This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS E F T O SECTION 01 OF 06 ROME 003782 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
NOFORN 
 
USAID LILONGWE FOR R. GRANT 
USAID LUSAKA FOR C. HENN 
USAID PRETORIA FOR P. DISKIN 
STATE USAID/FFP FOR J. DWORKEN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: MI SF ZA WFP FAO
SUBJECT: USUN ROME TRIP REPORT SOUTHERN AFRICA OCTOBER 
13-20, 2005 
 
¶1. (SBU/NOFORN) Summary.  Between October 13 and 20 Michael 
Cleverley, DCM for USUN Rome and Richard Newberg, USAID 
Humanitarian Affairs Attach traveled to southern Zambia and 
central and southern Malawi on a fact-finding mission.  The 
purpose of the trip was to witness the operations of WFP and FAO 
first-hand, and to gain an improved understanding of the food 
insecurity situation in those countries to better position 
USUN Rome to ensure an appropriate and adequate emergency and 
relief response.  As with any short Mission, the findings of 
the team reflect observations of a limited number of sites. 
However, we believe that from conversations with governments, 
donors and relief partners that the observations contained 
herein are largely accurate and can be used as a guide to 
emergency and recovery programming in the region.  The trip 
served to highlight sharp differences between the two 
countries (Zambia and Malawi) in their approaches to the 
evolving food insecurity crisis: approaches that we fear are 
based more on the political objectives of the governments 
than on realities on the ground.  In both countries political 
crises are distracting attention away from the real problems 
of their citizens.  In both countries poor agricultural 
policies and worse implementation are more responsible for 
the crisis than poor rainfall.  Until these root causes are 
corrected the crisis will be repeated next year and probably 
the next, affecting the most vulnerable populations, women 
and children, the most.  USUN Rome greatly appreciates 
Embassy Lusaka,s and Lilongwe,s, and particularly their 
USAID missions,, excellent support in facilitating and 
accompanying the visits to Zambia and Malawi.  The results of 
the field trips were directly applicable to current 
discussions in both FAO and WFP.  End Summary. 
 
The Zambia 
 
¶2. (SBU/NOFORN) The team visited Southern Province and spoke 
with three communities within a 50 km. radius of Livingstone, 
located at varying distances from major roads.  The primary 
concern of the communities was in obtaining seed for the coming 
agricultural season and the lack of draught animals for land 
preparation.  In recent years the communities have lost a 
good percentage of their livestock to diseases, primarily 
East Coast Fever, which entered the area in the past three 
years.  Some communities reportedly lost up to 80% of their 
herds.  The loss of livestock has made the people in this 
area especially vulnerable to the drought this past year, 
which followed closely on the heels of the drought of 2002/3. 
The maize crop in the communities we visited failed 
completely. 
 
¶3. (SBU/NOFORN) In Zambia, the government has so far refused 
to declare a disaster, and there is reported infighting within 
government on this issue.  Apparently, the Minister of 
Agriculture stated when he accepted the post that there would 
be no &disaster8 on his watch.  Subsequent to the visit, we 
understand the government held a briefing and appealed for 
donor assistance but avoided the &D8 word.  In that meeting 
they revised upwards the estimates of need in Zambia. 
Ironically, the crisis is very much the result of 
longstanding government policies that promote hybrid maize 
production where poor rainfall and soils make it inadvisable. 
The loss of cash income from a poor maize harvest, coupled 
with the loss of livestock in recent years to disease, hit 
villagers particularly hard in parts of the Southern 
Province. 
 
¶4. (SBU/NOFORN) There was little evidence that the government 
and population have taken steps to diversify their agricultural 
production, although some cotton was planted last season. 
The solution is not putting hybrid maize seed and fertilizer 
into the hands of farmers in this area, which has been 
government policy for many years.  When asked what they 
wanted to plant, the men invariably wanted hybrid maize seed 
and fertilizer.  In one community, only one person said that 
he had cassava in his garden.  The women were much more 
concerned with other staples such as sorghum and pulses that 
make more sense from a household food security perspective. 
The region is not well suited to maize; in a good year 
rainfall is only 700mm/yr.  Last year rainfall was about 
500mm and poorly distributed.  Also, there was little 
evidence that farmers were practicing &conservation8 
agriculture, such as &potholing8 to conserve soil moisture. 
 The communities made a point of telling us that they are not 
lazy and would welcome work, even though there was little 
evidence of field preparations for the coming agricultural 
season. 
 
¶5. (SBU/NOFORN)  Not surprisingly, poverty was more apparent 
the further we went from the major road.  All communities 
reported that their cereal stores had been depleted, and that 
they were subsisting largely on wild fruits and other wild foods. 
For the moment these wild foods are fairly abundant, however at 
the rate they were being harvested the communities feared 
that the food would not last until the next harvest.  One 
community reported conflicts in harvesting the wild foods 
with neighboring communities, and said they were forced to 
search farther and farther away.  Children were often 
enlisted in this effort. 
 
¶6. (SBU/NOFORN)  The team visited two of the three communities 
to ascertain the impact of WFP school feeding programs.  The 
two had started what are called &community schools8, where the 
community is responsible for building the school, and finding 
and paying the teachers.  In return for their participation, 
the communities received a food ration for building the 
school, and the children received a take-home ration for 
enrolling and attending.  The communities were appreciative 
of the feeding program, and noted that school enrollment was 
up 25-30 percent.  However, they complained that they had no 
way to pay the teacher, not even in-kind. 
 
¶7. (SBU/NOFORN)  The community schools are &recognized8 by the 
Ministry of Education, but reportedly receive no direct support, 
and are outside of the reach of a primary education sector 
improvement program of the donors and government.  The 
situation of these communities certainly raises questions of 
the quality of education the children are receiving and of 
the sustainability of the program.  On the other hand, the 
food ration that families of children in school receive 
probably represents a large portion of the cereals available 
to these communities at this time. 
 
¶8. (SBU/NOFORN) The team also spoke with FAO specialists who 
are advising the government on the control and eradication of 
several livestock diseases.  They have established a 
surveillance system and procedures for the identification, 
confirmation and control of animal diseases, including the 
culling of animals.  It appeared to us that the measures were 
too little, too late.  Farmers invited to the scene of the 
presentation complained that officials were not capable of 
identifying the diseases, and were understandably upset when 
their herds needed to be culled.  The FAO technicians 
acknowledged that a public sensitization program was needed. 
The program had convinced a local abattoir to re-open to 
accept animals by guaranteeing a number of animals each week. 
 While acknowledging the need to market animals, the scheme 
requires complete transparency to gain the trust of local 
farmers. 
 
¶9. (SBU/NOFORN)  The team visited the main Nutrition 
Rehabilitation Center at Livingstone,s Batoka Hospital that 
takes referrals from health clinics throughout the province. 
The center reported receiving on average 5 children per week for 
malnutrition related illnesses, until recently.  Diagnoses are 
complicated by malaria, HIV-AIDS, edema from protein deficiency, 
and dehydration from diarrhea.  The number of cases has increased 
to ten per week in the past two weeks, an indication that 
malnutrition related illnesses are on the rise in young 
children. 
 
¶10. (SBU/NOFORN) The absolute numbers are not yet great, but 
the actual incidence is undoubtedly much higher than the number 
reaching the center.  There is little incentive for people 
to go to the center because it is ill equipped to treat those 
that pay the high price to get there.  There are no specialized 
foods to rehabilitate malnourished children, and caregivers must 
bring all food to the hospital with them.  Cases are 
complicated with high rates of malaria, HIV-AIDS and diarrhea 
from poor sanitation.  As a result the mortality rate of 
children at the clinic is an exorbitant 48%.  Clearly parents 
are taking their children there as a last resort and out of 
desperation.  Monitoring of the actual situation in district 
clinics is urgently needed, and consideration should be given 
to putting in place a program to treat increased cases of 
childhood malnutrition throughout the hungry season. 
 
¶11. (SBU/NOFORN) The team also visited a group of volunteers 
offering home-based care for HIV-AIDS sufferers in Livingstone. 
Often, those providing care were victims of the disease 
themselves.  They spoke of the stigma and discrimination of 
having the disease, but also displayed hope that education 
and the support of the group helped them face their ordeal. 
Several of the volunteers are living proof that a combination 
of anti-viral drugs and good nutrition can prolong productive 
lives.  In fact, it was recommended by health professional 
that patients not even begin viral therapy until their 
nutritional status is good enough for them to tolerate the 
medication, a primary objective of WFP in the program. 
 
Malawi 
 
¶12. (SBU/NOFORN) The Team visited several communities in 
central and southern Malawi to view FAO and WFP activities 
related to the relief and recovery operation.  Passing through 
the countryside it was apparent that farmers were preparing for 
the next agricultural season.  There was extensive plowing of 
fields.  What we found on the trip, however, was very 
disturbing.  Communities reported that they were waiting for 
the government and donors to provide the hybrid maize seed 
and fertilizer that they needed.   Unfortunately, most 
Malawians will have to make do or wait a long time.  There 
are no services in place and the government failed to make a 
large fertilizer purchase in time for this agricultural 
season.  It is now extremely likely that Malawians will be in 
the same food insecure situation for the next year and 
possibly beyond, for lack of seed and fertilizer. 
 
¶13. (SBU/NOFORN)  The problems, we learned, are structural and 
largely the result of government subsidy policies for both 
agricultural inputs and produce, late state procurements, and 
the intervention of the parastatal ADMARC in agricultural 
markets.  While there was a period of drought last year, it 
affected farmers most who planted late due to the late 
arrival of seed and fertilizer.  This year, the fertilizer 
will not come in time again as a government procurement 
failed because the chosen provider turned out to be a firm on 
a list of companies related in some way to Al-Qaeda, and 
Citibank refused to make the bank transfer to conclude the 
sale. 
 
¶14. (SBU/NOFORN) The underlying problem seems to be a deep 
mistrust the government has of the private sector.  The private 
sector in turn is not in a position to supply agricultural 
input and output markets because of the uncertainty of 
government action through ADMARC.  ADMARC sells what maize it 
receives at 17 Kw/kg, while the market price of maize sourced 
informally from Mozambique is twice that, 34 Kw/kg.  We were 
told that in real terms the price of maize has actually 
declined over the years, even at the 34 Kw/kg price, because 
of inflation.  The formal private sector has reported that it 
could bring in maize from South Africa for about 32-4Kw/kg, 
but will not do so as long as government and donor intentions 
are unclear.  The effort to reform ADMARC is a longstanding 
one on Malawi, and one has to wonder how it has managed to 
exist for as long as it has.  Well-intentioned programs such 
as the Malawi President,s Feed the Nation Fund should not be 
done in a way that is a disincentive to private trade. 
 
¶15. (SBU)  The outlook for real reform in agriculture that 
would improve the livelihood of the majority of Malawians who 
are resource poor is bleak.  The structure of land ownership is 
highly skewed, with many people subsisting on small plots of 
land.  In any given year most Malawians are net consumers, 
not producers.  As such, they are affected more by high food 
prices than they benefit from high producer prices. 
Agricultural policies and services that allow farmers to 
diversify their production into high value crops and 
encourage the production and marketing of cheaper cereals and 
tubers are sorely needed.  Food security crops, such as 
cassava, are already on the rise in Malawi, and make more 
sense for some families that can,t bear the risk of 
investing in high input costs for hybrid maize.  For them, 
open pollinated maize also makes more sense. 
 
¶16. (SBU/NOFORN)  The Team visited a small-scale demonstration 
irrigation project near Blantyre that was promoted by the FAO. 
Malawi has ample water resources that have yet to be developed 
for irrigation.  The project used appropriate technology and 
appeared to be replicable.  The communities that benefited 
will not have the same food insecurity problems this hungry 
season that many will face.  Unfortunately, the community and 
project staff could not respond to questions of its financial 
cost and profitability, nor to the availability of finance to 
replicate or expand and scale up the activity.  The 
government purchased enough treadle pumps for each member of 
Parliament to receive 400, whether they came from rural or 
urban districts, and without giving thought to replacement 
spare parts and servicing.  We suspect most of the pumps 
remain crated.  The government gave 400 to FAO to distribute 
and set up with needy communities. 
 
¶17. (SBU)  As we traveled to the Shire Valley in southernmost 
Malawi, the stark contrast of the extensive green sugarcane 
fields and the parched earth of neighboring communities was 
striking.  Without the sugar estates the communities would be 
even poorer, but there are extensive lands that could be 
further developed for irrigation.  Drought in the valley is 
common, and population densities less than that in the 
highlands.  Here the Team visited a nutrition rehabilitation 
center and witnessed the weighing of young children and the 
identification of cases of disease and malnutrition.  The 
program appeared to be effective in identifying and treating 
cases of disease and malnutrition early, although there was a 
shortage of staff trained in preparing and administering 
specialized foods for treatment of severe cases of 
malnutrition. 
 
¶18. (SBU)  The center, with the help of a WFP/FAO partner, 
had established a demonstration garden and small poultry 
operation to instruct women in gardening and proper 
nutrition.  The project is laudable.  As we visited a mother 
of a child who had benefited from training in a nearby 
community, we found that she had been able to grow and 
consume healthy vegetables.  The project would benefit from 
closer supervision, however.  The woman had been unable to 
find seed to replant some of her vegetables, and all of the 
chickens that she bought with what little money she had died 
from Newcastle disease.  There were no other gardens readily 
observed in the community. 
 
¶19. (SBU)  The Team then visited a primary school that 
participated in a WFP school feeding program and a 
complementary FAO school gardens project.  As we interviewed 
the headmaster it became painfully obvious that the project 
looked better on paper than in reality.  Goats had consumed all 
of the seedlings in the garden, except for the onions, and tree 
seedlings in the tree nursery almost all died from lack of 
water or from termites.  We had an interesting exchange with 
the Headmaster.  He indicated that he increasingly had to 
turn away kids from a hot-lunch program because they were not 
enrolled in the school.  Enrollment was last January and he 
already had 130 kids/classroom in nine grades, some under 
makeshift shelters with no walls.  The Headmaster,s position 
was understandable, but the WFP person scolded him for not 
feeding all the kids. 
 
¶20. (SBU/NOFORN)  In Malawi, the government is desperate to 
have the donors bail them out of a food insecurity crisis that 
is as much the result of poor policies in the agricultural 
sector, and worse implementation of those policies, as it is 
on poor rainfall. A significant number of the rural and urban 
population, especially women and children, is bearing the 
brunt of ineffective government intervention in agricultural 
input and output markets.  Government inaction and the failure 
of a major fertilizer procurement may guarantee that next year 
will find many Malawians in much the same situation as they 
are in now, regardless of rainfall. 
 
¶21. (SBU/NOFORN)  These observations were shared with the EU, 
who did not disagree with our findings, including an opinion 
that the needs assessment tool used in Malawi is a good tool 
for benchmarking food insecurity, but if interpreted wrongly it 
inherently over-estimates the number of persons requiring 
food assistance.  The Team believes this to be the case in 
Malawi.  While the Team has no doubt that there are many 
hungry people in Malawi, we have serious doubts about the 
need to feed nearly one-half of the population, the latest 
figure reported by the Malawian government.  We note that 
USAID and the international community are monitoring the 
situation closely, and recommend that experts be consulted on 
interpreting and using the MVAC assessment tool to target 
food assistance to save lives and livelihoods.  From our 
observations, the Team believes there needs to be a robust 
effort to target women and children with nutrition 
supplementation to prevent a chronic malnutrition problem 
from becoming more serious.  In a meeting with all UN 
Agencies, the Team expressed our concern about overly 
sensationalizing the crisis, as we believe was done in Niger. 
 
 
General Observations and Recommendations 
 
¶22. (SBU/NOFORN)  The Team noted very different approaches 
to assessing emergency needs in Zambia and Malawi, and very 
different attitudes of the governments is calling attention 
to their food security problems.  The crisis in southern Africa 
is not the sole result of drought in the region, and the way 
forward is not as simple as waiting for the rain, or even the 
government or donors providing agricultural inputs on time. 
In both Zambia and Malawi food insecurity is endemic and 
requires a combination of good agricultural and health 
policies that promote private trade, and complementary 
activities in the field.  Humanitarian assistance in both 
Zambia and Malawi needs to be carefully assessed and 
monitored so that we do not continue to create dependency and 
displace the role of markets and the private sector.  As in 
Ethiopia, it may be useful to identify the poorest segment of 
the population that is in chronic need of food through a 
productive safety net program.  The management and operation 
of the Strategic Grain Reserve (SGR) in the country is worth 
reviewing, particularly with regards to government policy and 
transparency so that it enhances private sector market 
development. 
 
¶23. (SBU/NOFORN)  Furthermore, the needs assessments in both 
countries do not appear to be guiding emergency operations. 
In Zambia, childhood nutrition surveillance and monitoring is 
sorely lacking in Southern Province, even in the face of 
growing cases of child malnutrition.  In Malawi, as in Zambia, 
food supplements or training for health caregivers for the 
rehabilitation of malnourished children were lacking in the 
rehabilitation centers.  Mothers and young children are the 
most vulnerable group, and yet the most underserved.  We are 
concerned about the recent up-turn in cases of childhood 
malnutrition in both Malawi and Zambia.  In Zambia, it is 
recommended that the government, donors and aid agencies 
re-start the MCH Nutrition monitoring network and position 
food for therapeutic feeding centers.  Malawi seems to have a 
network in place and needs to step up the surveillance, train 
caregivers, and position therapeutic foods. 
 
¶24. (SBU/NOFORN)  In the case of the Southern Province of Zambia 
the take-home rations of the school feeding program may be the 
most important, and in some cases the only, source of cereals 
the populations have.  However, we would raise questions 
about the sustainability of the community schools in Zambia 
and the effectiveness of the program in both countries when 
faced with real problems in education reform and the lack of 
government resources for it.  In Zambia the best means of 
targeting and distributing food to food insecure households 
in the short term may be through the schools, but some needy 
households may be missed.  Consideration should be given to 
carefully targeted general distribution between December and 
the next harvest in April. 
 
¶25. (SBU/NOFORN)  Food for work (assets) in both countries 
that focuses on productive capacities could be used much more 
effectively. In Zambia we observed several water catchments 
that have silted up and needed to be dug deeper in order to 
store more water for a longer period.  In Malawi we observed 
small irrigation systems that could be replicated. 
 
¶26. (SBU/NOFORN)  The Team also noted differences of opinion 
between WFP, donors, and NGO partners in assessing needs and 
responding to the crisis in both countries.  In Zambia, NGOs 
tended to feel that WFP is under-estimating food assistance 
needs in the Southern Province.  The donors with whom the Team 
met have a healthy skepticism about food assistance in general, 
and want it to be used judicially.  In Malawi, NGOs and DFID of 
the UK have had difficulty in achieving consensus on strategy 
and targeting food assistance.  An attempt by DFID to assume the 
role of distributing food led them to return to using WFP,s 
infrastructure and logistics.  Furthermore, the DFID voucher 
scheme became meaningless as it succumbed to the fact that 
the only food available for purchase with vouchers was from 
ADMARK stores at subsidized prices.  Nonetheless, these 
attempts at providing alternatives to the traditional general 
distribution scheme should be continued until eventually a 
true voucher scheme that encourages private trade is in 
place. 
 
¶27. (U)  The team is extremely grateful for the support of FAO, 
WFP and USAID Missions in conducting this mission. 
 
HALL