Abundant rains in mid-May in central and southern parts compensated for reduced precipitation earlier.
Food supply difficulties are likely in northern areas affected by poor crops in 1998. A WFP Emergency Operation will provide 9 500 tonnes of food to 660 000 affected persons in northern parts.
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC (21 June)
Rains began early in February. They remained generally below normal in March and April but improved significantly in May, notably over the eastern half of the country, benefiting recently planted coarse grains.
Following a good cereal harvest in 1998, the food supply situation is satisfactory. For the 1999 marketing year (January/December), the cereal import requirement is estimated at 34 000 tonnes, mainly wheat.
CONGO, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF* (23 June)
The security situation remains tense in North and South Kivu provinces following bombing of Goma and Uvira on 11 May. People in Uvira region have been living in fear following devastation of entire villages. Despite peace negotiations, violence and attacks on villages have resulted in a dramatic increase in the number of refugees to Tanzania. Reports indicate that that some 240 000 families (1.2 million persons) have been affected by recent civil strife in North and South Kivu.
In Kasai Oriental, some 80 000 residents of Luambo town are reported to have fled into surrounding forests due to fighting. Less than 10 000 have returned home since the town was captured by rebels on 7 June, but food and medicines are in short supply. The total number of internally displaced people is estimated at 660 000, of which 220 000 in southern Kivu and 150 000 in Katanga. About 285 000 refugees from neighbouring countries are also present in DRC: 146 000 from Angola, 61 000 from Sudan, 32 000 from Republic of Congo, 25 000 from Rwanda and 20 000 from Burundi. In Kinshasa, the food supply situation remains difficult. A recent nutritional survey indicated that almost 10 percent of Kinshasa�s population suffered from acute malnutrition compared to 6.2 percent in 1998. As a result of increases in fuel prices, prices of basic food commodities have increased sharply. Insecurity and other economic problems limit transportation of goods to the capital.
In Bas-Congo, there are about 30 000 refugees who fled fighting between the government forces and the �Ninja� militia in the Pool region of the Republic of Congo.
Renewed fighting in mid-May between Government forces and Ninja militia resulted in fresh population displacements within Brazzaville. It is estimated that at least 10 000 people have been displaced from the Mukundu residential area near the airport to the north. Heightened insecurity has also displaced residents from the Mikalou and Talangai areas of Brazzaville. The displacement of people and disruption of marketing activities have seriously affected the food supply situation.
An estimated 60 000 of the 200 000 residents of southern Brazzaville's Bacongo and Makelekele districts displaced by conflict in December have returned from Pool region and northern Brazzaville since 1 May. The health and nutritional situation of IDPs is reported to be "serious". A new influx of refugees is now reported in DRC following renewed fighting in Congo.
In addition to staples like sweet potatoes, cassava and plantains, the annual cereal import requirement is some 10 000 tonnes. Food aid requirement in 1999 (January/December) is estimated at 2 000 tonnes of wheat and rice.
Production of main foodcrops (cassava and plantains) is estimated at about 330 000 tonnes. The country commercially imports the bulk of its cereal requirement, estimated at around 85 000 tonnes in 1999.
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