25,000 families, including 600 households headed by women, received 3,716 MT2 of food.

In addition to food, nearly 11,000 work tools were provided to the beneficiaries. ThirteenOgata-funded food for work and two relief projects assisting returning internally displaced

persons (IDPs) and refugees in Nangarhar, Balkh and Kandahar provinces, were completedduring the quarter.

The projects implemented increased employment opportunities, improved irrigation systems,

reclaimed agricultural land and enhanced access to services within and between districtsthrough the rehabilitation of roads.

Coordination meetings were held in provinces as well as in Kabul. Project review committees,comprising Government counterparts, HABITAT, UNHCR, UNICEF and WFP, approved15 new projects that will assist IDPs and returnees in reintegrating in their home communities.

2Tonnage distributed and beneficiaries assisted are also included in the relevant programme categories (i.e. food for work and assistance to IDPs in camps)


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9

Interagency Collaboration

guaranteeing a safe drinking water supply for 12,000 local residents. WHO provided fundsto procure necessary materials, and WFP provided 87 MT of wheat. Activities are ongoing

to provide 18,000 additional local residents in the south of the city with safe drinking water.

The Ministry of Health started chlorination of 21,000 shallow wells in Jalal Abad and its

surrounding villages in September 2003, in collaboration with UNICEF, WHO and WFP.

The Ministry of Health and UNICEF are providing the chlorine powder, and WHO is

training 106 chlorinators who will receive 46 MT of wheat, vegetable oil, pulses and

iodized salt from WFP.

Chlorina tion of Wells in Jalal Abad

Provision of Safe Water In Ku nduz

Once chlorinated, the wells,

which are the main source

of drinking water for the

local population, will reduceand control the prevalence

of water-borne diseases.

According to the local

residents, the project could

help save lives, as children

are suffering from many

forms of water-borne

diseases which can be life

threatening.

For almost 15 years, 96,000 people in

Kunduz city in northern Afghanistan have

not had access to clean drinking water,

affecting their health and nutritional status.

The local Government and the community

joined hands to improve this situation,and received support from WHO and

WFP, in the form of cash and food

contributions.

To date, 1,033 food for work beneficiaries,

selected from targeted communities, have

installed two water pumps and two

generators, rehabilitated a 500 m3 water

reservoir and installed a 2.5 km pipeline,


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In close partnership with the Ministry

of Education, significant progress was

made in the implementation of

various food for education

activities. A four-day

review workshop was

held in September, during

which staff discussedimplementation modalities,

including the gradual

handover of implementation

responsibilities to the provincial

departments of education;

logistics and database-related

issues; and the school feeding

baseline survey.


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11


Food for Education

School feedingcontinued expanding during the quarter. Over 972,000 schoolchildren in

1,921 schools received 4,954 MT of biscuits and 4,271 MT of wheat. Among them, 159,500

schoolgirls received 1,830 MT of vegetable oil as an incentive to attend school.

Teachersin 28 provinces of the country are now receiving a monthly oil ration as a

supplement to their salary. During the quarter, 3,118 MT of vegetable oil, including

retroactive rations, were distributed to over 65,000 teachers. This activity, implemented

by the Departments of Education in many areas, has proven to be successful in increasing

teachers attendance.

Food for teacher trainingassists those studying in teacher training institutes supportedby UNESCO and UNICEF. During the quarter, 224 trainees received 5.4 MT of food as

a cooked meal or a take-home ration. Expansion of the food for teacher training activity

is contingent on the capacity development of the provincial Departments of Education.

Through food for training activities, women, adolescent girls and the unemployed are

assisted while attending vocational skills training and non-formal education courses such as

literacy training. From July to September, 8,600 trainees received 512 MT of food, following

their attendance in courses organized by Government departments or WFPs implementing

partners.

The pilot school reconstruction project, which started in April 2003, supports the

reconstruction of 56 classrooms in 14 schools, the installation of water and sanitation

facilities and the provision of school furniture. To date, tenders for the reconstruction of

eight schools have been processed, and construction is ongoing at schools in Nangarhar

(Chaprahar and Maeawara districts), Balkh (Dawalt Abad and Dehdadi districts) and

Kandahar (Daman district). School construction activities in Badakhshan, Baghlan, Kabul

and Hirat provinces are due to commence in October.

The Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, FAO,

UNICEF and WFP, agreed to implement a pilotschool gardeningproject, based onguidelines developed by FAO and WFP. The initiative, which will be implemented in a

number of selected schools with active school feeding projects, aims at linking school

gardens with school feeding and thereby realizing the provision of a more balanced diet

for schoolchildren. Two schools have been selected in each of the five main areas of the

country. FAO will provide technical support, education materials and training, while WFP

will provide funds for the seeds, tools and related consumables.

The ARGOS monitoring system enhances data collection on key indicators such as

students and teachers attendance and enrolment, delivery of WFP commodities to schools

as well as actual food distribution at schools. Numerical school feeding-related data isentered into the electronic device by a group of trained teachers, headmasters and community

representatives. ARGOS devices are currently installed at selected schools in remote areas.

By the end of the year, 141 ARGOS devices will have been installed throughout the country.


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15

Sweet Home

A symbol of their countrys return to

normality, Afghans returning home alsohighlight WFPs increasing efforts to assist

in the rebuilding of Afghanistan. Theirjourney, however, does not end with thehomecoming.

Guided by the bony hand of a village elder,Malajo shyly reaches out her forefinger

toward the white paper in front of her. Whenshe obediently presses and her fingerprintin red ink appears on the sheet, she is

registered and can proceed to collect foodfor her family.

Looking behind her and seeing thosecrowded in a half circle, you understand hershyness. They are all male and all adults.From over the hills they have come onhorseback, with their donkeys or on foot tothis village called Dolina set in the wide

plains of Ghor province in centralAfghanistan. Nonetheless, 12-year-old

Malajo has something in common with thesemen. They all have come this early morningto receive food.

Sitting next to the village elders, WFP foodaid monitor Wasie points out a huge stack

of white food bags, surrounded by cans ofoil, all blistering under the bright sky. Heexplains that in the coming three days around1,000 families will receive a food basketconsisting of rice, pulses, wheat and oil.

Wasie is here to assist the village eldersassembly, known as the shura, with thedistribution.

Reading the banner WFP food distributionto returning IDPs, under which the shuraregisters the men and an odd little girl likeMalajo, it is clear that there is somethingelse they all have in common. The majority

of IDPs, or internally displaced persons,Wasie explains, come from Maslakh, an

IDP camp close to Afghanistans westerncity of Hirat.

Not long ago, Maslakh was one of the

worlds most populous camps with a peak

population of over 350,000 in the summer

of 2001. WFP was there from the startfeeding huge, desperate numbers of families.Today, Maslakh is like a ghost town, witha little over 10,000 inhabitants left, accordingto UNHCR estimates. The desolation of thiscamp paradoxically symbolises the countrysreturn to normality. Two years of peace and

blessed rainfall have opened the way formany people to return home. As emergencyneeds wane, WFP follows suit dedicatingmore of its efforts to helping people not

only survive but recover what they havelost.

But its not easy, says Maula Dad, anelderly man. The food he has just receivedwill help his family of seven only for somethree months. Its simply that life in Dolinais not easy. Drought forced him and hisfamily to flee, and they returned fromMaslakh one year ago, because they hadheard the drought was over. But the rain

that fell so abundantly in many parts ofAfghanistan this year seems to haveforgotten his village. A FAO/WFP studyacknowledges that food aid needs areexpected to decline due to a bumper harvestthis year, but warns that pockets of foodinsecurity will continue to persist. When Ileft my village, I sold everything I had. Now

I have nothing left to sell, so without any

harvest, where should I go? Maula Dadasks.

Meanwhile, Malajo seems to have lost hershyness, now that she has received herfamilys food ration. But Malajos mind ison other worries as well. She says that herfamilys house was destroyed by wind, rainand snow during the years they took refugein Maslakh. Besides food and shelter, shealso worries about land, the source of futuresecurity for her family. They had some

before they left, but not anymore. Thats

why my father could not come today. Hehad to work, on somebody elses land,Malajo says, as she walks off, leading herloaded donkeys back home.


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Quarterly Report

Urban Vulnerable

During the quarter, two new

urban bakeries opened in Jalal

Abad, providing bread to 400

women-headed households. The

bakery project, now implemented

in Mazari Sharif, Kabul,

Kandahar and Jalal Abad,

provides a safety net to some

27,000 urban vulnerablehouseholds that receive a daily

ration of subsidized bread from

one of the 83 bakeries.

From July to September, WFP

delivered 3,926 MT of wheat

flour and iodized salt to the

bakeries.

Supplementary and Institutional Feeding

In August 2003, the Ministry of Health, UNICEF and WFP signed a memorandum on a

phase out strategy for emergency supplementary feeding projects. Although the Ministry

recognizes that emergency supplementary feeding projects are justified in some situations,

overall phase out and implementation of longer-term and sustainable programmes that

meet the needs of the population will be prioritized. The agreed interim strategy for theremainder of 2003 identifies the south as a priority area for supplementary feeding

interventions. All other areas in the country are not considered priority, unless surveys

demonstrate that levels of acute malnutrition exceed ten percent. Ongoing projects in non-

priority areas will continue for a maximum of six months and should include activities that

address the underlying causes of malnutrition, as well as a phase out strategy.

During the third quarter of the year, nearly 26,000 beneficiaries were assisted through

supplementary feeding projects with 689 MT of food.

Between July and September, a total of 1,705 MT of food was distributed to 79,200

beneficiaries, including 64,000 tuberculosis patients and their families, targeted throughWFP supported institutional feeding projects.


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WFP Nourished My Child

Dil Jan, a 28-year-old widow living in Feraj village in the Pansjher valley hasthree children, aged seven, six and two. The youngest one is Nasirullah.

Nasirullah was born just two months before his father was killed. Having

nothing to eat, Nasirullah became very thin. My father showed the poor baby

to a medical doctor in Anaba village who advised that the baby should be taken

to the Action Contre la Faim office where malnourished children are fed.

Since then, my son Nasirullah has been receiving WFP food, and has turned

into a healthy baby. You know, feeding her baby is the only thing a motherthinks of, and I could not have done anything for him as his mother, if it were

not for the help from WFP, says Dil Jan.


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Quarterly Report

PRRO Quarterly Review Workshop

From 2 to 4 September 2003, the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development

(MRRD) and WFP organized the first PRRO Quarterly Review workshop, covering the

implementation period of April-June 2003. More than 25 representatives from counterpart

ministries3, UNHCR, UNICEF and WFP country and area offices attended the workshop.

The participants extensively discussed the goals, achievements and constraints of various

PRRO activities, and after the presentations and deliberations in working groups, adopted

the following recommendations:

At the closing ceremony of the workshop, the Minister of Rural Rehabilitation and

Development acknowledged WFPs proactive assistance to the countrys recovery and

reconstruction, and welcomed the quarterly review process as an important step toward

ensuring appropriate and effective use of food assistance in the country.

The PRRO implementation plan should

be reviewed to reflect realistic targets.Changes in the PRRO implementation

plan should be made only after the

results of the ongoing National Risk and

Vulnerability Assessment are available.

WFP should ensure dissemination of

periodic PRRO implementation progress

reports to all stakeholders.

The next review workshop should be held

during the second half of November 2003.

The PRRO mid-term review should take

place in February 2004. In addition toGovernment representatives and other

partners, community representatives

should participate in a one-day mid-

term review workshop, to be organized

by each WFP area office.

MRRD and WFP should closely

coordinate future quarterly review

workshops to ensure wider participation

by all stakeholders.

3Including the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development, the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation and

the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry.


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Limited access to safe water, lack of quality food and poor health and educational services remain serious obstacles

to development in Afghanistan. The health and nutritional status of Afghans is generally poor, and the number of

people at risk of micronutrient deficiencies is high.

WFPs ongoing Protracted Relief and Recover Operation aims at contributing to the protection and re-

establishment of livelihoods and household food security in Afghanistan through a number of activities,

including food for work, institutional and supplementary feeding, food for education and assistance to the

urban and rural vulnerable.

The Canadian Government donated US$805,369 for the Food Plus Initiative, in support of small-scale wheat

flour fortification, a deworming campaign and possible production of fortified biscuits in the country. Food

Plus activities are expected to have long-term impact on the nutritional status of Afghans.

WFP, in cooperation with its partners, initiated a pilot wheatflour fortificationproject in small mills located inBadakhshan province and Kabul city. The millers will be provided with a micronutrients premix, initially subsidized

by WFP. At a later stage, it is expected that costs of the fortification will be recovered from consumers.

WFP conducted a feasibility survey of mills in Badakhshan province and Kabul city in July and August 2003.

Accordingly, 20 mills have been selected. With the assistance of external consultants, and through meetings

with relevant stakeholders such as the Ministry of Health and UNICEF, a comprehensive approach, including

a social marketing component, has been developed. Anticipating a strategy to fortify wheat flour on a

national scale, a quality assurance logo has been designed.

WFP is procuring the micronutrients premix, and is in the process of signing

agreements with the selected millers. Actual fortification is planned to

start in November in Kabul and in December in Badakhshan.

Establishment of local fortification facilities will increase theaccess of Afghans to fortified wheat flour.

In collaboration with the Ministry of Education, the Ministry

of Health and WHO, a soil-transmitted helminthes

(STH) control campaign has been developed. It includescollection of baseline data and training of health workers

and teachers at regional, provincial and district levels,

and will lead to the distribution of deworming tablets

to children in schools, combined with a health

awareness education and sensitization campaign.The deworming baseline survey conducted byWHO and WFP in February 2003 showed:

STH prevalence rates exceeding 60 percent

in certain areas;

virtual non-existence of schistosomiasis infections;

and

low prevalence of anaemia.

Secondary analysis of the data collected is ongoing in

collaboration with the Ministry of Education and other partners.

This is the first comprehensive research onparasite prevalenceand related attitudes and practices in the country, and the report

on the research results will be the firstpublication on this

subject since 1978.

Food Plus Initiative


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Resources and Pipeline

Quarterly Report

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

(MT)

Apr-03

May-03

Jun-03

Jul-03

Aug-03

Sep-03

Actual beneficiaries (x 100)

Planned beneficiaries (x 100)

Planned dispatch (MT)

Actual dispatch (MT)

PRRO Planned vs. Actual - Food and Beneficiaries

Protracted Relief and Recovery Operation 10233.0, approved by WFPs Executive Board

on 6 February 2003, with a total food requirement of 618,989 MT valued at US$337.5million is currently resourced at 24 percent or US$81.1 million, through contributions from

Canada, Denmark, India, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, ICRC,

UNICEF and private donors, as well as reprogrammed contributions from Canada, the

European Community, Italy and Switzerland.

These contributions are sufficient to meet estimated food requirements through the first

quarter of 2004. Food estimates for October 2003 to June 2004 will be revised based on

the results of the National Risk and Vulnerability Assessment, available in November.

Winter Prepositioning

In response to the food needs of vulnerable groups living in areas that become inaccessible

during the winter, WFP is prepositioning food stocks in 47 districts in 14 provinces across

the country. During the winter of 2002-2003 WFP distributed 38,000 MT of food to over

one million people. This winter, an estimated 820,000 people living in areas that will be

blocked by heavy snow will be in need of some 34,000 MT of food assistance. Following

recommendations from last year's winter operation, prepositioning of food stocks will begin

as early as the first week in October in Badakhshan province. Food will be distributed through

regular PRRO activities.


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Donor Contribution (US$) Remarks

ICRC In-kind contribution of 6,935 MT ofiodized salt, oil, pulses and rice

In-kind contribution of 7,496 MT ofhigh energy biscuits for school feeding

India 7,235,300

United Kingdom

UN Association UK

US Friends of WFP

Private Donors

1,612,903

29,874

20,000

161,532

-

-

-

--

PRRO 10233.0

Contributions During the Third Quarter of 2003


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Logistics Management

Quarterly Report

WFP utilizes a combination of rail and road via six major supply corridors through five

neighboring countries to deliver food into land-locked Afghanistan. From the six externallogistics hubs in Iran, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, food is dispatched

across the border into Afghanistan. The Karachi corridor is given priority for cost and time

reasons, while the northern corridor is mainly used for delivery of wheat procured in

Kazakhstan.

During the third quarter of 2003, the logistics unit:

started the construction of a new warehouse complex in Kabul in August, with the

erection of a fence, installation of water tanks and laying of the foundation. The complex

will include two warehouses with a total capacity of 15,000 MT, as well as a truckpark, a workshop and an office building. The warehouse is constructed on land provided

by the Government;

organized warehouse management workshops in Kabul and Kandahar for Government

and WFP staff;

selected and contracted two mills in Peshawar and two more in Quetta after a transparent

review process. All four mills are provided with fortification equipment;

reviewed the shortlist of transport companies within Afghanistan and the Karachi

corridor in order to broaden competition, thereby ensuring timely and cost-effective

transportation of food commodities; and continued reviewing existing transport routes, including the possible closure of the

logistics hub in Turkmenabad, as well as transportation within Afghanistan in response

to the programme needs.

From July to September 2003, 10,157 MT of food arrived at the port of Karachi, and 6,935

MT of food were received from ICRC at different locations in Afghanistan.

35,584 MT of food have been dispatched into Afghanistan, including:

21,201 MT from Peshawar (Pakistan);

5,384 MT from Quetta (Pakistan);

4,016 MT from Kurgan Tyube (Tajikistan);

2,986 MT from Termez (Uzbekistan); and

1,997 MT from Turkmenabad (Turkmenistan).


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Construction ofWFP Warehouse in Kabul


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Human Resources & Finance

Quarterly Report

Human Resources

Management

The human resources unit continued

adopting a more strategic, focused and

proactive role in supporting the organization

and its staff members, as follows:

A countrywide national staff committee

has been established. The committee

acts as a conduit between the

management and the national staff, andfacilitates a two-way flow of information

in order to enable transparent decision-

making. Nationwide briefing sessions

on national staff issues have

supplemented this ongoing development.

A pan-Afghanistan training needs

analysis was carried out, with feedback

from all WFP staff members. The

feedback, currently under analysis, will

form a basis for a nationwide trainingplan aimed at enhancing staff capacity

and addressing the needs of the

organization.

Financial and Administrative

Management

Afghanistan is the first country where WFProlled out the WFP Information Network

and Global System (WINGS) to all areaoffices. This enables WFP to record itsfinancial and operational transactions in atimely manner.

The corporate strategy for accurate and

timely financial reporting and analysis was

an overriding theme at a finance retreat heldat the Regional Bureau for Mediterranean,Middle East and Central Asia in Cairo, inSeptember. The vital role of WINGS in the

biennium closure of WFP accounts in

December 2003 was furthermore discussed.


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31

Audit compliance

Following the observations andrecommendations of the WFP internal

auditors who conducted a review in August- September 2002, an audit compliance unitwas established in the country office. Theunit, tasked with developing a follow upsystem to verify the implementation of auditrecommendations, as well as provision oftechnical support and guidance, completedthe first phase of compliance missions to all

area offices.

During the missions, audit recommendationswere discussed with the area offices, andcommitments were made to furtherstreamline operational procedures andimplement management control systems.

Information and Communications

Technology ManagementThe principal information and

communications technology management

activities in the quarter included:

training of area office staff in the

operation of WFP Information Network

and Global System (WINGS); and

establishment of Internet and telephone

facilities in Kunduz sub office, and a

very small aperture technology (VSAT)

fax line at the liaison office in Islamabad.


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United Nations Humanitarian

The United Nations Humanitarian Air Services (UNHAS) continued to provide safe air transport services in

the country and to neighboring countries for humanitarian personnel of United Nations agencies, non-governmental organizations, representatives of donor countries and Government counterpart staff.

The aircraft fleet, consisting of one Fokker 28 twin-jet and three Beechcraft 1900 twin-propellers, was augmentedin the third quarter of 2003 with the introduction of a Beechcraft 200 twin propeller, that can operate in areasnot suitable for the larger Beechcraft 1900. The UNHAS aircraft fly to eight in-country locations, and toIslamabad in Pakistan, Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, and Dushanbe in Tajikistan.

UNHAS carried 15,295 passengers during the quarter, a 10 percent increase from the previous quarter. Passengersincluded staff of NGOs (43 percent), the United Nations (41 percent), donors and the diplomatic community(15 percent) and the media (1 percent).

UNHAS furthermore transported 290 MT of cargo, including 6,500 kg of UNICEF vaccines. In addition, the

Hercules aircraft provided by the Government of Belgium, transported various cargo to Afghanistan fromEurope and the United Arab Emirates, including 30 MT of electrical equipment for WFP and 20 MT of vehiclesfor Handicap International.


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Air Services (UNHAS)

0

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

7,000

Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep

Total Passengers per Month

2002 2003


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We extend our appreciation to WFP Afghanistan staff and friends who submitted theirphotos to the Quaterly Report.

Photo Credits:

Alejandro Chicheri Pages 3, 5Ebadullah Ebadi Preface, pages 16, 27, 29Luke Powell Inside front cover, pages 6-7, 10, 17, 32-33, inside back cover Maarten Roest Front cover and page 14

Manoocher Deghati Pages 18-19Najibullah Niazi Page 2Sayar Attaul Haq Page 9 (top)

Korea Join Together Society Pages 12-13WFP Finance and Administration Unit Pages 30, 31WFP Food For Education Unit Pages 4, 25WFP VAM Unit Pages 20, 22WFP Kunduz Sub Office Page 9 (down)


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WFP Country Office Afghanistan

103 Peace Street, Wazir Akbar Khan, Kabul, Afghanistan

Tel: +873 763 044 995 / +93 (0) 70282817-26 / Fax: +873 763 044 996

e-mail: [email protected]

http://www.wfp.org/afghanistan

Tel:5562939,

5563060

wfp afghanistan quarterly report july - september 2003

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