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

191431Z Dec 05

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 HARARE 001699 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE/AF FOR NEULING 
 
AID FOR DCHA/OFDA FOR PRATT, MARX, GOTTLIEB, ISAACS 
 
DCHA/FFP FOR PETERSEN, MUTAMBA, DWORKEN 
 
AFR/SA FOR LOKEN, COPSON 
 
BRUSSELS FOR LERNER 
 
PRETORIA FOR DISKIN, HALE, SINK 
 
NAIROBI FOR SMITH, BROWN 
 
GABORONE FOR CASHION, BROWN 
 
ROME FOR FODAG 
 
NSC FOR JMELINE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID EAGR PREL US ZI
SUBJECT:  LARGE SCALE FOOD DISTRIBUTION REINITIATED IN 
ZIMBABWE 
 
REF:  (A) Harare 1318  (B) Harare 1507 
 
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Summary 
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¶1.  Large-scale international food aid operations have once 
more begun in Zimbabwe.  The World Food Program, which 
recently concluded protracted negotiations with the 
Zimbabwean Government on an MOU governing food assistance 
operations, has started large-scale food distributions 
through its traditional NGO partners.  We expect the scale 
of assistance to continue increasing over the coming 
months, likely peaking with the height of the hungry season 
in February.  The Government of Zimbabwe (GOZ) estimated 
number of beneficiaries remains at an artificially low 
figure of 2.9 million people, when actual need is likely 
more than 5 million.  WFP (along with donors) will monitor 
the levels of food insecurity and intends to further scale- 
up distributions based on actual needs and food 
availability.  Other constraints to international efforts 
include lack of resources (food, money and staff) and 
logistical bottlenecks.  Post is working with WFP and major 
NGOs to resolve these issues.  This is the first in a 
series of cables that will provide regular updates about 
Zimbabwe's food crisis and international assistance 
efforts.  End summary. 
 
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MOU Signed, Large Scale Food Assistance Resumes 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
¶2.  After a hiatus of more than a year, the World Food 
Program (WFP) and the Consortium for Southern Africa Food 
Security Emergency (C-SAFE, an NGO consortium comprised of 
World Vision, CARE, and Catholic Relief Services) have 
restarted large-scale food assistance in Zimbabwe.  In 
2004, the GOZ prohibited large-scale distribution of food 
aid and restricted international food agencies to special 
feeding programs.  However, at the end of September 2005, 
the GOZ re-opened the door for larger-scale distribution by 
approving plans for WFP to distribute 300,000 MT of food 
aid to up to 2.9 million rural Zimbabweans and both WFP and 
C/SAFE began limited implementation of Vulnerable Group 
Feeding (VGF: large-scale, free food distribution to 
vulnerable households) for rural residents of 37 districts, 
and C-SAFE prepared to distribute in 12 other districts. 
 
¶3.  On December 1, after several months of negotiations, 
the GOZ and WFP signed an MOU governing food distribution. 
The MOU preserves the role of WFP's traditional NGO 
partners, something the GOZ had attempted to limit.  The 
jointly agreed guidelines for the NGO food operations do 
limit GOZ involvement in distribution of the aid and 
prohibit the use of food aid for political purposes.  With 
the MOU signed, VGF feeding will now scale up in earnest 
through January 2006, with WFP and C-SAFE hoping to reach 
at least 2.9 million and 726,000 beneficiaries, 
respectively.  In addition, school feeding, Food for Work 
(FFW), the urban Market Assistance Program (MAP) and other 
smaller targeted programs continue.  (Comment: The timing 
of the MOU signing, coming after the Senate elections and 
before the arrival of UN Under Secretary General for 
Humanitarian Affairs Jan Egeland, was not accidental.) 
 
¶4.  In a further sign that the GOZ's attitude toward food 
assistance is softening, after months of fruitless effort 
(reftel A), C-SAFE has now been able to obtain import 
permits and health certificates for all the food intended 
for Zimbabwe that is currently waiting in Durban.   In 
addition, no NGO has reported any significant recent 
interference by government authorities in the beneficiary 
registration or food distribution process, though there 
have been some attempts.  In one case, when ruling party 
officials tried to hold a political rally at a food 
distribution, the implementing partner suspended the 
distribution and, a few days later, returned to distribute 
without incident. 
 
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Still discord over VGF Numbers 
------------------------------ 
 
¶5.  The GOZ's estimate of 2.9 million food insecure people, 
cited in the MOU with WFP, is based on the national 
Vulnerability Assessment Committee's annual assessment.  As 
we have reported previously (reftel B), this number was 
based on a number of flawed assumptions some of which, such 
as the assumption that incomes would keep pace with the 
rising price of maize and that 100% of household income 
would be spent to buy cereal, are already unraveling.  WFP 
believes and we concur that a more accurate estimate of 
people needing food assistance in the country is probably a 
5-6 million figure. 
 
¶6.  WFP's strategy is to start with the distributions as 
planned, closely monitor the level of people in need of 
food assistance, and use data from this monitoring to 
further scale-up as needed, depending on food availability. 
Although some GOZ Ministers (notably the Minister of Social 
Welfare, Goche) have stated that 2.9 million beneficiaries 
is a cap on total food assistance, WFP reports that it 
views this figure as a base and does not intend to be bound 
by this limitation if needs are demonstrated to be greater 
- as is anticipated. 
 
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Other Constraints 
----------------- 
 
¶7.  Other constraints to rapid scale-up of the VGF relate 
to resources (food, money and staff) and logistics.  WFP 
and C-SAFE were forced to reduce their original 
distribution plans for October and November, both because 
of insufficient food resources on hand and because partners 
needed time to rebuild their implementation capacity.  To 
increase food stocks, WFP borrowed against donor pledges to 
make regional purchases, FFP deployed pre-positioned US 
commodities, and C-SAFE collected on loans made to other 
food aid programs in the region.  As a result, there is now 
sufficient food in the region for both WFP and C-SAFE to 
meet the planned December distributions - subject to 
staffing and logistical constraints.  Of WFP's total 
planned distribution of 300,000 MT through June 2006, it 
currently has 205,000 MT pledged from international donors 
C-SAFE is in the process of reexamining its food supply 
through June 2006 (calculating pledged amounts and food en 
route versus needs); we hope to have C-SAFE's figures in 
the near future. 
 
¶8.  The lack of experienced NGO staff has also slowed the 
VGF scale-up. NGOs were reluctant to re-staff over initial 
uncertainty of donor funding.  The funding issues are being 
addressed, but the NGOs also face challenges hiring and 
retaining implementing staff because the contract periods 
they can offer are short, providing limited job security. 
 
¶9.  Logistical issues have been and are likely to continue 
to be a major constraint.  The surge in demand to move food 
from South Africa is straining transport capacities.  C- 
SAFE, in particular, is experiencing difficulty moving food 
into Zimbabwe, largely because of the decision by its 
newly-contracted dispatcher to try rail transport rather 
than trucking, which has proven to be an ill-timed, failed 
experiment.  Rail transport has proven to be slow and 
inefficient.  Zimbabwe's fuel shortage and truckers' 
increasing payment demands provoked by triple-digit and 
rising inflation have caused frequent delays for all 
partners.  All parties concerned are pressing hard for a 
solution to this critical problem and post will continue to 
monitor this issue closely. 
 
DELL