WFP Southern Sector OLS Monthly Report January 1999

Highlights

During January 1999, WFP provided 7,099 MT of relief food to 1,050,310 targeted beneficiaries in Southern Sector OLS. The tonnage distributed represents a 23% decrease from December 1998. Graph 1 show WFP distributions and beneficiaries over the past twelve months since February 1998.

The nutritional status in parts of Bahr el Ghazal, especially in Gogrial, Tonj and Aweil East counties, continued to improve and a number of agencies are closing or scaling down their supplementary feeding programmes. Falling numbers in feeding centres and decreasing crude mortality rates in locations such as Ajiep (Gogrial County) are proof of significant gains in meeting beneficiary food needs in the region. However, food economy assessments in Bieh State and Kapoeta County for example reveal a precarious food security situation where there are large concentrations of displaced persons.

The cease-fire in Bahr el Ghazal was extended for a further three months from 15 January to 15 April 1999. Increased insecurity along the rail corridor going north of Wau town in the Bahr el Ghazal region resulted in the evacuation of a number of surrounding WFP locations.

Table 1 provides a breakdown of WFP beneficiaries and distributions by region in Southern Sector OLS during January 1999 and shows that the focus continues to be on Bahr el Ghazal, with smaller, similar quantities being provided to the other three regions.