evaluation of general food distribution in northern uganda: gulu ...

More documents

Recommendations

Info

It is recognized that numerous recipients of food aid will complain about food . One districtofficial from Gulu claimed that: “food is like money, and however much you provide IDPs withfood there will never be enough”. Nevertheless some key stakeholders criticise WFP as wellas NRC for not providing the IDPs with thorough, targeted and repeated explanations as towhy food baskets are composed in a certain way, and why rations have been reduced, andwhat the expectations are from the IDPs to do in return. Many IDPs deny that they have beenthoroughly involved in the dietary composition of the food basket or even the food reductions,and that these decisions were in most cases ‘just presented to them’ through radioannouncements or by the camp leaders 71 . More involvement could perhaps have reducedcomplaints. NRC acknowledges this in so me of its monitoring reports.7.1.6 But People Have Been Kept AliveDespite the reductions in rations and food basket, pipeline breakages, uniform diet andmissing food items health indicators 72 from the past three years show that malnutrition rateshave been kept relatively manageable, under the emergency threshold of 10%. The GlobalAcute Malnutrition (GAM) rates of 2005 showed: 4,7% in Gulu and 11,8% in Kitgum 73 . In2008 these figures have reduced even further to 3,1% in Gulu and approximately 8% inKitgum. It is argued that the number of admissions to therapeutic feeding centres in thisperiod has reduced. The incidences of deaths due to hunger in camps have reduced bringingthe crude mortality and the under 5 mortality rate down to or less than 1/10.00 0 persons perday 74 .Many IDPs interviewed did express their appreciation and satisfaction with food aid, qualifiedwith statements such as: “it sustained our lives”… or more literally “it kept us breathing”… orin terms of nourishment “it kept our children healthy”. Or as a group of people in Pawiditransit site in Kitgum district said: “we ran from our villages, and moved with nothing… atleast we found food in the camps”. This was followed by a more sad consideration: “wewished we could dig, but security didn’t allow us… so we depended on the food”. 75 . Severalmothers appreciatively also added that food aid had kept their children in school. The factthat food distribution in camps had lead to a safer life without the threat of or reality ofabductions and killings, which all IDPs had faced in the home gardens was humblyacknowledged. However had there been alternative options and possibilities of fending foroneself, most IDPs would have opted for these.In sum, the quantitative indicators show that the GFD project through difficult times hascontributed to household food security and the maintenance of minimum nutritional anddietary standards, and brought down high GAM rates and saved lives.However, research, beneficiaries’ voices, observations on the ground, opinions ofhumanitarian actors and donors paint a more cloudy picture of the fulfilment of the objective.Multiple factors contribute to positive nutritional rates, not only food, but also good sanitation,clean drinking water and proper hygiene practices and a clean environment. Hence, thepositive developments in the quantitative indicators are not just a reflection of food aid.Moreover, the reality – and maybe the more qualitative signs - is that pipeline breakages,delays, shortages in food items, reduced rations and few alternative food options, littlediversity in food supplies and weak coping strategies on behalf of the IDPs (also in newtransit sites where supporting services are not available) have meant that IDPs havestruggled to maintain their minimum nutritional dietary standards of 2.100 kcal per person perday and according to several stakeholders, many have not managed at all. A closer look atsome of the issues is taken in the following chapter.71Focus group discussions with IDPs in camps and transit sites.72NRC Quarterly reports, EFSA of 2007, WFP PRRO, ACF nutritional report 200773GAM rates before this period were even higher, close to 20%74 Nutritional Surveys for Gulu district in 2005 and 2006, WFP75Interviews and focus group discussions in Camps and transit sites in Gulu and Kitgum28
7.1.7 Lesson Learned♦ Food aid has been vital to fighting (acute) malnutrition and saving peoples lives duringthe protracted crisis in Northern Uganda. Composing a food basket with the correctamount and type is essential to meeting the minimum nutritional dietary standards. Butwith ration reductions, cuts in the food basket and few alternative options themaintenance of minimum standards of 2.100 kcal per person per day is seriouslychallenged.♦♦♦The food aid has not been provided according to preferred dietary needs and demands ofthe Acholi people and has in several cases also been of inferior quality. The traditionalAcholi diet is rich and diverse. The uniform food basket given over many years haschanged diet habits and nutrition of the IDPs. Being aware of needs and involvingbeneficiaries in finding alternative or complimentary solutions to food aid can boost thediet and nutrition and respond to some of their preferences.Changes in food rations, problems with quality, missing food items etc may require moreintensive and repeated explanation to the IDPs so as to fully answer complaints.Adjusting distribution mechanisms to the family size system with an emphasis ofbeneficiary involvement can prove effective in as much as reaching the target populationswith food in a fair way and controlling crowds into an orderly distribution.7.1.8 Recommendations♦ With the ration reduction, changes in food basket and inconsistencies in supplies, NRCshould incorporate alternative strategies to food aid programmes in a protracted situation.IDPs, with a wealth of dietary knowledge, can be brought more actively on board toidentify ideas or solutions to meet their own needs. Based on this, NRC should source forthe most feasible operational solution (e.g. topping up food aid, implementing small scalelivelihood activities, initiating cash programmes and stimulate market forces). See alsorecommendations and qualifications under Section 5.4.♦♦♦NRC should include qualitative indicators in the project design to compl iment the existingquantitative health indicators, which may not always provide a complete picture.Qualitative indicators could be defined around ‘beneficiary satisfaction’, which NRC hasalready been reporting on in Post Distribution Monitoring Reports.Taking IDPs complaints seriously through actions and recourse increases the feeling of adignified process. In this connection NRC and WFP should reassess the functions andpurpose of the complaint desk with a view to improve the use of them and reach a moreeffective complaint handling process.NRC should take other/alternative measures to push for actions and recourse in someareas with persisting complaints (rations cards, verification/print list failures/pipelineshortages etc). For example more direct communication/advocacy can be made to WFPmanagement.29
Page 4 and 5: List of Contents1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Page 6 and 7: 9.3 NRC’s Efforts Towards Connect
Page 8 and 9: tools; however it ensures food secu
Page 10 and 11: ♦♦♦♦With the ration reducti
Page 12: 1.4 CoordinationNRC’s approach to
Page 15 and 16: NRC coincided the field phase of th
Page 17 and 18: Juba talks have been perceived as t
Page 19 and 20: Table 2: 2004 Global Food Aid Deliv
Page 21 and 22: 4 PROTECTING THE RIGHT TO FOOD - TH
Page 23 and 24: 5 PROJECT RELEVANCE & APPROPRIATENE
Page 25 and 26: 5.3 Lesson Learned♦♦♦‘Being
Page 27 and 28: schedules and working long hours to
Page 29 and 30: The complaints about the failed ver
Page 31 and 32: 7 PROJECT EFFECTIVENESSHaving asses
Page 33: most and mothers observed the nutri
Page 37 and 38: By 2005 the profile of the crisis i
Page 39 and 40: Recent studies 95 on global food se
Page 41 and 42: From the 2007 EFSA 104 it transpire
Page 43 and 44: 7.3 Project Objective 3:To safeguar
Page 45 and 46: 7.3.4 A Future Strategy for EVIs?Se
Page 47 and 48: 8 COORDINATION8.1 A Co-ordinated Re
Page 49 and 50: some extent also GoU through distri
Page 51 and 52: 9 RELIEF AND RECOVERY - CONNECTEDNE
Page 53 and 54: expected of them. From their perspe
Page 55 and 56: 9.4 Lessons Learnt♦♦♦♦♦St
Page 57 and 58: dependency among the IDPs and unwil
Page 59 and 60: establish the food security situati
Page 61 and 62: ANNEX 1: Terms of Reference for the
Page 63 and 64: • Desk studies. As a general back
Page 65 and 66: F. Time frame and budget considerat
Page 67 and 68: Annex 2: Evaluation Programme - inc
Page 69 and 70: Annex 3: List of Documents Consulte
Page 71 and 72: Expert OpinionsMr. Joe OloyaMr. Gra
Page 73 and 74: Typical Menu:BREAKFAST:• Millet p
Page 75 and 76: NRC objectives andTOR objectivesTo

evaluation of general food distribution in northern uganda: gulu ...

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?