world food programme afghanistan, annual report 2002

7/29/2019 World Food Programme Afghanistan, Annual report 2002

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WFP

WFP AfghanistanAnnual Report 2002


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WFP Afghanistan

Annual Report 2002


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Table of Contents1 Preface2 2002 in Review3 2003: The Year Ahead4 WFP Afghanistan in Figures5 Government Collaboration6 Donor Contributions7 Implementing Partners

8 Programme Activities8 Assets Created Through Food Aid

10 Returnees and Internally Displaced Persons12 Food for Education13 The Urban Vulnerable14 Supplementary, Institutional and

Therapeutic Feeding14 Civil Servants Salary Supplement15 Food for Seed16 Monitoring and Evaluation17 Vulnerability Analysis and Mapping

19 Special Operations19 UNHAS20 Logistics Support21 UNJLC22 Logistics Management23 Security Management23 Human Resources Management23 Finance Management

24 Administration Management25 Information and CommunicationsTechnology

Special Reports7 USAID Assistance8 Foster Mums11 Ogata Initiative12 Hajiras Dreams

13 Messenger of Peace14 He is WFPs Child15 Winterization


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Preface2002 was a year with a number of

important advances and achievements

for Afghanistan. The return to peace,

with a new transitional government,

has allowed significant socio-political

and economic progress. Higher

rainfalls in some parts of the country

and heavy snowfalls resulted in

improved harvests, particularly in the

north. More Afghans were able to

meet their basic food needs.

Despite these encouraging

developments, 23 years of war anddrought have profoundly damaged the

agricultural, educational and transport

infrastructures. An eroded social

welfare system coupled with the lack

of investment in productive sectors

have undermined the ability of Afghans

to fend for their families and for

themselves. Significant numbers of

Afghans, particularly women andchildren, remained vulnerable

throughout the year and, to varying

extent, relied on food aid. The World

Food Programme assisted nearly ten

million vulnerable people in

Afghanistan, delivering over half a

million MT of food aid during 2002.

WFPs ability to deliver food to thevulnerable populations was

significantly improved through

partnerships with the Transitional

Government of Afghanistan, United

Nations agencies and national and

international Non-Governmental

Organisations. These partnerships

enabled WFP to better target,

transport and deliver food and tocontribute meaningfully towards the

national recovery efforts of the

Transitional Government.


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2002 in Review

MEETING THE CHALLENGES

WFP Afghanistan faced many challenges in 2002, as

it continued to assist millions of Afghans to survive

and recover in a country emerging from 23 years of

civil war and a drought in its fourth year.

In January 2002, a regional emergency operation was

in place, providing food assistance to people in

Afghanistan and to Afghan refugees in Pakistan and

Iran. By April 2002, a new emergency operation was

launched, targeting nearly ten million Afghans with

over half a million MT of food. During this ninemonth operation, a gradual shift from pre-harvest

relief to post-harvest recovery took place with

particular emphasis on education, health and the

rehabilitation of the agricultural sector.

In the spring, a large number of refugees and internally

displaced persons returned to the country or their

places of origin. Two million Afghans had returned

by the end of the year, the majority of whom migratedto the major cities. Reintegration posed great

challenges due mainly to a lack of physical

infrastructure. WFP supported the returnee movements

and, through food for work projects, assisted in

rebuilding the infrastructure and preventing hunger.

In order to deliver food in a timely manner, WFPs

logistics services were significantly enhanced enabling

the country office to deliver up to 60,000 MT permonth in spite of residual fighting, heavy snow,

mined roads, difficult terrain and insecurity. Capacity

of regional hubs in Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan,

Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan was expanded to support

this huge logistic operation.

The revival of the civil service was supported by a

food supplement to support and retain civil servants.

Plans were also developed for the launch of the 2003-

2005 protracted relief and recovery operation with

participation by major stakeholders, including the

Ministries of Rural Rehabilitation and Development,

Education, Refugees and Repatriation, Public Health,

Urban Development, Womens Affairs, and donors,

UN agencies and implementing partners.

Back to School

The fall of the Taliban brought new freedom to many Afghans during the

year. Three million girls and boys returned to school, far more than the

expected 1.8 million. Where schools and facilities were destroyed or derelict,

schooling was often conducted outdoors. The food-for-education programme

provided valuable support to the education sector, getting bread to children.


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2003: The Year Ahead

The year ahead promises to be exciting as well as

challenging.

Through food for work projects and vulnerable group

feeding, approximately half of the 4.3million poor

people in the most food insecure rural areas will be

supported.

Other vulnerable groups, such as hospital patients,

malnourished children and women, and tuberculosis

patients, will receive fortified rations through

partnerships with the Ministry of Public Health,

UNICEF and WHO. WFP will continue its support

to vulnerable urban households, by providing nan

bread fortified with micronutrients through bakeries

operated by women. Returning refugees and IDPs

will be assisted with a returnee package, and WFP

Area Offices will design programmes to facilitate

resettlement and re-integration for these groups.

The Indian Governments donation of one millionMT

of wheat, the largest ever made to WFP by a non-

traditional donor, will go a long way to address WFPs

resource needs for 2003-2005. As part of this donation,

an estimated one million children will receive fortified

biscuits.

Strengthening relations between WFP and thecounterpart Ministries is a high priority for 2003,

with more Government involvement in project

approval, food-needs assessment and joint monitoring.

Capacity building will be prioritised.

IMPACT OF FOOD ASSISTANCE

1. Helped over ten million Afghans

maintain nutritional status;2. Protected up to 755,000 households

from further indebtedness and depletionof assets;

3. Supported over 323,700 childrenthrough back-to-school programme;

4. Supported return and resettlement of330,000 families;

5. Supported the strengthening of the civil

service through provision of salarysupplements to 251,000 civil servants;

6. Created 16.7 million work days throughfood-for-work and food-for-asset-creation activities;

7. Assisted with rebuilding of infrastructure;and

8. Assisted enhancement of agriculturalproduction.

2003: The Year Ahead


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WFP Afghanistan in Figures, 2002

Planned versus Actual - food and beneficiaries

96

88

80

72

64

56

48

40

32

24

16

8

0 Mar-03

Feb-03

Jan-03

Dec-02

Nov-02

Oct-02

Sep-02

Aug-02

Jul-02

Jun-02

May-02

Apr-02

Thousand

Planned dispatch (mt)

Planned beneficiaries (x 100)

Actual Dispatch (mt)Actual beneficiaries (x 100)

Planned

Actual

600

500

400

300

200

100

0.00

METRIC

TONNES

Thousand

Civil

Serva

nts

Emerge

ncy

Reco

very

Educ

atio

n

SocialS

uppo

rt

Planned versus Actual - food distributed by sector

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

0

BENEFICIARIES

Million

Planned

Actual

Civil

Serva

nts

Emerge

ncy

Reco

very

Educ

atio

n

SocialS

uppo

rt

Planned versus Actual - beneficiaries receiving food by sector

Nearly ten million beneficiaries received over half a million MT of food.


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Government Collaboration

Collaboration with the Government takes two main

forms: project based collaboration (identification,

design, implementation and monitoring), and capacity

building, where WFP provides technical expertise toGovernment institutions, through seconded staff and

training.

Project Based Collaboration

Government representatives have participated in the

review and approval of project proposals and also in

project monitoring. For example, in Kandahar in early

December, representatives of the Ministry of

Education participated in the approval of five schoolfeeding projects, while the representative of the

Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development

participated in the review of 29 projects for the region.

Joint survey missions, workshops and training have

been conducted to promote and improve food security

and livelihood protection. For example, a joint survey

mission in early December by the Ministry of Rural

Rehabilitation and Development and WFP confirmedsevere food and water shortages in Kohband Valley

of Ghazni province, and recommended follow-up

activities to support food security in the area.

The Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development

actively participated in countrywide food needs

assessments, rapid emergency food needs assessments

for nomadic pastoralists and a pilot urban assessment.

Capacity Building

One of the main objectives of WFP in Afghanistan

is to develop the capacities of counterpart Ministries.

As food aid is cross-sectoral, WFP has been working

with a number of Ministries to endeavour to build

and strengthen capacity.

Capacity building includes secondment of WFP staff

to ministries, technical support, training of Ministry

counterparts, implementation of joint programmes,

joint project assessments and monitoring visits,

involvement of counterparts in project approval

committees, vulnerability assessments and assistance

in rehabilitating infrastructures. These activities areimplemented at both the national and provincial levels.

During 2002, WFP helped strengthen the capacity of

the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development

(MRRD) in vulnerability and food-security

assessment, monitoring and evaluation, and project-

cycle management. This support was provided by

the placement of two national programme officers,

one staff assistant and one English teacher in October.

A WFP consultant and staff assistant were seconded

to the Livelihood and Vulnerability Analysis Unit,

in order to help in addressing the situation of nomadic

pastoralists. During 2003, a VAM specialist from

WFP will join the seconded staff.

WFP also seconded three staff to the Project

Coordination Unit of the Ministry of Education to

help increase the Ministrys ownership of the FFE

programme and to ensure the programmes integrationinto national education strategies. During 2003, WFP

intends to provide further significant support and

capacity building at the provincial level following an

assessment of the provincial Departments of

Education.

WFP assisted the Department of Rations in the

Ministry of Commerce in the implementation of the

civil servants salary supplement programme. From

the outset, the programme was managed entirely by

the Department.

Capacity building initiatives will be expanded under

the Protracted Relief and Recovery Operation, with

focus on supporting Departments at the provincial-

level. Increasing involvement of Government officials

in project design, approval, implementation and

monitoring will be promoted, to help enhance

Governments ownership in project management.

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WFP Afghanistan in Figures, 2002

Donor Contributions Reached US$280.3 million:

Thanks to the generous donor support for emergency operations, WFP was able to move quickly to save

lives, alleviate suffering and help rebuild the country. A total of US$280.3 million was received from Asia,

America and Oceania (US$180.1 million), Europe (US$57.3 million), the United Nations (US$0.9 million)

and about US$42 million was carried over from 2001.


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Implementing Partners

Implementing Partners

Food aid is most effectively used when it enables food-insecure people to take advantage of relief and

development opportunities. Key to the successful implementation of WFP operations is the work with partners.

Partners provide complementary programme resources or technical assistance and inputs; they identify and

promote rehabilitation and development opportunities, and help create lasting assets for target communities.

Through results-based monitoring, WFP ensures that dependable partners deliver food at the right time and

in the right quantity.

In 2002, WFP worked in partnership with:

National authorities to ensure political will and commitment in support of WFPs activities (e.g. Ministry

of Rural Rehabilitation and Development, Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation, Ministry of Public

Health, Ministry of Education and others)Civil society, local NGOs, the private sector and international NGOs (e.g. Afghan Development Agency,

Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance, OXFAM, Mdecins sans Frontires, CARE, Action Contre

la Faim, CONCERN and others)

International agencies and long-standing partners (e.g. UNHCR, UNCHS, UNICEF, IOM and others)

USAID Assistance

By USAID, Afghanistan

Most emergencies have a focus, a clear definition of damage and of victims, whether the

emergencies be earthquakes, floods or famines. This helps identify the resources required tomeet the immediate needs of the victims, and how best to use those resources to alleviatetheir suffering and assist in their recovery. This past year, when facing the complexity ofAfghanistans crisis, WFP did not have the luxury of a clearly defined emergency before it,nor the obvious identification of all its victims. Nevertheless, with timely and substantial USAIDsupport, it quickly went about its task of rapid and appropriate response during the first yearof operations, assisting nearly ten million Afghans who faced the threat of imminent faminefrom the effects of drought and civil conflict.

For returning refugees and Afghans displaced by the conflict, it was the help needed beforeresettling in their communities; for poor farmers and nomadic shepherds, the help to cope withthe drought and the loss of crops and herds; for the unemployed, the opportunity to work andbe compensated with food needed for their families; for young children, especially girls, theincentive to ensure their return to the schoolroom; for malnourished children and expectantmothers, the help to diminish the risk of sickness and death; for poor widows, the opportunityto work outside the home and provide for their children; for civil servants, the incentive to returnto the workplace and strengthen the process of new government; for the disabled and infirm .. . The list goes on.

The victims had many faces and diverse needs. With the resource of food, WFP creativelyresponded to the challenges of their plight. USAID, on behalf of Americas people, takes pride

in its contributions to these efforts, and its commitment in facing the unmet needs that lie ahead.

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Programme Activities

The table below shows the physical outputs produced

that helped restore agricultural production in the

country.

In 2003, FFW activities will be offered to 300,000

labourers with a focus on providing access to potable

and irrigation water and rehabilitation and construction

of 800 schools.

Physical Outputs Produced in 2002 through FFW and FoodAC

Physical Outputs Unit Total

Rural Road Construction

Roads Constructed km 2,315Bridges Built unit 20Culverts Constructed m 35Side Ditches Cleaned km 16Path Ways Built km 155

Agricu lture-Related Outputs

Canals Restored km 5,769

Karezes Rehabilitated unit 2,121Springs Desilted km 151Drains Repaired km 80Water Reservoirs Restored unit 345Orchard Nurseries Established ha 11

Other Outputs

Schools Reconstructed unit 38Wells Dug unit 1,657Pasta Produced and Distributed kg 7,130Retaining Walls Built CuM 1,260Latrines Constructed unit 195

1 Human Development Report, UNDP, 1997

Assets Created through Food Aid

In the words of the 1997 Human Development Report,

a people-centered strategy for eradicating poverty

should start by building the assets of the poor.1Enabling people to develop assets roads, fruit trees,

irrigation structures and storage facilities, to give but

a few examples is giving them an opportunity to

invest in their future.

The food for asset creation (FoodAC) concept was

developed in 2000 as a bridge between food for work

(FFW) and free food distribution (FFD) in response

to severe food insecurity. FoodAC enabled WFP to

deliver large quantities of food to vulnerable people

who created community assets as in FFW, and to

simultaneously provide free food assistance to

vulnerable households unable to participate in asset

creation activities.

In 2002, 3.7 million beneficiaries received 262,500

MT of food through FFW and FoodAC activities.


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Foster MumsBy Katarina Ammitzboell

Programme Advisor, Norwegian Afghanistan Committee (NAC)

Azadamahs house is made of clay; like allother houses in Tekya village in northeasternBadakshan province, it has neither runningwater nor electricity. Her husband diedfive years ago. She is only one of themany widows of Afghanistan who losttheir husbands due to war, landslidesor sickness. Living in absolute poverty,with five children in her care, she isnot able to leave her house.

In September 2001, her life changed.She was employed as a foster mumby the Environmental ConservationProgramme established by theNorwegian Afghanistan Committee andassisted by WFP. In many rural areas ofAfghanistan, it is difficult for women to leavetheir houses because of clearly defined rolesand division of work between women and men.The project provides 80 kg of wheat per month

to widows who nurse saplings in their homes.

When the Environmental ConservationProgramme began five years ago, there were

no trees around Keshem, a small town at theborder of Badakshan and Takhar in the North.Today a beautiful forest surrounds the town.The social forestry project and nurseries are

used as demonstration projects, andhave been replicated in 30 villages,each with 100 beneficiaries.

behind the EnvironmentalConservation Programme also hosta watershed management project, a

model for villagers on how to protectthe hillsides and prevent naturaldisasters from soil erosion andlandslides through reforestation and

water shed management.

As Mirza Mohammad, Environmental Manager,has written on several sign boards in Keshem:Trees are crucial for getting rain, water is

necessary for the agriculture and to make

bread.


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Returnees and Internally Displaced

Persons (IDPs)

Two million refugees and IDPs returned to their

places of origin during 2002. About 90percent of the

returning refugees came from Pakistan. Kabul and

Nangarhar provinces received the largest numbers.

The scale of the return exceeded expectations, making

it necessary for UNHCR and WFP to amend their

February 2002 Letter of Agreement three times,

respectively, in May, July and October. The ration

was gradually reduced from 150 kg of wheat to 100kg and finally, from 15 October onwards, to 50kg.

Most of the beneficiaries had returned before the final

amendment was put in effect, and either received 100

or 150 kg of wheat per family. The rate of return has

slowed down since the commencement of the winter

season.

Additionally, more than 200,000 IDPs in campsreceived some 15,000 MT of food in the areas of

Mazari Sharif, Kandahar and Hirat.

Government places a priority on the safe and voluntary

return of 1.2 million refugees and 300,000 IDPs in

2003. The Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation,

UNHCR, IOM and WFP worked together to support

the expected return. WFP will provide a returnee

food package of 150 kg of wheat per family, and,

where possible and appropriate, FFW programmes

will be undertaken to help returnees to reintegrate to

their places of origin.


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Ogata Initiative

The Government of Japan announced inOctober 2002 its contribution in support of theGovernment of Afghanistans rehabilitationprogramme. Implementing the Ogata Initiative,Japan is providing food and otherresources worth US$12.6 millionthrough WFP to help reintegrateinternally displaced persons (IDPs)and returnees in southern, eastern

and northern provinces ofAfghanistan.

The Japanese contribution issupporting labour-intensive food-for-work programmes to reconstructwater resources and irrigationsystems, rehabilitate IDP sheltersand put agricultural land back into production,in close consultation with governmentinstitutions. When necessary, distribution of

food addresses nutritional shortfalls of selected

vulnerable groups. A total 231,600 IDPs,returnees and local host communities areexpected to benefit from the programmes in

Mazari Sharif, Jalal Abad and Kandahar.

The programmes are designed,implemented and monitored in

collaboration with provincial anddistrict authorities. Other UN

agencies like UNHCR and UNICEFand some well-established non-governmental organizations are alsoclosely involved in the

implementation, and are addressingrehabilitation of the social andeducation infrastructure in the

resettlement areas. The programmescommenced in November 2002, and areexpected to be completed in mid 2003.


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Food for Education

Basic education brings important benefits, not only

to individuals and their future families, but also to

society as a whole2. When household food insecurity

is an obstacle, food aid is effective in:

Reducing the opportunity cost of sending children,

especially girls, to primary school;

Ensuring that short-term hunger does not inhibit

their capacity to learn; and

Freeing time for poor people, especially women,

to learn new skills, acquire basic literacy or gain

access to other development activities.

Food for education (FFE) programme commenced

during the first quarter of 2002, as part of the Ministry

of Educations ambitious Back-to-School

Programme. Its overall objective is to support the

rehabilitation of the Afghan education system, by

enabling poor households to invest in human capital

through education and training.

The FFE programme achieved the following:

Provided food aid to over 325,000 schoolchildren;

Employed 4,600 beneficiaries in constructing 71

schools, out of which 38 were completed;

Supported 7,300 Afghans, the majority of whom

are women, with non-formal education (i.e.

literacy courses for women, health education and

vocational training such as tailoring and carpentry);

Received the first shipment of biscuits from the

Government of India, to expand and extend FFE

outreach into rural areas;

Carried out a baseline survey, for scientific impact

measurement of school feeding activities;

Established a Programme Coordination Unit

(PCU) in the MOE with secondment of two WFP

national programme officers; and

Participated in ARGOS3 installation.

Hajiras Dreams

My parents couldnt send me to school in

1995, when we came back from Peshawar

in Pakistan, Hajira, a 15 year-old girl, began

speaking cautiously to a WFP Food Aid

Monitor at her school in Khogiani district, 30

km south from Jalal Abad city in eastern

Afghanistan. It was because of the Taliban,

and many other girls in my village were just

like me. We felt like we were kept in a cage

away from our friends and classmates. I

should have been in class 9 now, if I continued

to go to school.

Hajira is the tall girl first from the right in the first rowin a white shawl.

Now that the Taliban rule is over, she is happy

to go to school again and study with her

friends. Her dream has come true finally.

Furthermore, she is receiving nanbreadeveryday and a can of vegetable oil every

month from the school, under WFPs school

feeding programme.

My parents are very happy, when I take oilhome from my school. And they, like the otherparents at the village, ask me to go to schooleveryday. Now I wish I could become ateacher and teach my village people. Socontinues her dream.

2 World Development Report 1998/99, Knowledge for Development, p.40 42.

3 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 toa central computer.


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In 2003, the FFE programme will continue to expand,

with the aim to:

Provide food assistance to an estimated one million

students;

Provide a monthly salary supplement of ten litres

of oil to all of Afghanistans 100,000 teachers;

Assist the building or rehabilitation of nearly 300

schools, including sanitation and water facilities

and classroom furniture;

Establish Parent Teacher Committees, for the

sustainable implementation of FFE activities; and

Implement a de-worming initiative, for the whole

4.5 million school-age children.

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The Urban Vulnerable

Womens bakeries are WFPs major programme to

assist the urban vulnerable, reflecting WFPs

commitment to women. The bakeries have become

semi-autonomous entities and a source of income for

the women who operate and manage them. Bread

produced at the bakeries is distributed to vulnerable

families, especially those with no income earners, on

a subsidized basis.

The bakery programme started in Kabul and expanded

to Mazari Sharif and Kandahar. In 2002, 121 bakeries

were operational throughout the country, including

80 in Mazari Sharif, 27 in Kabul and 14 in Kandahar.

Over 200,000 urban vulnerable people benefited from

the programme, and some 12,200MT of fortified

wheat flour were utilized to produce bread.

In 2003, WFP will address food aid needs of 360,000

most vulnerable people in Fayz Abad, Mazari Sharif,

Jalal Abad, Kabul, Kandahar and Hirat

approximately ten percent of their estimated

populations through the bakery programme.

Messenger of Peace

UN Messenger of Peace, Muhammad Ali,

visited Kabul in November 2002. During his

stay, he participated in the daily distribution

of bread at a WFP-supported bakery. The

women bakers, most of them widows, greeted

him with loaves of locally baked bread. Mr

Ali had the opportunity to meet beneficiaries,

and heard about the pressing needs of the

most destitute people in Kabul. Through its

urban bakeries, WFP provides a daily ration

of bread to over 200,000 vulnerable people

living in Afghanistans major cities.


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Supplementary, Institutional and

Therapeutic Feeding

Throughout life, adequate nutrition is essential to

health and productivity. However, expectant and

nursing mothers, and young children, have special

nutritional requirements. Simply stated, they need

not only a sufficient quantity of food but also the

right quality of food to provide the nutrients needed

for growth and intellectual development.

In 2002, in cooperation with the Ministry of Public

Health, UNICEF and WHO, WFP provided 7,200MT of food assistance to over 457,000 beneficiaries,

including hospital in-patients, tuberculosis patients,

orphans and malnourished children and women

throughout the country.

Supplementary feeding programmes will continue to

assist beneficiaries in 2003. Yet, it is anticipated that

the need for supplementary feeding will decrease, as

food production increases, drought ends and economicrecovery gets under way.

Civil Servants Salary Supplement

Years of war and internal conflict had decimated the

civil service, leaving civil servants extremely

vulnerable. Furthermore, between January and August

2002, market prices rose by 117percent for wheat,

104percent for flour, 121percent for meat, but only

83percent for casual labour. Civil servants thus

consistently stated that they preferred a food

supplement to a wage increase. Inflation had eroded

salaries to less than US$1 per day.

Re-establishing and stabilizing the civil service in

the country is one of the Governments priorities; in

response WFP provided supplementary food rations

to over 250,000 civil servants, with 31,300 MT of

He is WFPs Child!

Mangal Khan is 18 months old. In January

2002, he was admitted to a WFP-assistedclinic in Jalal Abad, the HEWAD Clinic. Born

in drought-affected Chaparhar district near

Jalalabad, Mangal was severely

malnourished, with bony limbs and a swollen

belly. His parents had four children and no

food to feed their new baby until they heard

about the clinic giving free food and medicine

to babies.

Several months of regular nutritious food and

medical care have brought remarkable

changes to Mangal. His mother, Bibi Gul,

could not believe her eyes, when she saw

her babys plump cheeks and limbs. Look,

look at my son! You saved my beloved son.

He is WFPs child. May God bless you! she

said to a WFP food-aid monitor. Then she

burst into tears.

food. The United States was the major donor to this

programme.

Once all outstanding payments have been made to

civil servants, WFP will no longer be involved in this

programme.


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Food for Seed

Through the WFP/FAO food for

seed programme, farmers receive

food in exchange for improved

seeds that are then distributed to

other farmers. The improved seeds

are multiplied on demonstration

plots managed by FAO.

During the year, 7,600MT of

food were exchanged for

improved seeds. The programme

is to be handed over to the

Ministry of Agriculture and FAO,

and WFP will not be involved

in 2003.

Winterization

As a member of the Winter Task Force, WFPparticipated in the 2002 2003 winter

preparedness programme coordinated by theGovernment and the United Nations AssistanceMission in Afghanistan. The objective was tomeet the needs and prevent displacement andmalnutrition in areas where winter conditionsare particularly severe.

Based on VAM findings, WFP identified 1.3million vulnerable people in areas inaccessibleduring winter. WFP positioned nearly 48,000MT of food in these areas; the International

Committee of the Red Cross distributed anadditional 25,000 MT.

By the end of December 2002, WFP haddispatched all commodities to snow-blockedareas, for distribution by implementing partnersin accordance with agreed plans. Fooddistributions will continue during January andFebruary 2003.

Other relief and rehabilitation activitiessupported by food aid continue throughout thecountry under regular programmes.

Area Offices Provinces Food (MT)

Fayz Abad Badakhshan, Baghlan. 10,325

Mazari Sharif Samangan, Faryab, Sari Pul, Balkh. 7,420

Kabul Uruzgan, Wardak, Nuristan, 25,548 Bamyan, Kunar, Laghman, Nangarhar.

Hirat Ghor, Badghis. 4,545

Total 47,838

Prepositioning of Food for Winter


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Monitoring and Evaluation

RESULTS-BASED MONITORING

Enhancing results-based monitoring is one of WFPs major aims, to ensure that food aid reaches target

beneficiaries. In 2002, WFP staff monitored all projects more than once during their active stage. On a

monthly average, food distribution in 212 districts or 88 percent of the total targeted areas were monitored,

as in the following table:

From these monitoring visits, it was found that 95 percent of the beneficiaries interviewed were aware of

their entitlements, and that 97 percent of them received and consumed their full entitlements. Interviewees

confirmed that food aid helped them to enhance their nutritional status, protected them from further indebtedness

and depletion of assets, supported their childrens education, assisted their reintegration, and created physical

assets to enhance food security in their communities.

Implementing partner (IP) performance reviews were undertaken in all Area Offices in July September

2002, based on seven indicators: targeting, implementation capacity, capacity building, gender, integrity,cooperation with authorities, and reporting, resulting in ratings from excellent to unsatisfactory. IPs with

unsatisfactory ratings will no longer remain WFPs partners.

The civil servants salary supplement project was evaluated by an independent consultant. The evaluation

noted that the project had accomplished its objectives of re-establishing and strengthening the civil service

in Afghanistan.

In 2003, WFP and the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development will enhance monitoring skills

through training on methodologies, data collection and analysis, with emphasis on post-distribution monitoring.

All the stakeholders will be trained using WFPs Participatory Techniques and Tools.

Target Monitored %

Fayz Abad 16 14 88

Mazari Sharif 53 37 70

Jalal Abad 10 21 210

Kabul 81 78 96

Kandahar 42 29 69

Hirat 38 33 87

Total 240 212 88

Monthly average number of districts in which projects were monitoredArea Offices

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Total

Fayz Abad 6 6 3 1 0 16

Mazari Sharif 1 0 19 13 13 46

Jalal Abad 0 0 30 12 1 43

Kabul 8 2 35 2 21 68

Kandahar 0 0 12 9 1 22Hirat 0 5 13 2 1 21

Total 15 13 112 39 37 216

IP Ratings by Area OfficesArea Offices


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Vulnerability Analysis and Mapping

VULNERABILITY ANALYSIS AND

MAPPING

2002 has been an interesting and challenging year

for the Vulnerability Analysis and Mapping (VAM)

Unit. The main task of the Unit has been to determine

the extent and impact of the ongoing drought, with

the objective of identifying communities at risk and

in need of food aid. The information collected

ultimately allows WFP to prioritise the allocation of

resources to the most vulnerable communities.

The VAM Unit started the year with a number of

rapid emergency food needs assessments, a tool

designed to update findings and fill in the information

gaps created when last years countrywide survey

was disrupted by events following September 11th.

The assessments managed to capture the devastating

impact of the drought on livelihoods, showing that

rural communities had accumulated massive debts,

and were employing irreversible and detrimental

coping mechanisms. These findings were corroborated

by a Tufts University report, A Cash Famine.

The VAM Unit also embarked on a study of the

nomadic pastoralists, considered to be one of the

largest vulnerable groups in the country, having lost

most of their livestock to the drought. The study

identified different categories of nomadic pastoralists,

and looked at ways in which various groups could

be assisted. In response to this survey, WFP made an

emergency intervention in Ghazni and Zabul

provinces.

In March, the VAM Unit played a key role in

establishing a Nationwide Food Security and Nutrition

Surveillance System, in collaboration with the

Government and other agencies. This initiative has

developed into a valuable forum for sharing

information on food security and assessments. TheSteering Committee of the Surveillance System

assisted VAM in the conceptual stage of an Urban

Vulnerability Assessment, completed in December.

This assessment was conducted in collaboration with

a number of Ministries. VAM has already seconded

a number of staff to the Ministry of Rural

Rehabilitation and Development, to transfer

assessment capacity to the Government.

In June, the VAM Unit facilitated and participated

in the field component of the FAO/WFP Crop and

Food Supply Assessment Mission (CFSAM). This

assessment estimated that national cereal production

had improved by over 80 percent in comparison to

last year due to increased precipitation in the North.

However, the findings also concurred with the early

rapid assessments, and cautioned that people had

depleted their assets and accumulated debts, as a

result of consecutive years of drought.

Between July and September, VAM and its partners

conducted the annual countrywide cereal value survey.

For the first time ever, the field teams visited every

district in the country. The objective of this assessment

was to provide WFP with a programming tool to

refine geographical targeting at the district and sub-


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Vulnerability Analysis and Mapping

district levels. The findings indicate that there was

an improvement in production in the rain-fed areas

of the North and the West. Nevertheless, in the South,

the East and parts of the Central highlands, depletedwater tables and a continuation of the drought continue

to have a negative impact on food security. Other

parts of the country also continue to experience high

levels of food insecurity, with certain areas and

communities being particularly susceptible to shocks.

Despite improved production and a general trend

towards recovery, the assessment estimated that

approximately 4.3 million people will be facing food

deficits in rural areas.

This year has seen VAM evolve into an even more

dynamic and diverse assessment unit. There has been

greater collaboration with external partners, namely

the Government (e.g. Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation

and Development), UNICEF and FAO. This has been

mutually beneficial in terms of information sharing

and pooling of expertise. All the VAM assessments

have benefited from the participation of other agencies,

which has enabled a far greater coverage than in the

past. VAM, for example, has supported and assisted

FAO in a pre-winter planting survey. There has also

been a concerted effort to strengthen the link between

VAM and programme. A linkage analysis assessment

conducted by VAM has recently been completed,

identifying how the link between VAM, programme,

and monitoring and evaluation can be strengthened.


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Special Operations

United Nations Humanitarian Air

Service (UNHAS)

In January 2002, WFP took over the management of

the United Nations humanitarian air service for

Afghanistan. UNHAS provides safe air transport for

humanitarian personnel of the United Nations

agencies, Non-Governmental Organisations,

representatives of donor countries and essential

counterpart staff.

Demand for UNHAS flights continued to grow in

2002. To meet the different requirements, UNHAS

operated a variety of aircraft from a nine-seaterKingAir to Hercules freighters, capable of lifting

18,000kg. The UNHAS passenger fleet comprised

one Fokker 28 passenger jet and three Beechcraft

1900 turboprops. These made 4,108 flights during

the year, totalling 5,878 hours, carrying 56,330

passengers and 4,570MT of cargo.

Services within Afghanistan were increased during

2002. Hirat was the busiest location with 7,000

passengers carried, followed by Mazari Sharif with

5,500 and Kandahar with 4,500. Flights operated

from both Islamabad, with 36,000 passenger arrivals

and departures, and Kabul, with 43,000.

UNHAS has undertaken improvement works at

several airfields. Examples include:

Repairing the damaged runway at Fayz Abad;

Constructing waiting areas at Kandahar and

Kunduz, check-in facilities at Kabul and a helipad

at Bamyan;

Establishing refuelling and storage facilities at

Mazari Sharif, Kabul, Bamyan and Hirat; andC onstructing a UNHAS cargo facility at Kabul

Airport to facilitate import and clearance of

humanitarian cargoes.

For 2003, UNHAS plans to continue its passenger

services for initially six months. Monthly reviews

identify necessary operational changes and service

levels required to provide safe, efficient and reliable

air services.


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Special Operations

Logistics Support

To permit the swift, safe and efficient delivery of

food assistance for affected populations in

Afghanistan, standby partners offered operating

support through service modules and specific projects

and procurements.

The main components of this Special operation

included a regional fleet, mine clearance, avalanche

control, and transport and base camp modules.

The regional transport fleet was enhanced with

the procurement of 200 new vehicles, (50 6x6

Kamaz trucks and 150 Hino trucks) and through

the Swedish Rescue Service Agency transport

module with 53 Volvo trucks. The increase of

the existing trucking capacity in the region assisted

in timely food deliveries, and helped WFP to

maintain a reasonable level of transport rates in

major corridors within and outside Afghanistan.

To ensure that humanitarian personnel were

protected and could operate in a safe environment,

and to clear supply routes used for WFP food

deliveries, the Swiss Federation for Mine Action

(FSD) provided a service module consisting of

a small international team with specialized

equipment. These experts trained national staff

to form a total of ten Emergency Response Mine

Action Teams operating in specific areas within

Afghanistan. With the assistance of FSD, WFP

achieved the clearing of mines and verification

of routes, areas and buildings. In addition to these

activities, mine awareness trainings to national

and international staff was conducted. After the

phase out of this service, module equipment will

be handed over to the United Nations Mine

Action Centre for Afghanistan (UNMACA) tostrengthen the local capacities in Afghanistan.

During the winter, snow drifts and avalanches

constituted a serious bottleneck on important

supply routes. The Canadian Avalanche Control

Unit (ACU) managed snow removal operations

during the 2001/2002-winter period, and provided

substantial assistance to clear the routes for food

transports and general traffic. This operation wasassisted through specialized equipment, such as

wheeloaders and multi-terrain vehicles (Muskegs).

The base camp modules provided by the Swedish

Rescue Service Agency (SRSA) and the

Norwegian Directorate for Civil Defence and

Emergency Planning (NDCDEP) supported the

humanitarian operation with winter

accommodation and operational support at keylogistics nodes. The specialized staff and

accommodation provided by these modules as

well as pre-fabricated houses proved to be essential

in the logistics and helicopter operation.


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Special Operations

United Nations Joint Logistics Centre

(UNJLC)

The United Nations Joint Logistics Centre (UNJLC)s

mission in Afghanistan is to coordinate the logistics

of humanitarian agencies during the large-scale

emergency.

Major activities of UNJLC included the following:

Air operations: coordinated and prioritised

common air cargo services in January June

2002;

Logistics policy : forged a common approach to

transport contracts, including distance tables,

tonne/km rates, estimated fuel consumption and

price and average transit times; negotiated on

behalf of the United Nations, common transport

rates;

Emergency road and infrastructure repairs:

instituted road studies and coordinated donors

and implementing partners in long-term and short-

term road repairs;

Capacity-building: organized training courses,

inter alia, River Engineering Training, and

maintained links with Ministries involved in air

and land transport, public works and rural

development;

Winterization: planned snow removal and

avalanche control to reduce the need for air support

for winter 2002-2003;

Air and land logistics support to the Loya Jirga;

and

Central logistics coordination of the Afghan

Currency Project, and reception, verification and

control of the currency at the provincial level.

UNJLCs plan for January to March 2003 is to

complete the winter tasks it initiated: continue snow

clearing and winterisation; carry out a customs survey;

have its own work evaluated; and consolidate capacity-

building projects. At the end of March, UNJLC will

hand over its functions to UNAMA.


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Programme Support Activities

Logistics Management

589,000 MT of food commodities were delivered to

Afghanistan during the year, of which 535,000 MT

were distributed to beneficiaries. Some 77percent of

the food transited through the Pakistan southern

corridor via Peshawar and Quetta. The balance was

delivered through the northern corridor via Kingston,

Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

The Friendship Bridge in Termez has remained open

without interruption for road and rail traffic since

December 2001, and the rail terminal of Hairaton

was extensively used. Deliveries to Badakhshan viaOsh and Ishkashim to Fayz Abad were performed

with the support of Emercom. The new corridor of

Sherkan Bandar was opened during the year, reaching

Kunduz and Fayz Abad.

Some of the constraints for the logistics operation

were:

Overland transport capacity through Pakistan was

seriously reduced by the military activities in

Kashmir from May to July, and transport rates

subsequently increased;

Road transport rates in Pakistan increased by

20 percent since January 2002; and

Road conditions throughout Afghanistan remained

poor, in particular, at the final stages to distribution

sites.

Despite the above constraints, WFP achieved the

following:

Food storage facilities were rehabilitated in

provincial centres (in Mazari Sharif and Kandahar)or are being developed (in Kabul);

Warehousing facilities in villages and at

community levels have been upgraded and

improved; and

WFPs fleet of trucks has been deployed in

Fayz Abad, Kabul and Hirat, to provide immediate

transport capacity and stabilizing transport

rates.


27/3123


Human Resources Management

To meet the increased demands of the large emergency

operations in Afghanistan in 2002, the number of

staff has doubled from about 400 to over 800 since

September 11, 2001 in all WFP offices associated

with the Afghanistan operation, including UNHAS,

UNJLC and Logistics Hubs. It is expected that the

level will be reduced to about 510 staff during 2003.

Throughout 2002, the Human Resources Unit assisted

in planning and implementing the operations, through

equitable management of human resources. Progress

was made in reaching the goal of gender balance in

staffing, with 13 percent of all the staff recruited

being female.

In addition, 13 UN Volunteers (UNVs) were recruited

by the Programme, Administration and Finance Units;

and Peer Support Volunteers Training and Trauma

Training were initiated.

Despite sustained efforts, it proved difficult to recruit

qualified personnel, especially in technical sectors

like ICT and finance, as well as qualified female staff

to serve in remote areas.

In 2003, WFP will focus on enhancing staff

performance, further streamlining staff recruitment

processes, strengthening the recruitment of qualified

national staff, and staff training.

Finance Management

In 2002, expenditures reached US$269million. In

order of magnitude, these were:

US$122million on food;

US$62million on landside transport, storage and

handling (LTSH)4;

Security Management

Since December 2001, WFP security team members

have been deployed in Afghanistan, to assist the UN

Security Coordinator (UNSECOORD) in regional

assessments and to make security arrangements in

areas open to United Nations operations.

Major security activities included:

Between February and April, two WFP Field-

Security Advisers were deployed to assist in

helicopter operations for VAM/AFSU rapid

assessments and response. Security personnel

deployed to the main WFP bases in Mazari Sharif,

Jalal Abad, Kabul and Hirat, established security

procedures and minimum operational security

standards.

VHF and HF radios and anti-mine blankets were

fitted to WFP vehicles; hand-held radios, trauma

kits, first-aid kits, bullet-proof vests, kevlar helmets

and shatterproofing film were procured, and

guesthouses and offices were made compliantwith minimum operating security standards. Field

Security Advisers monitored compliance with

security regulations and issued security notices,

as required.

Training was given to staff members on safe

driving, radio operation, mine awareness and use

of trauma kits.

4 LTSH comprises the actions required to (a) care for and (b) physically deliver the commodities from the completion of external transport through to finaldistribution.


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US$34million on external transport5;

US$27million on other direct operational costs

(ODOC)6; and

US$24million on direct support costs (DSC).7

In the absence of a viable banking system in

Afghanistan, the Liaison Office in Islamabad managed

financial matters. Most operational management, was

delegated to Area Offices, which were strengthened

with additional staff. Moving the Country Office

from Islamabad to Kabul in May 2002 entailed a shift

in the focus of operations.

In 2003, improving financial management will

continue to be a priority, particularly in conjunction

with the roll-out of the WFP Information Network

and Global System (WINGS).

Administration Management

In the aftermath of September 11 and the subsequent

build up of emergency operations in the country, the

Administration Unit was involved in the following:

Procuring vehicles;

Installing generators ranging from 5KV to

230KV;

Rebuilding Area Offices and Sub-Offices; and

Establishing guesthouses.

The Unit contributed significantly to establishing the

WFP Country Office in Kabul, opened by theExecutive Director in July 2002.

Procurement activity was high, with the total

commitment levels reaching US$21.7million in 2002,

of which US$8.7 million were spent on non-food

purchases, and US$13 million for food purchases.

5 External transport is by definition the first leg of transport for commodities: from the donor country to the recipient country port, or in cases of regionalcommodity purchases, from the place of purchase to the recipient country.

6 ODOC includes deliverable goods (non-food items), services and training to beneficiaries and/or to implementing partners, including the Government.

7 DSC refers to staff resources, goods and services used exclusively by WFP in direct support of a project.


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Information and Communications

Technology (ICT) Management

In 2002, the Information and Communications

Technology (ICT) Unit installed modern ICT

equipment in the WFP offices, including towers,

satellite transceivers, satellite modems, routers, servers

and local-area networks (LANs), connecting offices

and warehouses. To maintain the equipment, training

sessions were held for the entire ICT staff, with

support from the FITTEST team.

Since December 2001, Ericsson had provided mobilecommunication for 500 users from the Government

of Afghanistan, the United Nations and other

humanitarian organizations, making their relief work

more efficient. Ericssons contribution via WFP was

in response to the United Nations Secretary-Generals

Millennium report, which encouraged partnerships

between the United Nations and private initiatives

for humanitarian purposes. This contribution came

at an important time, when both the new Afghan

authorities and the humanitarian community was

facing a very difficult situation due to the emergency,and needed reliable communications within Kabul

and within the rest of the world.

After the mobile phone service ended in August 2002,

a very small aperture terminal (VSAT) network was

installed in nearly every office, giving direct dialling

facilities in and outside Afghanistan. The VSAT

network improved e-mail and Internet access, critical

tools in WFP.

The aim in 2003 is to build staff capacity by training

national ICT staff in the use and maintenance of the

equipment. ICT will also support the roll-out of WFP

Information Network and Global System (WINGS),

which relies on satellite communication, in Kabul

and Islamabad.


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Photo Credits

Ajmal Amini/Richard Potts/UNHAS 19. Alex Chicheri 2, 3, 8, 10, 11,13, 15. 20, 22. Burkard Oberle 9. Carlo Paris 23.

Dominic Grace 25. Fayyaz Shah 1. Hugh Smith/UNJLC 21. Jalalabad Office 12, 14. Jean Philippe Bourgeois/UNJLC 15.

John Cosgrove 24. Marc Petzoldt Cover photo, inside cover photo, 11. Pippa Bradford 3, 8. Stephanie Fries 17.


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WFP Country Office Afghanistan103 Peace Street, Wazir Akbar Khan, Kabul, Afghanistan

Tel: +873 763 044 995, +93 (0) 20 210 0216-8 Fax: +873 763 044 996E-Mail: [email protected]

http://www.wfp.org/afghanistan

WFPWorld FoodProgramme

Afghanistan

world food programme afghanistan, annual report 2002

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