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Facts, figures and the lastest updates from WFP's high profile emergencies.

• WFP continues food dispatches to Hirat and the western region through commercial truck convoys escorted by Afghan National Police. A convoy of 53 commercial trucks carrying 1,600 mt WFP food moved from Kandahar to Hirat and Nimroz provinces during the week. The convoy has crossed the most volatile district of Dilaram and is now on the way to final destinations.

• The security situation is relatively calm throughout the country. No armed clashes were reported during the past week. However, reports of armed robbery in eastern Chad continue to be received.

• A joint assessment mission (JAM) including WFP/UNHCR and NGO partners is due to take place on 1 July in southern Chad. The main objective is to assess the overall food security and nutrition situation of the CAR refugees. Findings from the mission will allow WFP to design a new cycle of the PRRO in order to provide adequate assistance to the beneficiaries.

• Since 26 May, health and nutrition activities have been suspended in the Iriba hospital, Touloum and Iridimi refugee camps. The nutrition partner in charge of those areas has temporarily suspended its activities due to security constraints. Should the suspension persist, the health and nutrition status of the beneficiaries will adversely be affected.

• Distributions of a 60-day seed protection ration to some 200,000 IDPs and IDP host populations in eastern Chad are currently ongoing. General food distributions for July are also due to begin on 7 July in the Sudanese and CAR refugee camps.

• To date, food received in Chad through the Libya corridor amounts to 11,961 mt. Over 3,800 mt from Khufra and Benghazi are currently en route to the Faya transit hub.

• Due to late food deliveries to schools in South Kivu, food stocks are still available that have not been distributed in Caritas assisted schools. The ongoing verifications suggest that other implementing partners face the same situation in some schools.

• UNHCR has resumed the repatriation of Congolese from Tanzania and envisages deploying two convoys per month over the next three months to facilitate the return of some 4,000 Congolese per month. WFP will assist the returnees with a three-month ration as a return package.

• WFP continues to face large shortfalls (262,000 mt) for the relief programme, targeting 4.6 million drought affected people.

• The Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Agency-led multi stakeholder Belg assessment started at the end of June. The findings will assist in further determining the impact of the current drought and in fine-tuning targeting.

• About 3.7 million beneficiaries of the Productive Safety Net Programme (PSNP) are prioritized for food assistance as a result of severe drought in their areas. WFP is supporting the government to procure 80,000 mt and hopes to raise approximately 90,000 mt of food resources for up to 2.4 million to receive food transfers for an additional three months.

• A budget revision to increase PRRO 10665.0 with some 378,500 mt for relief is being finalized.

• 55,000 mt of wheat, the first tranche of the regional working capital finance (WCF) loan allocated for Ethiopia, is being procured. The Country office is trying to identify cash so as to cover associated costs. Some 15,000 mt of sorghum is being tendered against another WCF (to be approved).

• The emergency operation does not have enough food stocks to cover July distributions; the government has confirmed 6,500 mt of cereals in-kind donation; a DFID cash donation covered all the associated costs.

• Kenya Food Security Steering Group (KFSSG), the national food security coordination body, is preparing for the 2008 long rains assessment. Meanwhile, KFSSG has increased the beneficiary numbers in Turkana District from 160,000 to 215,000 following deterioration in food security and nutrition situation. Admission criteria for supplementary feeding in Turkana have also been revised to include children at risk of being moderately malnourished.

• Eight weeks after Cyclone Nargis struck Myanmar, WFP has dispatched over 18,000 tons of food to affected areas in the Ayeyarwady Division, and distributed 14,564 tons to approximately 684,000 beneficiaries.

• A requirement to import all further rice requirements places significant pressure on WFP’s operational budget and pipeline.

• As Cluster Lead for Logistics and Emergency Telecommunications, WFP has been coordinating the provision of common services for more than 45 partners (UN, bilateral aid agencies and NGOs). As of 30 June, a total of 112 air cargo shipments into Yangon airport have been organised, with 5,354 tons of relief items dispatched. Shipments include food, medical kits, tarpaulins and other vital humanitarian materials such as temporary warehousing and telecommunications equipment. 10 helicopters have continued to carry food and other critically needed humanitarian supplies to the most hard-to-reach areas in the Delta. Following a decline in demand after the most urgent needs had been serviced, 5 helicopters were redeployed on 30 June.

• The commodity shortfall for PRRO 10191.1 for the period June to March 2009 was 245,768 mt of which 188,279 mt is cereals. The CO urgently requires US$66,000 million to move forward on the purchase of 83,000 mt of cereals largely in South Africa as part of the purchase of 250,000 mt of cereals for the Horn.

• WFP requires urgent funding for project SO10681.0, which will be exhausted in August 2008. Emergency Rehabilitation Work in Mogadishu and Kismayo ports (SO10578.0) is only 15 percent funded. Urgent donations are required to continue these vital operations.

• Government approval has been obtained to operate WFP managed, United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) flights for the first time in Sri Lanka.

• Food deliveries to beneficiaries in the northern LTTE controlled areas have reduced due to protracted delays for WFP convoy movements. WFP has taken up the issue with the Government.

• The security situation in the north (Mannar, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, Vavuniya and Jaffna) remains volatile due to intense military operations, impacting on the movement of people, food and relief items.

• A WFP contract-driver was killed by unknown armed men in an ambush along the Juba –Yei road in South Sudan while returning from food deliveries. This year alone, seven WFP contract drivers have been killed in Sudan; five in South Sudan and two in Darfur. There has been a general increase in armed criminal activity in parts of the region whose security levels were raised and now require armed escort.

• WFP issued a Press Statement on 30 June 2008 thanking donors for a fast response to meet the funding shortfall of its air operation, enabling continued air service in support of the massive humanitarian efforts of more than 200 agencies in Darfur. The recently contributed US$14.8 million will keep the air service going through to 30 September 2008. The donors are: U.S.A (US$4m), UN CHF (US$4m), E.C (US$3.8m), Canada (US$2.5m) and a private donor (US$500,000).

• The Government imposed suspension on NGO field operations (issued 4 June) remains in place. During the election period humanitarian activities and movements have remained on hold, seriously impacting on the delivery of relief assistance. It is hoped that WFP will resume food distributions as planned in the upcoming month.

• WFP has been reviewing the joint WFP/FAO CFSAM assessment findings with government, donors and co-operating partners and has been developing operational plans. A budget revision is near completion for an anticipated expanded food assistance programme. This programme is expected to assist some 4 million people during the peak hunger season.

• On 26 June, over 300 people claimed refugee status at the South African Embassy. This was on the basis of reportedly fleeing from political violence of the ruling party’s youth militia. On 27 June, upon request of the SA authorities and assistance of the Red Cross (National and the Federation) these people were relocated by the GoZ to a Rehabilitation Centre in Ruwa. Humanitarian agencies have coordinated efforts to assist with basic necessities such as food and blankets. The situation is being closely monitored by the humanitarian community.

• The UN Security Management Team has continued to monitor the security situation throughout the election week. The Presidential elections took place as planned on 27 June. This was despite the withdrawal of the opposition candidate – Mr. Morgan Tsvangirai, Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), from the presidential run-off. Mr. Tsvangirai’s name however remained on the ballot papers as the electoral authorities reported that it was too late for him to pull-out of the election. On Sunday, 29 June, Mr. Robert Mugabe was announced President for another five-year term.

• The SADC Election Observer Mission’s preliminary statement found that the pre-election process did not conform to ‘SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections’ (e.g. politically motivated violence). The Mission thus described the prevailing environment to have ‘impinged on the creditability of the electoral process’ stating the elections ‘did not represent the will of the people’. The Mission strongly recommends a continuation of SADC mediation efforts.