VZCZCXRO5268
OO RUEHBI RUEHLMC
DE RUEHLM #1196/01 2430649
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 310649Z AUG 07
FM AMEMBASSY COLOMBO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6710
RUEHBK/AMEMBASSY BANGKOK 3264
RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU 5484
RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA 0377
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 7363
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 3992
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 1311
RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO 4061
RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA 1197
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 3147
RUEHCG/AMCONSUL CHENNAI 7956
RUEHBI/AMCONSUL MUMBAI 5600
RUEHON/AMCONSUL TORONTO 0383
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORPORATION
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 2292

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 COLOMBO 001196 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE ALSO PASS TO USAID 
AID/W FOR ANE/SAA 
AID/W FOR DCHA/FFP; DCHA/OFDA 
BANGKOK FOR OFDA TDOLAN 
KATHMANDU FOR OFDA WBERGER 
USMISSION GENEVA FOR KYLOH 
 
AIDAC 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID PGOV PHUM PREF PINSCE
SUBJECT: SRI LANKA - DCHA/FFP MONITORING REPORT ON WORLD FOOD 
PROGRAM (WFP) PROTRACTED RELIEF OPERATION 
 
 
¶1. (U) Summary:  From July 7 - 13, 2007, USAID/DCHA Food for Peace 
Asia Team Leader (FFP/TL) Matthew Nims and USAID/DCHA Food for Peace 
Officer Katey Schein (FFP/O) visited Sri Lanka to monitor the WFP 
Protracted Relief and Recovery Operation (PRRO) which receives U.S. 
Title II Emergency Assistance. During the visit, FFP/TL and FFP/O 
visited multiple sites and discussed future funding contribution 
possibilities with the mission and WFP. 
 
¶2. (U) FFP/TL and FFP/O traveled with WFP and USAID Sri Lanka staff 
to Trincomalee and Batticaloa to: monitor internally displaced 
persons (IDP) and recent returnee general food distributions; meet 
with local government officials; visit WFP warehouse and 
distribution centers; observe returnee arrival process; speak with 
maternal child health beneficiaries; observe school feeding 
activities; and discuss the current humanitarian situation with UN 
and INGOs. In Colombo, the team met with representatives from the 
Ministry of Nation Building, Estate Infrastructure and Development 
(NBEID) in Colombo to discuss food security and the WFP operation. 
End Summary 
 
¶3. (U) Background: WFP implements a PRRO in Sri Lanka that has 
provided assistance to over 1 million persons since 2005. The PRRO 
includes the following components: vulnerable group feeding, food 
for work, mother child nutrition and food for education. 
USAID/DCHA/FFP contributed 5 million USD to the WFP PRRO in May 
¶2007.  The in-kind donation of lentils, vegetables oil and wheat 
flour will arrive in country in August. FFP is in the process of 
making a second contribution to the WFP operation. 
 
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TRINCOMALEE 
----------- 
¶4. (U) The team traveled with WFP to an IDP center to observe food 
distributions to populations affected by the ongoing civil conflict. 
 The camp manager is doing an impressive job coordinating the 
assistance from various NGOs and government offices. Reports were 
very well maintained.  The camp was well organized into volunteer 
groups where the members of the camp would organize various 
activities, i.e., sports for children. 
 
¶5. (U) The team visited the Trincomalee WFP regional distribution 
center.  As the major wheat processing plant for Sri Lanka is 
located in the port of Trincomalee, WFP uses Trinco as a base from 
which to distribute the wheat flour to the operations throughout Sri 
Lanka.  Most of the time, the processes and procedures WFP has 
developed with the Government of Sri Lanka (GSL) enable smooth 
transportation of commodities throughout the country, despite the 
numerous military checkpoints.  However, WFP and the GSL are working 
to further improve the systems in place. 
 
¶6. (U) The team observed a returnee arrival process in 
Eachchilampattai Division as IDPs who had left Vaharai in Batticaloa 
were returning via ferry and going through the identification 
process.  Part of this process included a distribution of a two week 
ration of food aid from the GSL per person in the household.  After 
the two weeks, WFP will provide further rations for the returned 
families for a time period still to be determined. 
 
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BATTICALOA 
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¶7. (SBU) The team met with local Muslim fishermen whose livelihoods 
have been severely affected by the conflict.  The men described the 
 
COLOMBO 00001196  002 OF 003 
 
 
negative impact of the restrictions on the times and locations they 
are permitted to fish. Further, members of the Karuna paramilitary 
group have  been engaging in extortion of businesses and control of 
the fish markets. 
 
¶8. (U) The team spoke with IDPs who were receiving WFP food aid and 
staying in local churches. The majority of the IDPs were women and 
elders as most of the young men and children had left the area 
temporarily to live with families in other districts.  Some 
expressed concerns that the fighting would resume and force them to 
leave again; others were looking forward to returning home. All had 
received sufficient commodities from the recent WFP distribution. 
 
¶9. (U) The team visited a World Vision (WV) general distribution 
facility. WV was coordinating well with WFP and the GSL in filling 
gaps in food aid distributions and ensuring the needs of the 
beneficiaries were being met. 
 
¶10. (U) The team visited two large IDP camps that have been in 
operation for months and witnessed the distribution of flour, 
vegetable oil, sugar and lentils. The operation was running very 
efficiently. 
 
¶11. (U) The team visited and spoke to representatives from a 
community that had recently returned.  They were satisfied with the 
food commodities, but expressed significant concerns regarding 
safety and the lack of livelihood opportunities given the numerous 
land mines that prevented planting of crops. 
 
¶12. (U) The team co-hosted a dinner with INGOs and UN agencies that 
are operating in Batticoloa.  FFP found it very informative to hear 
what other activities were ongoing and to understand how the 
international community works together and assists each other. 
 
¶13. (U) The team visited a principal WFP warehouse and watched 
commodities being loaded into trucks for delivery. The warehouse was 
well maintained and sanitary.  WFP had taken sufficient precautions 
to ensure the drivers were protected while in the district. 
 
¶14. (U) The team visited a maternal child nutrition center and the 
end use distribution of commodities for pregnant and lactating 
mothers and young children in a local co-op.  The co-op also stocked 
additional, basic household commodities. 
 
¶15. (U) The team witnessed a school feeding distribution of rice and 
dahl for both the local children attending the traditional school 
and to IDP children who were attending a temporary school. 
 
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COLOMBO 
------- 
¶16. (U) On July 12, 2007, FFP, USAID mission and WFP attended a 
meeting in Colombo with representatives from the MNBEID. The main 
issues raised were as follows: 
 
(a) (U) Food aid should never be used as a political tool; 
transparency and accountability must be maintained through proper 
monitoring and reporting; and WFP must have continuous access to 
beneficiaries. The donors hold WFP accountable, but as the 
implementing agent, MNBEID must help WFP meet these standards. 
 
(b) (U) Collaboration between WFP and the government at a local 
level is good but there is room for improvement. In Trincomalee, it 
 
COLOMBO 00001196  003 OF 003 
 
 
was reported that food had been delayed, distributed in insufficient 
rations and sometimes used in incorrect ways. Dispatch levels here 
could be much higher if collaboration is strengthened, including 
through enhanced logistics and transport. GSL representatives 
explained the government is taking several measures to improve 
program implementation, including the adoption of new guidelines on 
good governance, transparency and accountability. 
 
(c) (U) WFP operations must increasingly focus on emergencies. 
Resources from USAID/FFP will be earmarked for the emergency 
component of the PRRO and not development activities in areas not 
affected by the conflict. 
 
(d) (U) Logistics collaboration needs to be strengthened - WFP is 
the lead United Nations agency for logistics and the government 
should draw on its expertise and experience. This can include joint 
approval of dispatch plans, guidelines on running of warehouses, 
etc. This is a priority for USAID; forthcoming large contributions 
of wheat, oil and lentils from USAID/FFP will put strain on an 
already stretched system, furthering the need to increase the 
logistical capacity of WFP. 
 
¶7. (U) Conclusion:  FFP is supportive of the WFP operation in Sri 
Lanka and recommends a future FFP contribution to the PRRO in FY07 
to address the acute needs of the conflict affected persons in Sri 
Lanka. 
BLAKE