WFP distributes 58 mt of food to 15,000 in Gitega Province

The World Food Programme (WFP) began distributing on Friday 58 mt of food to 15,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the Mugera Commune of Gitega Province, central Burundi, a WFP official told IRIN. "WFP is very concerned over the access to populations in need due as a result of continuing fighting that is increasing the number of IDPs," Karine Strebelle, WFP's reports and information officer in Burundi, told IRIN. The delivery of the seven-day emergency package would be backed by up a food-needs assessment when the security situation in the area permitted, she said. Bugendana Commune in Gitega was still inaccessible. WFP said access to these areas had been "extremely limited" over the past week. A food distribution planned for Friday to 36,280 IDPs in Kabezi Commune, Bujumbura Rural Province, had been cancelled because of poor security in the area, Strebelle said. Fighting is reported to be continuing in the west-central provinces of Mwaro and Muramvya, forcing two humanitarian agencies to evacuate their staff from Muramvya. WFP said it was monitoring an influx of refugees, and feeding the needy as they arrived from neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo. In addition, the agency was laying down plans for the implementation of targeted distributions for the period November 2002 to April 2003, considering factors such as low rainfall and increasing numbers of refugees.