VZCZCXYZ0001
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHDS #0152/01 0181105
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 181105Z JAN 08
FM AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9228
INFO RUEHAE/AMEMBASSY ASMARA 2085
RUEHDJ/AMEMBASSY DJIBOUTI 8877
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 3335
RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS 3059
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 4137
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 2993
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 6350
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 7202
RUEHC/DEPT OF INTERIOR WASHDC
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHDC
RHMFIUU/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL//CCJ2/CCJ5/CCJS//
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC

UNCLAS ADDIS ABABA 000152 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE DEPARTMENT FOR A/S FRAZER, DAS AF JSWAN, AF/E, AF/PDPA, OES, 
A/S PRM SAUERBREY, AND PRM/AFR 
AFR/AA KALMQUIST, WWARREN, JBORNS, KNELSON, CTHOMPSON 
DCHA/AA MHESS, GGOTTLIEB 
DCHA/OFDA KLUU, ACONVERY, CCHAN, PMORRIS, KCHANNELL 
DCHA/FFP JDWORKEN, PMOHAN, SANTHONY, PBERTOLIN 
LONDON, PARIS, ROME FOR AFRICA WATCHER 
CJTF-HOA AND USCENTCOM FOR POLAD 
USDA/FAS FOR U/S PENN, RTILSWORTH, AND LPANASUK 
NAIROBI FOR OFDA/ECARO JMYER, GPLATT, RFFPO NCOX, USAID/EA 
ROME FOR AMBASSADOR, OHA, HSPANOS 
BRUSSELS FOR USEU PBROWN 
GENEVA FOR NKYLOH, RMA 
USUN FOR FSHANKS 
NSC FOR PMARCHAN 
 
AIDAC 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID PHUM SENV EAGR PGOV ET
REF:  A) ADDIS 3644 
SUBJECT: USG HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE TEAM:  DELAYS DISRUPT FOOD AID 
IN ETHIOPIA'S SOMALI REGION 
 
 
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Summary 
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¶1.  Between January 2 and 9, U.S. Government (USG) Humanitarian 
Assistance Team (HAT) in Ethiopia staff, traveled to Degehabur and 
Fik zones in Somali Region as part of a second field visit to assess 
current humanitarian conditions.  A primary focus of the field visit 
was to assess the status of food aid deliveries to the region and 
associated reports of logistical constraints and delays.  USG HAT 
staff note that although a portion of intended food aid to assist 
vulnerable populations within the conflict-affected areas of Somali 
Region has begun to be distributed, the majority of food designated 
for distribution between October and December 2007 remains in 
regional, zonal, and district capitals awaiting military escort to 
final distribution points (FDPs) and beneficiaries.  In addition, 
USG HAT staff note delays and management concerns regarding the 
transfer of funds for food handling costs associated with secondary 
transport from the regional to district level. 
 
¶2.  Food assistance serves as a critical coping mechanism for 
vulnerable populations in Somali Region, particularly during the 
January to March jilal dry season.  In the short-term, USG HAT staff 
identify the delay in the delivery of food assistance as the most 
significant threat to humanitarian conditions.  USG HAT staff 
emphasize that addressing delays is critical to prevent a 
consumption crisis among vulnerable populations in the coming 
months.  End summary. 
 
---------- 
BACKGROUND 
---------- 
 
¶3.  The Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia 
(GFDRE) Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Agency (DPPA) is the 
U.N. World Food Program's (WFP) main partner on all aspects of 
relief operation implementation in Ethiopia.  The DPPA and the 
Regional Bureaus (DPPB) are responsible for food allocations, 
dispatches, and distributions to beneficiaries.  All emergency food 
assistance is coordinated under the Food Aid Task Force led by the 
DPPA. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
ONLY A THIRD OF FOOD ASSISTANCE DISTRIBUTED TO DATE 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
 
¶4.  To date, food aid distribution is largely confined to district 
capitals with limited assistance reaching secondary food 
distribution points and beneficiaries.  As of January 17, 17,526 
metric tons (MT) of the total 23,786 metric tons (MT) of emergency 
food aid designated for the five conflict-affected zones in Somali 
Region for October and November 2007, or approximately 74 percent, 
has been dispatched from the regional warehouse in Dire Dawa to 
district capitals.  However, only 10,712 MT has been delivered to 
FDPs, and only 8,191 MT, or approximately 34 percent, has actually 
been distributed to beneficiaries.  As of January 15, 1,536 MT of 
the 2,792 MT of food assistance allocated for December had been 
dispatched to zonal and district capitals, according to the WFP. 
(Note: Dispatched food assistance refers only to food aid that has 
 
been released from the regional warehouse in Dire Dawa for transport 
to district capitals. This is distinct from distributed food aid 
that has actually reached beneficiaries.  End note.) 
 
¶5.  In addition, the majority of food rations distributed have been 
incomplete, resulting from delivery delays and limited logistical 
and management capacity.  In Gunagado village, Degehabur Zone, USG 
HAT staff observed monthly rations comprised of only five to six 
kilograms (kg) of cereal per person, significantly less than the 
allocated 15 kg of cereal per person per month.  USG HAT staff 
emphasize the need for improved distribution monitoring and DPPA/B 
capacity building to facilitate improved targeting and 
distribution. 
 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
REQUIRED MILITARY ESCORTS RESULT IN SIGNIFICANT DELAYS 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
 
¶6.  GFDRE required military escorts for the transport of food 
assistance within the conflict-affected areas of Somali Region has 
resulted in significant delays.  Military escorts are not required 
from Jijiga to Kebribeyah towns within Jijiga zone.  However, 
required military escorts for onward travel from Kebribeyah town, 
from the regional warehouse to other district capitals, and to all 
secondary FDPs continue to hinder relief efforts.  Protracted delays 
resulting from uncoordinated and unpredictable military escorts have 
led to high levels of frustration among truckers.  Despite ENDF 
expressions of willingness to escort food aid, a lack of available 
trucks and limited logistical capacity hamper escorts, according to 
the DPPA. USG HAT staff note that truckers interviewed in both 
Degehabur and Fik zones reported delays of up to 20 days.  Prior to 
the military escort requirement, truckers reported an average of 
five food aid deliveries per month, in contrast to the current 
average of one delivery per month.  USG HAT staff caution that 
continued delays undermine the commercial viability of food aid 
transport and threaten future WFP and DPPA trucking contracts in the 
region. 
 
¶7.  However, USG HAT staff also note reports of slowly improving 
access in recent weeks and months and increased WFP efforts to 
address the problem.  On January 6, a day after USG HAT staff 
observed a 30-truck convoy delayed in Babile town, en route to Fik 
town, Fik zone, from Jijiga town, Jijiga Zone, the convoy arrived in 
Fik town.  In addition, WFP has proposed an alternative to required 
military escorts in the form of a civilian escort comprised of DPPA 
and WFP staff to ease the logistical burden on the military. 
According to WFP, the military commander in Harar has verbally 
agreed to remove escort requirements along three main corridors, 
including routes from Dira Dawa to Fik and Degehabur towns.  WFP 
reports that it is finalizing a formal proposal with DPPA to submit 
to the military commander in Hahar in the coming days and that it 
will continue to advocate for additional open corridors. 
 
---------------------------------------- 
LIMITED CAPACITY AND LOGISITICAL LOGJAMS 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶8.  WFP recognizes current staffing and capacity limitations within 
WFP and DPPA to adequately implement and monitor food assistance 
 
programming in Somali Region.  In a December 31 meeting with USG HAT 
staff, WFP attributed delays in the transfer of funds for offloading 
and loading costs associated with secondary transport from the 
regional to district level to DPPA management deficiencies.  WFP 
recommends a joint WFP/DPPA investigation to identify improved 
mechanisms to address delays.  WFP has also begun adjusting trucking 
contracts to enable all money associated with onward food commodity 
transport and storage to be provided directly to trucking companies, 
eliminating the need for DPPA involvement at the regional level. 
 
¶9.  In addition, WFP is in the process of increasing international 
staff presence to two staff per each of the four WFP offices in 
Degehabur, Kebridahar, Jijiga, and Gode towns, in addition to 
recruiting local monitoring staff.  WFP has also recently hired 
three local logistical coordinators and opened a joint WFP/DPPA 
office in Dire Dawa to enhance logistical capacity, transparency and 
efficiency.  The purpose of the center is to upgrade current DPPA 
systems, including a new logistics database encompassing route 
optimization, truck contracts, convoy tracking, and food dispatches 
and deliveries, as well as information sharing to increase 
transparency and ENDF confidence in DPPA operations.  (Note: USG HAT 
and USAID/Ethiopia staff are scheduled to visit the Dire Dawa 
logistics center the week of January 20.  End note.) 
 
---------- 
Conclusion 
---------- 
 
¶10.  USG HAT staff emphasize the need to address current delays in 
the delivery of emergency food assistance to vulnerable population 
in Somali Region to mitigate a humanitarian crisis in the coming 
months.  In the context of the poor performance of the 2007 gu and 
deyr rains, restrictions on population and commercial movements, and 
ongoing civil insecurity, the improved delivery of food assistance 
is critical to prevent excess malnutrition and the erosion of coping 
mechanisms.  USG HAT staff acknowledge WFP efforts to address 
current constraints and recommend continued USG financial and 
political support to further assist beneficiary populations, 
strengthen DPPA capacity, and improve access. 
 
YAMAMOTO