Food Sector Coordination Meeting

FOOD  SECTOR COORDINATION MEETING
January 31st, 2002

WFP office Skopje

IDPs and Conflict-Affected Population

IFRC reported that a total of 21,172 internally displaced persons have registered for assistance as a result of the conflict that began in February 2001. Approximately 13,500 IDPs stay with host families; 2,871 people are accommodated in 18 collective centers; and approximately 4,800 persons are partially displaced from their homes in Skopje and Tetovo.

During the meeting, the following problems were identified and discussed:

  • Some beneficiaries have been double-registered

  • Some beneficiaries are not registered but should qualify to receive food aid

  • Some IDPs who have returned home continue to receive food aid

  • Local NGOs (most notably El Hilal) do not coordinate their occasional food distributions with the Food Aid Coordination Committee.

    • The attendees agreed that the criteria and procedure to de-register IDPs must be defined and implemented as soon as possible. The ECHO representative will schedule a meeting the week of 4 Feb 02 with WFP, ICRC and MRC to discuss this issue.

    ICRC activities

    During the month of February, ICRC will distribute food aid to those IDPs accommodated in collective centres as well as to approximately 4,800 micro-displaced persons in Skopje and Tetovo.

    Action Against Hunger (AAH - UK) and Intersos activities

    During February, AAH will distribute food to a planned 14,700 needy residents of villages in the conflict-affected areas and Intersos will distribute food to approximately 13,500 longer-term IDPs accommodated with host families. ECHO will continue its funding of both of these programmes through March/April 2002.

    Host Families (accommodating refugees) and Social Cases

    Intersos indicated it that will continue to provide food assistance to approximately 5,500 of the most vulnerable social case families through February 2002.

    MPDL will continue with its complementary food assistance to host families accommodating refugees. ECHO will fund this programme through February 2002.

    Refugees accommodated with Host Families and in Collective Centers

    UNHCR will complete the January distribution of food aid to 3,900 refugees during the first week of February.

    MPDL will continue to provide complementary food to refugees accommodated with host families or residing in collective centers. ECHO also funds this programme.

    2002 Exit Strategy

    The 2002 exit strategy was finalized during the meeting, as follows:

    • Refugees: UNHCR and ECHO to identify durable solutions for this caseload. A cash assistance scheme, supplemented with some food, is being considered for implementation during the second half of 2002. (Note: WFP supplied UNHCR with food to cover the refugee caseload through June 2002.)

    • Social cases: ECHO intends to extend this assistance beyond the current project termination date of February 2002. It is planned that the government will resume responsibility for this caseload when ECHO funding ends.

    • IDPs: The international community is working with the government to implement the Ohrid peace accord. Implementation should result in the return of IDPs to their homes and would negate the need for long-term food aid. It is critical that the criteria and procedure to de-register IDPs be set forth and implemented.

    • Residents of conflict-affected areas: The provision of food aid to this caseload in planned for this winter only.

    This strategy will be refined during the first half of 2002, pending political, economic and social developments.

    The next meeting of the Food Aid Coordination Committee will be held at the WFP office (Rade Koncar Building, III Makedonska Brigada bb) on 14 February 2002 at 10h00.


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