R 140402Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY KAMPALA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 1412
USDA FAS WASHDC
INFO AMEMBASSY KAMPALA

UNCLAS KAMPALA 000491 
 
 
AIDAC 
 
NAIROBI FOR USDA,STEPHEN HAMMOND 
USAID/W FOR DCHA/FFP,AMY SINK,JEANETTE LEE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAGR EAID ECON PREL UG
SUBJECT: FOOD SECURITY ASSISTANCE: AN APPEAL FROM THE 
FIELD FOR GREATER COORDINATION 
 
¶1. Summary:  In order to maximize the development impact 
of taxpayer-funded foreign assistance, the U.S. Mission in 
Uganda strives to ensure that all U.S. Government (USG) 
assistance programs are well coordinated internally, as 
well as with the Government of Uganda (GOU) and other 
development partners.  In recent weeks, the U.S. Mission 
learned through the Ugandan press of two programs funded by 
the U.S. Department of Agriculture that will operate in 
Uganda to support a World Food Program (WFP) school feeding 
activity in one region of Uganda, and provide micro finance 
credit support to the Foundation for International 
Community Assistance (FINCA) throughout the country.  These 
activities may affect the U.S. Mission's ability to 
implement existing programs, given limited infrastructure 
to import increased quantities of food from Mombasa port, 
as well as the fact that the quantities proposed for 
monetization may take us above our Bellmon ceiling.  We 
will stagger our commodity imports to address these issues, 
but Post requests that all USG agencies that are planning 
to implement assistance programs in Uganda consult with the 
U.S. Mission in advance of program approval.  We need to 
ensure that the totality of USG assistance to Uganda is 
coordinated among USG agencies, as well as with the GOU. 
Effective coordination will ensure the success of programs 
critical to achieving U.S. foreign policy and economic 
development objectives in Uganda.  End summary. 
 
¶2. USG food security programs are critical to our ability 
to achieve the U.S. Mission's top two policy objectives in 
Uganda:  Regional Peace, Security, and Stability, Recovery 
and Development in Northern Uganda.  The U.S. Mission in 
Uganda has built strong working relationships with the 
leadership of Uganda's Ministries of Finance and 
Agriculture to ensure proper coordination of its food 
assistance programs. 
 
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U.S. Mission Managed Food Security Assistance 
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¶3. USAID's Food for Peace program (FFP) supports food 
security in Uganda through contributions to the World Food 
Program (WFP) and to cooperating sponsors.  FFP requires 
that its donations to WFP are prioritized for direct 
distribution in areas of acute need.  Cooperating sponsors 
receive both food commodities and monetary support in 
Multi-Year Assistance Programs (MYAPs).  MYAPS specify the 
amount of commodities which the cooperating sponsors will 
distribute directly to beneficiaries, and the amount which 
will be monetized (converted into cash through sales) in 
the Ugandan market, with proceeds used to support broader 
development programs which focus on a variety of activities 
that increase the availability of, access to, and 
utilization of food by strengthening individual, household 
and community coping and resiliency capacities.  Proceeds 
also support the strengthening of local governance and 
civil society institutions to address food insecurity. 
 
¶4. In FY 2008, FFP contributed 47,850 MT of commodities to 
WFP in Uganda, valued at $46.3 million.  In FY 2009 to 
date, FFP has committed approximately $10 million to WFP's 
Uganda Appeal, targeted for distribution in areas of acute 
need in the Karamoja region of northeast Uganda. 
 
¶5. FFP is currently implementing two MYAPS in Uganda.  In 
2007, FFP committed $76 million over five years to 
ACDI/VOCA for programs focused on the northern sub-regions 
of Acholi, Teso and Lango that support increased food 
security in the north through farmer training, improved 
agricultural practices and market linkages.  In 2008 
USAID/FFP committed $23 million over five years to Mercy 
Corps International's Healthy Practices, Strong Communities 
Program focused in the Kitgum and Pader Districts of 
northern Uganda.  This program seeks to increase food 
production and sales, improve health and nutrition among 
children and pregnant/lactating women and provide access to 
clean water and improved sanitation.  FFP contributed $26.5 
million to the two MYAPS in FY 2008. 
 
¶6. In March 2009, USAID/OFDA began implementation of a $5 
million activity that will provide essential humanitarian 
assistance through food for work, and initial inputs for 
agriculture, which stimulate and link to economically 
productive value chains.  The activity is being implemented 
in the Moroto, Nakapiripirit, Abim, Kaabong, and Kotido 
districts of the Karamoja region. 
 
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GOU Launches Emergency Appeal for Karamoja 
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¶7. In February 2009, WFP, under the coordination of 
Uganda's Office of the Prime Minister launched an appeal to 
provide $69.3 million for WFP's unfunded Emergency 
Operations (EMOP) to address emergency needs in Karamoja. 
At the end of 2008, the Karamoja sub region began facing a 
severe humanitarian crisis, following three consecutive 
years of drought.  Since then, the humanitarian situation 
has deteriorated significantly as Karamoja moves into the 
traditional hunger season and with the next harvest not due 
until October 2009.  More than one million people, 
approximately 85% of the population of the Karamoja sub 
region, are estimated to be food insecure and in need of 
immediate food and nutrition assistance. 
 
¶8. FFP funding for FY09 has diminished and requests for 
additional contributions for Uganda will be weighed against 
worldwide demands.  It is unclear at this point whether FFP 
will provide any funding to WFP beyond the $10 million 
already committed for FY 2009.  It is, therefore, important 
that with limited resources, all USG agencies strategically 
coordinate their contributions to accommodate the priority 
needs in Uganda.  Emergency needs as well as longer-term 
development needs should be carefully analyzed and 
considered. 
 
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Surprise! New U.S. Food Security Interventions in Uganda 
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¶9. Over the past several weeks, the U.S. Mission to Uganda 
has learned through word of mouth and the local press of 
additional USG-funded food assistance programs to be 
implemented in Uganda.  The Uganda press reported that the 
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) McGovern-Dole 
International Food for Education and Child Nutrition 
Program awarded $19 million in commodities assistance to 
WFP to support school feeding and maternal and child 
nutrition projects in Karamoja.  These funds will support 
WFP's long-term Country Program, which addresses 
development rather than emergency needs. 
 
¶10. We have also learned that USDA will provide 15,000 MT 
of hard red winter wheat (valued at approximately $5 
million) for monetization to the Foundation for 
International Community Assistance (FINCA international). 
The proceeds will be used to expand FINCA's national 
microfinance program in several districts in Uganda, but 
not in the deprived Karamoja region.  Post has learned that 
the USDA/FINCA commodities are expected in-country for 
monetization in September and October of 2009.  This will 
coincide with planned FFP-funded monetization of the same 
commodity, and this could result in a glut of commodities, 
reduced prices and lower revenues. 
 
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An Appeal for Greater USG Coordination 
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¶11. USG-donated commodities to Uganda are limited by the 
Bellmon Amendment to ensure that local markets are not 
adversely affected by food aid contributions provided by 
the USG.  Post urges all USG agencies to coordinate their 
plans and share information regarding planned commodity 
contributions with the U.S. Mission to Uganda in advance to 
ensure that USG commodity contributions in aggregate are in 
compliance with Bellmon. 
 
¶12. More broadly, the U.S. Mission to Uganda requests that 
all USG agencies planning to implement assistance programs 
in Uganda coordinate with us in advance, before entering 
into agreements with the GOU and/or cooperating 
organizations.  This will allow the U.S. Mission to ensure 
that USG and GOU priorities are being effectively 
addressed, that the 'package' of USG assistance programs is 
well coordinated with the GOU, and that ultimately USG 
assistance achieves its intended U.S. taxpayer-funded 
purpose:  achieving U.S. policy goals by advancing peace, 
stability, and economic development in East Africa. 
 
HOOVER