Summary
Content
SUDAN - DARFUR
UNICEF has agreed to appeal for funds to provide shelter and NFI supplies for Darfur. UNICEF will also plan for international and local procurements and delivery by surface and air to designated locations within the Darfur theater of operations. UNICEF is finalizing the appeal document and it should be released later this week.
WFP agreed to be the consignee for in-kind donations of shelter and NFI for a period of 60 days. USAID and DFID have indicated that they have some stocks available for immediate dispatch to Sudan.
The UNJLC continues to finalize arrangements with CARE for operations in Darfur as the common logistics-agency. Under this proposed agreement, CARE will appeal to donors directly for funds while the UN will endorse this appeal. The consignees (currently WFP and in the future UNICEF and perhaps others) will sign an agreement with CARE covering CARE’s operations in Darfur. OCHA/UNJLC will issue specific logistics instructions to CARE.
The OCHA/UNJLC offices will release this week shipping instructions to donors on how to make in-kind donations for Darfur. Arrangements for receiving air cargo in Sudan are particularly complex. NGOs have also been in contact with the UNJLC concerning their own possible cargo flights. It is hoped in the future that all agencies including NGOs will be able to use a single air cargo receiving system.
The limited supplies of shelter and NFI available in Darfur remains an acute concern. The UN Country team for Sudan agreed that NFI/shelter is the second highest funding priority (protection of civilians was first) and that “This is the most critical sector today” (OCHA memo of 19 April 04).
WFP reports continued increase in food distributions. From 1 to 17 April WFP distributed 1,944 MTs of food and plans to distribute 5,000 MTs by end April. WFP is making arrangements to increase local trucking capacity in the three field locations to further increase food distributions. This will likely include contracting dedicated fleets.
WFP has 8,000 MTs of food in the Darfur region now and hopes to increase stocks before the rainy season. All major roads are open with occasional security related delays. To increase stocks in the northern part of Darfur, WFP is flying food from Nyala to El Fasher.
OCHA reports 22 international officers in the Darfur region. One JLC logistics officer will leave on Saturday to review NFI/shelter logistics operations in all three Darfur hubs.
SOUTH SUDAN
The first three members of a 39-man technical preparedness team from DPKO have arrived in Khartoum and are operating from the UNDP office. This team will review and further develop existing planning assumptions and do preparatory work on sourcing agreements. DPKO estimates that for their operations in support of southern Sudan, about 80% of their cargo will come from the north and 20% from the south.
Air Coordination; the aviation consultant has had various meetings with Donors, Agencies and other stake holders within the humanitarian framework. He also had meetings with the Civil Aviation Authority of Sudan in Khartoum. At present all the information so far collected is being compiled and evaluated. The situation to date is that the Humanitarian Air Service, managed by WFP, is operating from Khartoum and Lokichoggio. These Operations are mostly independent from each other with different cost-recovery/funding methods. The final report and recommendations are expected to be available in mid May.
The road corridor from Nairobi (Kapenguria) to Lokichoggio has seriously deteriorated according to information provided by WFP. Although road work is ongoing at some locations, more immediate funds are required to allow for a continuation of the traffic in this corridor after the beginning of the raining season.
WFP – ROAD PROJECTS
Justification:
With peace imminent and with a vulnerable period following the signing of the peace agreement, key trunk- and feeder road demining and repairs in S. Sudan are expected to have the following impact:
facilitation of the return and reintegration of IDPs and refugees, a process which has already started and is gaining momentum;
De-isolation of garrison towns, with supply of fuel drastically increasing access to electricity and potable water for the population, and with an increase in trade in food and non-food commodities;
Reduction in cost of production of food and reduction in cost of access to food, by drastically reduced transport- and agricultural input prices;
Visible, tangible peace dividends to the population;
Important savings in WFP food delivery costs, of between 40-60% per MT.
Activities and progress:
Survey teams: two mine survey teams and two road assessment teams were fielded early February, to assess the condition and cost of repair of key trunk and feeder roads. Est. cost US$ 453,000.-
A total of 99 Dangerous Areas (mine/UXO contamination) have been identified and mapped to date. The total surface of Dangerous Area identified is 7,960,906 m2, of which 4,668,068 m2 is of concern to the road network The mine survey teams have travelled a total of 13,629 km. The road teams have surveyed 7,120 km of the planned 7,800 km, and the engineers are currently working on the cost estimates and requirements for emergency- and durable repairs, as well as on generating GPS-based maps.
FFW for road and dyke maintenance. Est, cost (tools only) US$ 60,000.-
A total of 26 projects, for a total of 838 km of feeder roads, 776 MT food for 6,200 direct beneficiaries, have been approved and started.
Emergency road repairs W. Corridor from Kaya (Uganda border) to Rumbek (S. Sudan). Cost US$ 6,395,934.-
This is a stretch of 580 km. The worst sections have been repaired up to Mundri+7 km. The Contractor has reached km 425 and will split up in three teams: one working forward, one working backwards to do some additional sections, and one working on Rumbek access road and airstrip. The upgrading of Rumbek airport (est. cost US$ 0.7 million) will reduce congestion and allow for the landing of larger aircraft, thereby reducing food delivery costs significantly.
The first impact of the road improvements on the W. Corridor corridor is clearly showing. Daily bus services have started from Uganda to Yei, public transport costs have decreased, different types of vehicles including those of small entrepreneurs are able to enter Sudan, the turn around time of convoys has halved, a trade increase and a reduction in prices of basic commodities is starting to be visible.
Emergency road repairs E. corridor from Narus (Kenya border) to Juba. Cost US$ 6,563,017.-
Due to a delay in the start of demining by UNMAS, works could only start in earnest one month ago. The repair teams have reached Narus+36 km and are working towards Buno. A fast team is jumping ahead to tackle the worst spots so that the time window for repairs is lengthened into the rainy season. Equipment worth US$ 2.66 million has been purchased (graders, dozers, trucks, water/fuel bowsers, tractors etc). It is the intention to hand over this equipment to the new Sudanese authorities after the completion of the road repairs, to help establish the first Sudanese road maintenance units.
Emergency dyke and road repairs in Bor Counties. Cost US$ 8,616,720.-
A total of 100 km of dyke needs reconstruction to a base of 12-16 m, a crest width of 4 m and a height of 2 m. Road clearing and grading has been completed for 37 km. Elevation and repair of 22 km of road dyke has started, as has the first 3 km of 15 km dyke reconstruction in South Bor. The dyke cannot reach its full height this dry season, but it is hoped that the flood zone of the Mabior Gol bottleneck can still be tackled before rains start in earnest. Late flooding, delayed mobilisation of some equipment and the finding of UXOs by the road teams have slowed down progress, however the teams on the ground are doing an exceptionally good job in the difficult circumstances they face. Equipment worth US$ 3.1 million has been purchased for this project, and should also become part of the S. Sudanese maintenance outfits once the projects have been completed.
Funding status:
The total cost of the six activities (including Rumbek airstrip) is approx. US$ 20,748,269.-
The total cost of the 3 main activities (nrs. 3,4,5 above) is US$ 19.4 million
Funding received to date is US$ 14,428,792.- broken down as follows:
WFP US$ 6,631,880.- of which US$ 3 million IRA and US$ 3,631,880.- old, reprogrammed funds
USAID 6.5 million of which US$ 100,000 for the engineers (OFDA) and US$ 6.4 million recent grant
Norway US$ 1 million
Italy US$ 296,912.-
Balance is urgently required to fulfil contractual obligations.
ABOUT UNJLC
UNJLC is an inter-agency facility reporting, in the current emergency, to the Humanitarian Coordinator for Sudan, and overall to the Inter-Agency Standing Committee. Its mandate is to coordinate and optimize the logistics capabilities of humanitarian organizations in large-scale emergencies. UNJLC operates under the custodianship of WFP who are responsible for the administrative and financial management of the Centre. UNJLC is funded from voluntary contributions channeled through WFP. The UNJLC project document for Sudan can be viewed on the UNJLC website (www.unjlc.org).