Executive Board Third Regular Session

Rome, 22–26 October 2001

   

   

  
  EE Distribution: GENERAL    5 September 2001 ORIGINAL: ENGLISH This document is printed in a limited number of copies. Executive Board documents are available on WFP’s WEB site (http://www.wfp.org/eb). 2 WFP/EB.3/2001/8/4

Note to the Executive Board

This document is submitted for approval to the Executive Board.

The Secretariat invites members of the Board who may have questions of a technical nature with regard to this document to contact the WFP staff focal points indicated below, preferably well in advance of the Board's meeting.

Director, Mediterranean, Middle East and Central Asia Mr K. Adly Regional Bureau (ODC):

Liaison Officer, ODC: Ms D. Owen tel.: 066513-2800

Should you have any questions regarding matters of dispatch of documentation for the Executive Board, please contact the Supervisor, Meeting Servicing and Distribution Unit (tel.: 066513-2328). WFP/EB.3/2001/8/4 3

Executive Summary

The rationale, and the elements of the strategy, for providing WFP food assistance to Egypt were presented in the Egypt Country Strategy Outline (CSO), which was endorsed by the Executive Board at its Third Regular Session in October 2000. (Its Executive Summary is attached as Annex I.) Since then, there have been no significant changes in the country’s food security, poverty levels and other socio-economic indicators. The proposed Egypt Country Programme (CP) is in line with the CSO and elaborates the programme of activities planned for the five-year period 2002–2006. The CP follows the Enabling Development policy framework and is consistent with the food security enhancement and poverty-reduction goals of global United Nations conferences (World Food Summit; World Summit for Social Development) and WFP’s Commitments to Women at Beijing. It also incorporates the key recommendations of the evaluation of the previous CP. A comprehensive process of vulnerability analysis and mapping (VAM) conducted by the regional unit helped improve targeting to those most in need of assistance on a geographic basis. This process included collaboration with the technical groups associated with the Egypt Common Country Assessment (CCA) and United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF). Accordingly, the primary focus for providing assistance will be on the highly food insecure landless people and on primary school–age children in the poorest areas of Upper Egypt region. In addition, the marginalized communities living in desert areas on the Sinai Peninsula and in the Red Sea Governorate will also receive assistance. These targeted geographic areas and people, and the planned WFP food-assistance activities, are consistent with the Government’s development policy and strategy. The CP will continue, and strengthen, the previous CP’s highly successful interventions aimed at the empowerment of women (assuring a share of land; issuing identity cards) by increasing the number of women who directly benefit. A study undertaken during the previous CP on participatory processes and gender-related actions in the field will foster an adoption of a programme-wide approach to the participation and empowerment of women. WFP’s active participation in the CCA/UNDAF process, including chairing the Food Security and Nutrition Thematic Group, has focused attention on food insecurity and hunger issues, and the areas where they are most serious. In particular, the CP aims to collaborate with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) to provide complementary activities in WFP activity areas, such as those involving micro-credit, agricultural technical assistance, improving the health and nutrition of children and women, training women to generate income and improving women’s literacy.

In accordance with decision 1999/EB.A/2 of the Executive Board, WFP focuses its development activities on five objectives. This CP addresses objectives 2, 3 and 5: 4 WFP/EB.3/2001/8/4

Enable poor households to invest in human capital through education and training (Supplementary Activity);
Make it possible for poor families to gain and preserve assets (Basic Activity 1);
Enable households that depend on degraded natural resources for their food security to make a shift to more sustainable livelihoods (Basic Activity 2). For the proposed Egypt Country Programme covering the period 2002–2006, the Executive Director requests the Executive Board to approve, subject to availability of resources, US$34,365,462 representing all basic direct operational costs, and to endorse US$10,069,261 for supplementary activities.

Draft Decision

The Board approves the Country Programme for Egypt (2002–2006) (WFP/EB.3/2001/8/4). WFP/EB.3/2001/8/4 5

STRATEGIC FOCUS OF THE WFP COUNTRY PROGRAMME

1. Egypt, a low-income, food-deficit country (LIFDC), imports nearly 50 percent of grain requirements annually to help feed a population of more than 64 million people. Nearly the entire population lives on less than 4 percent of the land, placing enormous pressure on limited natural resources and the environment. Notwithstanding a food supply policy that has adequately met market demand, there is a sizeable segment of the population facing the serious problem of food insecurity and its consequences. About 12 percent of the population, approximately 7.7 million people, consume less than 2,100 kcal per day. Since consumption levels required for people to lead healthy and productive lives are normally much higher, a much larger proportion of the Egyptian population should be facing food insecurity. Estimates of poverty (based on expenditure for food consumption) shed more light on this problem. Recent studies indicate that about 23 percent of the population (13.6 million people) are living below the poverty line. Paradoxically, this level of poverty exists alongside an impressive macroeconomic performance in the recent past. However, insufficient food consumption, compounded by poor hygiene, illness, disease prevalence and inappropriate dietary habits, has brought about a significant level of malnutrition among children: One in five children under 5 is severely or moderately stunted and nearly 11 percent are underweight. 2. Food insecurity and poverty as well as gender disparities have sectoral and regional dimensions. In the worst-off governorates in Upper Egypt nearly 15 percent of the households in the rural sector fall below the 2,100-kcal intake level. There is also a relatively higher incidence of stunting (24.9 percent), underweight (14.2 percent) and wasting (8.1 percent) in Upper Egypt. The incidence of poverty is 34 percent in Upper Egypt compared with about 17 percent in Lower Egypt. In the rural sector, 36 percent of households headed by women are in poverty, compared with 28 percent for those headed by men. The literacy rate in the rural sector is 44 percent (70 percent in the urban sector), with the female literacy rate at just 29 percent (62 percent in the urban sector). Although there has been significant progress in primary school enrolment and gender ratios, several governorates in Upper Egypt and desert areas with Bedouin populations show enrolment rates much lower than the national averages. 3. The goal of the Egypt Country Programme 2002–2006 is to help reduce malnutrition and poverty and enhance the human resources in the target areas of Upper Egypt and desert areas. This would be achieved through the creation of physical assets to enable self-reliant food security and increased income, with emphasis placed on participatory community development and the socio-economic empowerment of women. This goal is consistent with the development policy goals of the Government of Egypt and the development objectives of the United Nations system. The CP is formulated within the framework of the Enabling Development policy approved by the Executive Board and is based on the Egypt Country Strategy Outline endorsed by the Executive Board at its Third Regular Session in October 2000 (See Annex I). It also takes into account the recommendations of the mid-term evaluation of the previous CP. 4. The strategic focus of this CP is on households that are likely to be most food insecure but that have self-reliant development opportunities, which they are able to make effective use of, if incentives are provided. The CP is based on the well-identified premise that food assistance can play a unique role in helping increase self-reliance. Beneficiaries will come from landless households, marginalized Bedouin communities and poor families with primary school–age. Geographic targeting, which was undertaken in accordance with the 6 WFP/EB.3/2001/8/4

Enabling Development policy, resulted in a sharpening of focus primarily on Upper Egypt. This is the result of a comprehensive VAM analysis undertaken by the regional VAM unit in collaboration with the country office and the technical groups associated with the preparation of the Egypt CCA and UNDAF. The main targeted governorates in Upper Egypt are: Asuit, Aswan, Beni Suef, Fayoum, Menia and Sohag. The CP also focuses on desert areas in Sinai and the Red Sea Governorate, where the primary focus will be on Bedouin communities, which are struggling to eke out a living under harsh desert conditions. 5. The development opportunities come from three types of government-sponsored programmes. These are: (i) agricultural settlement schemes in Upper Egypt (using Nile waters) and the Red Sea Governorate (using underground water resources); (ii) sedentarization of Bedouin livelihoods through settled agriculture and community development; and (iii) a free primary education system. Providing irrigated agricultural settlements is a major form of implementing government policy for increased domestic agricultural output and sustainable incomes for the poor. In the desert areas, an already fragile ecosystem cannot sustain the traditional nomadic livelihoods of the Bedouins; hence assistance is provided to encourage Beduouins to engage in settled and diversified livelihoods that are less damaging to the environment. In these interventions, food assistance can play a unique role in minimizing perceived risks of undertaking radically different livelihoods and providing food security in the crucial initial periods of settlement. Investing in literacy and education is key for the poor to move out of poverty and food insecurity, but families need incentives to sacrifice their children’s home labour in favour of sending those children to school. This CP will use food assistance to provide that incentive in areas where disparities, especially gender disparities, in primary school enrolment are most pronounced. 6. The implementation strategy of the CP will stress empowerment of women as a key requirement for sustainable enhancement of food security and incomes among poor households. Progress will be enhanced through more effective participatory processes and catalysing the Government to extend the initiatives into other geographic areas. The CP will benefit from the United Nations partnerships already realized through the CCA/UNDAF preparation, wherein a focus on food security has been achieved; partnerships with other United Nations agencies and bilateral donors are also planned for more effective implementation of the CP. 7. With a strategic focus on the poorest, most food insecure populations and timely assistance to shift those populations to improved, sustainable livelihoods, this CP will contribute to the food-insecurity and poverty-reduction goals of the global United Nations Conferences (the World Food Summit; the World Summit for Social Development). The actions stipulated in the CP towards empowerment of women are consistent with the objectives of WFP’s Commitments to Women. 8. WFP is moving towards a results-based approach to monitoring. Indicators have been developed to track the progress of the CP. WFP will also monitor the food security situation in targeted areas. WFP/EB.3/2001/8/4 7

PROGRAMME OF COUNTRY ACTIVITIES

Country Programme Resources and Preparation Process 9. At the end of 1998, a United Nations team retreat was held to review the CCA/UNDAF guidelines and to determine a common plan of action. During that retreat, WFP was asked to shorten its current five-year CP by one year in order to fit it into the cycles of the other United Nations Development Group agencies as well as into the next national five-year plan. Thus, the present CP ends in 2001. Between early 1999 and the end of 2000, the United Nations team worked very closely under the overall coordination of the Resident Coordinator, with UNICEF coordinating the CCA, and UNFPA and the UNDAF. A number of further retreats led to the definition of themes that were considered key areas in the Egyptian development context. This required extensive consultations with government officials, academics and donors. WFP was chosen to chair the Food Security and Nutrition thematic group. The first draft of the CCA was successfully completed at the end of 2000, and the final draft was produced in July 2001. The UNDAF document is currently under preparation and should be completed by the end of 2001. 10. The CSO was drafted in close consultation with United Nations partners and is in line with the findings of the CCA. Moreover, the common United Nations databank benefited from the VAM exercise and all data used in this document reflect the commonly shared information. 11. After endorsement of the CSO by the Executive Board in October 2000, the WFP country office, with the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation (MALR), undertook a series of field visits and consultations to prepare this CP. 12. The proposed Country Programme builds on the experience accumulated in almost 40 years of WFP presence in Egypt. One of the reasons for the encouraging results obtained under recently terminated projects is the sound implementation capacity established within the counterpart ministries. On the whole, staff, equipment and technical inputs are well covered, and funding levels are in accordance with government commitments. Institutional arrangements have also been found appropriate and practical. Based on past experience, no bottlenecks in terms of absorptive capacity are expected. 13. In accordance with decision 1999/EB.A/2 of the Executive Board, WFP focuses its development activities on five objectives. This CP addresses objectives 2, 3 and 5.
Enable poor households to invest in human resources through education and training (Supplementary Activity);
Make it possible for poor families to gain and preserve assets (Basic Activity 1); and
Enable households that depend on degraded natural resources for their food security to make a shift to more sustainable livelihoods (Basic Activity 2). 14. The proposed CP envisages assisting 188,650 food beneficiaries through two basic activities and 282,600 boys and girls through a supplementary school feeding activity. 8 WFP/EB.3/2001/8/4

TABLE 1: BENEFICIARIES SUPPORTED THROUGH WFP ASSISTANCE IN EGYPT

Activity Total Men/Boys Women/Girls

Upper Egypt 145 650 69 910 75 740 (48%) (52%) Desert communities 43 000 20 855 22 145 (48.5%) (51.5%) Total 188 650 90 765 97 885 (48%) (52%) Supplementary school 282 600 141 300 141 300 feeding (50%) (50%)

15. The total direct operational cost of this CP is US$34,365,462, which is approximately the same as resources for the previous CP. Activity 1, Assistance to Landless Families in Upper Egypt, requires 55,440 tons of wheat flour, 3,805 tons of vegetable oil, 5,550 tons of lentils and 2,936 tons of sugar, with a direct operational cost of US$21,485,381. Activity 2, Support to Vulnerable Desert Communities, requires 36,448 tons of wheat flour, 1,214 tons of vegetable oil, 2,395 tons of lentils and 2,120 tons of sugar, with a direct operational cost of US$12,880,081. 16. The Supplementary Activity is a school feeding programme in the targeted areas of the two basic activities and will complement the development strategy. It will require 25,434 tons of wheat flour, 2,543 tons of vegetable oil and 3,391 tons of sugar, with a direct operational cost of US$10,069,261. Its implementation will depend on funding from additional bilateral resources. 17. The Government’s matching fund commitment for the basic activities of this CP is estimated at US$112,284,669. 18. During implementation of the preceding CP, a coordination committee was established in lieu of the Food Aid Advisory Committee, with functions related to strategic planning, problem-solving and common approaches to implementation. This has proven to be an effective means of providing joint policy and operational oversight to the concerned activity managers. This arrangement will be continued in this CP. 19. Each of the CP activities will have a management committee (Board of Directors), chaired by the relevant ministry and comprising representatives in accordance with the specific needs of the activities. The WFP Country Director will participate as observer in the meetings of these committees. Under the general policy guidance of the overall coordinating committee, each management board will limit its activities to the specific operational, programming, implementation and co-financing issues associated with its activity. 20. Potential partners (United Nations agencies, non-governmental organizations [NGOs]) also have excellent experience in Egypt. Coordination has been handled on an ad hoc bilateral basis. However, as partnerships increasingly develop, it is foreseen that representatives will participate in the WFP coordinating committee. WFP/EB.3/2001/8/4 9

THE COUNTRY PROGRAMME ACTIVITIES

Activity 1: Assistance to Landless Families in Upper Egypt for Asset-creation

➮ Strategic Focus 21. The landless and functional landless poor and food-insecure families in the most marginal areas of Upper Egypt, where vulnerability analyses have revealed serious problems of hunger, poverty and low levels of human development, will benefit from this activity. WFP will adopt a new approach, working with the Government to bring agricultural development and land settlement programmes to the areas where the poor live, rather than settling the poor elsewhere. This will help the poor community as a whole to benefit from the economic and social spin-offs from the new economic activities. Food aid will help beneficiaries get through the transitory period of creating agricultural assets, which will increase their level of food security. 22. This activity addresses Enabling Development policy objective 3: Make it possible for poor families to gain and preserve assets.

➮ Problem Analysis 23. Regionally, the most chronically food insecure households are found in Upper Egypt, as evidenced by an estimate of nearly 24.9 percent of children there being stunted. This is the highest stunting rate for any region. Chronic food insecurity is further implied by the fact that Upper Egypt has the highest incidence of poverty (34 percent). While only 35 percent of Egypt’s total population lives in Upper Egypt, some 55 percent of the 13.5 million people who fall below the poverty line are found in Upper Egypt. Food insecurity data indicate that some 12 percent of the total population, or about 7.7 million people, consume less than 2,100 kcal per person per day, and most of these people are to be found in the poorer governorates of Upper Egypt. 24. Government policies for increasing the agricultural production and food security of the rural poor include impressive plans for the reclamation of desert lands. Over the last decade, some 800,000 ha of desert have been reclaimed, groundwater availability has been increased and new techniques for using the water of Lake Nasser and the Nile have been developed. The bulk of the land area covered or earmarked for settlement of poor people and agricultural development is in Upper Egypt. A dual strategy of reducing poverty and increasing agricultural production is implemented through a programme of settling landless poor in newly developed land with irrigation. 25. During the early years of settlement, new settlers are exposed to many difficulties and hardships. Having come to a new settlement, they have no regular income sources until the new agricultural activities start to produce them. Hence, they face serious food consumption problems during the initial years. They also have to adapt to a new production system and a new social environment. All of these factors risk inhibiting their participation at the level required for the success of the new settlement and its agricultural ventures. In other words, there is a strong need for external assistance to enable the landless poor to create the assets that would help them move towards food security and a better life. WFP food assistance is meant to meet that need. Field observations have clearly indicated a vast difference between settlement schemes supported with food assistance and those without. In the former, settled agriculture is established and stabilized, whereas in the 10 WFP/EB.3/2001/8/4

latter, settled agriculture has haphazard progress and takes a much longer time to achieve expected results.

➮ Objectives and Intended Outcomes 26. The long-term objective of the activity is self-reliant food security and increased incomes for the poor, food-insecure families of Upper Egypt through settled agriculture and social and community development. This is consistent with the Government's long-term agricultural and social development plans. 27. Through the activity, poor landless or functional landless households, with a special emphasis on those headed by women, receive ownership of irrigated land and engage in cultivation activities to increase food availability and purchasing power. It is anticipated that within five years, the participating households will have adequate food consumption and will be able to meet other basic needs as a result of their agricultural production and increased incomes. Quantitative and qualitative improvements in food security, income levels and living conditions are expected in the longer term. 28. Settlers live in a community/village environment and have access to facilities such as schools and medical clinics, which are developed under government community development programmes. They benefit from cooperatives and participate in village committees, which are also elements of government support for community development. They also benefit from the Activity Fund, which will provide micro-credit for agricultural investments and women’s income-generating activities, as well as for investments in community development. 29. Training activities for women, their representation in village committees and credit availability will enhance women’s participation in economic and social activities. 30. Outputs:
29,130 landless families settled on newly irrigated lands and receiving food assistance for up to five years;
30,587 ha successfully producing crops using new techniques;
Over 30 percent of farmers using credit facilities from the Activity Fund;
Approximately 30 primary schools and 30 clinics constructed, staffed and financed;
Approximately 30 village committees and 30 agricultural cooperatives established (with targeted 30-percent participation by women);
20 percent of women-headed households settled, 20 percent of family land allocated to spouses (women) and all women issued with identity cards.

➮ Role and Modalities of Food Aid 31. WFP food assistance will help support landless farmers until their new lands reach a level of production adequate to sustain them and their families. This level is expected to be reached in the fourth year, following settlement in most areas, but within only two and a half years in the case of settlements in the Lake Nasser area. Families will receive a monthly food ration of wheat flour (67.5 kg), vegetable oil (4.5 kg), lentils (6.8 kg) and sugar (3.8 kg) for two and a half to four years. Women-headed households will receive an additional 25 percent of food rations during the first two years of settlement to support land preparation and initial cultivation work, as the women will not be able physically to undertake all of these demanding tasks. WFP/EB.3/2001/8/4 11

➮ Implementation Strategy 32. A total of eight settlement schemes will be supported under this activity. These are: Asuit, Beni Suef, Fayoum, Lake Nasser, Menia, Sohag and Wadi El Saaida (all in Upper Egypt) and Nubaria (Lower Egypt), which will phase out in 2003. 33. MALR has overall responsibility for the activity. WFP’s key partner within the ministry is the Superintendent for WFP activities, who is responsible for implementation of food assistance activities and management of the Activity Fund. The Superintendent works with two other key partners within the ministry: The General Authority for Rehabilitation and Agricultural Development (GARPAD) and the Mubarak Scheme for Settlement. Within settlement schemes, GARPAD is responsible for all infrastructure development and for initial land reclamation, which are carried out through contractors, and the Mubarak Scheme is responsible for selecting settlers and supporting them throughout the settlement process. 34. For the Lake Nasser settlement scheme, WFP’s key partner is still the Superintendent for WFP activities. However, actual implementation, including selection of settlers and overall management of the scheme, is undertaken by the High Dam Lake Authority (HDLA). 35. The Mubarak Scheme and HDLA are also responsible for seeing that settlers receive training, and for helping them organize agricultural cooperatives for the supply of tractor services and necessary farm inputs. The Regional Manager of the Mubarak Scheme in Upper Egypt and the Chairman of the HDLA will be responsible for operational matters. An adequate and qualified staff of engineers, agriculturalists, monitors and sociologists support them.

➮ Beneficiaries and Intended Benefits 36. The total number of direct beneficiaries will be 29,130 families (of which approximately 5,826 will be women-headed households), representing almost 150,000 people, who will settle on newly developed lands. Approximately 75,740 women and 69,910 men will benefit from food assistance. Targeting procedures will ensure that all these come from the poorest landless families in Upper Egypt; in the Lake Nasser settlement, special efforts will be made to target Nubian families who were displaced when the lake was created. 37. Each settler will receive a package of benefits, the primary component of which is a plot of agricultural land amounting to 1.05 ha. The package will also include assistance for low- cost housing and a training and extension services component. The WFP food basket makes a very significant contribution to household food security during the crucial initial period of farm development. An adequate supply of food allows the farmers to stay on their new farms and concentrate on developing their land.

➮ Support and Coordination 38. The main initial costs of the activity, including all infrastructure, farmer training and extension work, are met entirely from the Government’s own resources. The Government’s direct support costs to the activity will also include a contribution to an Activity Fund. For this Fund, the Government will set aside from its own budget US$5.26 per settler family per month for a period of four years. The Fund would be used to support settlers through lines of credit for agricultural activities and women’s income-generating activities as well as for community-level investments. The Government will bear the entire costs for local transport, storage and handling of the food aid. 39. Support from international donor organizations is being sought. In particular, it is anticipated that bilateral technical assistance from the governments of France and Italy 12 WFP/EB.3/2001/8/4

should become available for the activity. France has shown interest in providing technical assistance for crop and animal production and training of beneficiaries. Italy has shown interest in working in one settlement area on the environment, particularly to train beneficiaries on environmental protection issues. Similarly, the activity authorities are seeking assistance from IFAD to increase and better manage agricultural credit for small farmers. FAO has been contacted by WFP to provide technical support (particularly in the areas of marketing and organic farming) for the project. The potential for receiving funding from the new Italian Debt Swap arrangement is being jointly explored. 40. Community Development Associations (CDAs) will be organized and registered with the Directorate for Social Affairs at the governorate level. The CDAs are expected to serve as animators for community development, and to attract additional needed funds and services. 41. WFP is also working closely with UNICEF and UNFPA, which are also preparing their new CPs to determine how assistance in common governorates can be synchronized and synergies maximized. UNICEF and UNFPA could provide assistance to WFP beneficiaries, particularly in the areas of women’s health awareness training, family nutrition and literacy.

➮ Monitoring Arrangements 42. The Government has primary responsibility for monitoring the overall activity, including food distribution and the use of the Activity Fund. The overall guidance, including new requirements for monitoring effects and outcomes, will be provided by WFP. Each settlement scheme will assign the task of collecting and reporting monitoring data to qualified staff on the site. The scheme will also provide all necessary equipment and relevant training in order to support effective collection, processing and reporting of monitoring data. The Superintendent will engage staff specifically to monitor food distribution, the use of the Activity Fund and changes in socio-economic conditions. 43. Baseline data will be collected for the activity to provide a basis for future monitoring and evaluation. WFP’s monitoring will focus on a wide range of activity elements, including the following: (i) the amount and quality of food distributed/received; (ii) the frequency of food distribution; (iii) the completeness of household ration cards; (iv) the use of the Activity Fund; (v) the allocation of land in the name of women-headed households and settlers’ wives; (vi) the availability of and participation in training activities by gender; (vii) men and women settler participation in local decision-making; (viii) progress on farm development; (ix) progress of crop cultivation; and (x) changes in household incomes and food consumption.

➮ Cost Estimate 44. The activity will require a total of 67,731 tons of food, composed of 55,440 tons of wheat flour, 3,805 tons of vegetable oil, 5,550 tons of lentils and 2,936 tons of sugar, with a direct operational cost to WFP of US$21,485,381 over five years, while the Government contribution will be US$29,204,169.

Activity 2: Support to Vulnerable Desert Communities

➮ Strategic Focus 45. Poor and highly food insecure Bedouin communities living in extremely harsh desert conditions in Sinai and the Red Sea Governorate and poor landless families from the Red WFP/EB.3/2001/8/4 13

Sea Governorate and Upper Egypt will benefit from this activity supporting the development of broad-based and sustainable livelihoods. Food aid will support these beneficiaries as they make the shift from traditional to new forms of livelihoods. 46. This activity addresses Enabling Development policy objective 5: Enable households that depend on degraded natural resources for their food security to make a shift to more sustainable livelihoods.

➮ Problem Analysis 47. Poverty has a clear regional dimension in Egypt. A recent estimate suggested that the incidence of poverty had reached 23 percent in Egypt and that Upper Egypt had the highest incidence of poverty (34 percent). However, other pockets of poverty do exist in Egypt, particularly among communities living in desert areas where resources are scanty and living conditions extremely harsh. The Bedouin people living in Sinai and the south of the Red Sea Governorate barely survive with their traditional lifestyles. Although data on these people are scarce (relative to other areas in Egypt, which makes comparative vulnerability difficult), their lives are characterized by extremely low education levels and a high incidence of disease and malnutrition. The Government of Egypt has, therefore, given the governorates of the Red Sea and the Sinai a high development priority. 48. The nomadic Bedouins are faced with an increasingly depleted grazing area for their animals. The Government is focusing on helping the Bedouins successfully settle on the land and earn a living from mixed agriculture through the introduction of water-harvesting techniques. Such settled farming will also help community-building, with the serious problem of inadequate access to health and education addressed through the provision of relevant services for the new communities. Also, in the central plateau of the Red Sea Governorate, which is also a desert area but where abundant renewable underground water is found, the Government is launching a development programme for reclaiming new land for the settlement of poor landless people from the Red Sea Governorate and from Upper Egypt. 49. Water-harvesting activities will be designed to enhance the environment within and around settlement areas. In these new communities, the Government will provide primary schools, medical clinics, improved roads and, in some areas, electricity.

➮ Objectives and Intended Outcomes 50. The activity’s long-term objective is to develop new, sustainable livelihoods for very poor nomadic people and for migrants from the overcrowded Nile Valley. This will be achieved through assistance to sedentarized farming (for nomadic communities) and agricultural settlements (for landless poor) using sub-surface irrigation sources. This is consistent with the national policy and accorded high priority by the Government of Egypt. 51. The targeted Bedouin communities will practise sedentarized agriculture and landless settlers will engage in irrigated agriculture, which will bring about improved food security through increased production and higher incomes. Income sources will be diversified, sustainable, more reliable and will not harm the environment. Sedentarized Bedouins and landless settlers will have access to social services in a stable community environment. 52. Outputs:
farming settlements for the Bedouins and landless poor to be established, consisting of 8,600 new farms comprising 5,100 water-harvesting farms and 3,500 sub-surface irrigation farms; 14 WFP/EB.3/2001/8/4

training of 8,600 beneficiaries in new agricultural techniques suited to maximizing production under harsh conditions;
over 30 percent of farmers using credit facilities from the Activity Fund;
16 functioning primary schools and medical clinics established; and
settlement of women-headed households constituting 15 percent of all beneficiaries.

➮ Role and Modalities of Food Aid 53. WFP food assistance will support landless poor and a nomadic Bedouin population during the settlement/sedentarization process, until their lands reach a level of production adequate to sustain them. Such a level is expected to be reached in the fourth year following settlement/sedentarization. Families will receive a monthly food ration for four years of wheat flour (67.5 kg), vegetable oil (4.5 kg), lentils (6 kg) and sugar (9 kg).

➮ Implementation Strategy 54. In the Red Sea Governorate, MALR has the overall responsibility for the implementation of the project, which will be conducted through the Desert Research Institute (DRI). In Sinai, the Ministry of Development and New Communities has overall responsibility and works through the Sinai Development Authority to implement the project. Oversight is maintained through a management committee, in which the country office participates. 55. During project implementation a joint strategy to have a participatory approach will be implemented in order to involve the beneficiaries in decision-making processes, including selection of beneficiaries (in new settlements), to provide essential community facilities and basic social services.

➮ Beneficiaries and Intended Benefits 56. The activity will support 3,500 poor and landless families (of which 525 will be women- headed households) and 5,100 nomadic Bedouin families (of which 765 will be women- headed households). Approximately 22,145 women and 20,855 men will benefit from the food assistance. The 3,500 landless families will each be given 1.05 ha of agricultural land, which will be irrigated from renewable sub-surface water. The 5,100 Bedouin families will be assisted in developing suitable land in valley bottoms (wadis) for rainfed agricultural production through the application of water-harvesting techniques (construction of dykes, cisterns and wells). 57. All beneficiary households will receive agricultural training (crop production, use of inputs, marketing) and will construct their own permanent houses. They will benefit from a regular and gradually increasing income as a result of diversified agriculture and conversion to higher-value crops. Once a farm with permanent housing has been established, beneficiaries will also receive security of tenure for their landholdings. 58. Through the establishment of farming communities, beneficiaries will be provided with government community services. These will include the construction and operation of primary schools and medical clinics as well as improvements to village access roads. Where possible, the Government will also extend the electrical power grid to include these villages. WFP/EB.3/2001/8/4 15

➮ Support and Coordination 59. Project managers in the Sinai and the Red Sea Governorates, who will be supported by an adequate number of staff, will administer operational matters. The staff of the DRI will provide technical support for agricultural development and mixed crop production. Farming units will be established through the development of water-harvesting techniques and the construction of wells and cisterns. Women and girls will be trained in household income-generating activities and/or literacy classes, and in health care and nutrition. Also, WFP will procure pumps, solar heaters and four-wheel-drive vehicles under the activity. Landside transport, storage and handling will be secured through Government contributions.

➮ Coordination and Partnerships 60. Discussions have been held with FAO and IFAD for possible agricultural credit for small farmers from IFAD and technical assistance from FAO to enhance market resources (i.e. grow crops that are in demand and deliver them to the market) and to develop the potential for organic farming. The newly signed Italian Debt Swap agreement could possibly be used to finance this additional assistance.

➮ Monitoring and Evaluation Arrangements 61. Monitoring and evaluation units, in close cooperation with other management units, will operate a programme for monitoring the activities as a management tool. Monitoring and evaluation will focus on both activity output (achieving project objectives and targets) and activity outcomes (improving food security, access to education and health facilities). Baseline studies will be undertaken for both outputs and outcomes, and participatory rural assessments will be made to determine progress at the household level and also to assess the degree and effectiveness of beneficiaries’ participation. Furthermore, WFP will continue its training programme for project staff to improve beneficiaries’ participation and gender awareness.

➮ Cost Estimate 62. WFP’s contribution totals 42,177 tons, composed of 36,448 tons of wheat flour, 1,214 tons of vegetable oil, 2,395 tons of lentils and 2,120 tons of sugar, with a direct operational cost of US$12,880,081 over five years. The Government’s contribution totals over US$83 million.

Support Activities 63. A considerable amount of progress has been made in WFP-assisted activities to change attitudes and implementation practices with regard to gender and participation. Credit for this should be given to WFP’s implementing partners. However, there is still more that can be accomplished and there are new activities in this CP for which staff will have to be trained. Thus, the country office, in cooperation with government counterparts, will develop a new strategic plan to provide all activity staff with training in gender issues and participation. This will enhance activity implementation by being more sensitive to the needs of beneficiaries, both male and female, and will make monitoring and reporting more useful management tools. 64. WFP Egypt is also working with the regional VAM unit to collect disaggregated data in Upper Egypt. This work is also linked to updating the CCA database. In addition, the WFP 16 WFP/EB.3/2001/8/4

country office is exploring the potential for using remote sensing techniques to assess the environmental impact of activities as well as the progress of crop production.

Key Issues, Assumptions and Risks 65. The success of the CP in terms of improving food security and incomes of the targeted beneficiaries is highly dependent on the technical inputs, most of which are to be provided by the implementing partners. The CP expects that the technical inputs will be in place in a timely manner with adequate quality and quantity. However, given the practical constraints, including getting budgets approved, administrative procedures, the progress on this assumption will have to be closely monitored. 66. The CP places a strong emphasis on partnerships. Although the main purpose of establishing partnerships is to maximize synergies, there are certain risks involved. Continuity of funding by all partners is of critical importance as are the dynamics of inter- agency relationships and commitment. 67. The objectives of the CP are to be achieved mainly through increased agricultural production by the beneficiaries. Agricultural output will be both for personal consumption and sale; hence, stable and lucrative markets are crucial to the success of the activities. While some marketing factors are beyond the control of the producers, there are issues— such as appropriate crop selection, inputs availability and intermediate storage—that can be addressed by the relevant support services. WFP and the implementing partners will have to monitor such production and marketing issues and take corrective action when necessary. In many cases, some of the positive contributions by the implementing partners will need further strengthening. 68. The WFP-assisted settlement activities on the newly reclaimed lands and those in the deserts are being implemented in harsh and fragile environments. The immediate effects seem to be positive in regard to environmental factors. Given the vulnerability of such marginal lands, however, the Government and WFP should continue to monitor the situation carefully. WFP has been discussing the possibility of cooperation with bilateral agencies for both environmental monitoring and interventions to improve, for example, solid-waste management. Progress has been made with the Italian cooperation agency in Upper Egypt in this regard.

PROGRAMME MANAGEMENT PROCESS

Appraisal 69. The two activities in Upper Egypt and the Red Sea Governorate followed the traditional preparation process. That is, the Government made official requests, the country office organized missions to visit the project areas and project outlines were prepared. Appraisal missions will be undertaken during the year 2001, and project summaries will be formulated. For appraisal work, the country office will obtain technical assistance from other United Nations agencies within the technical cooperation arrangements. Preparation of terms of reference, review of appraisal reports and activity summary preparation will be undertaken in collaboration with the Regional Bureau and shared with the ministries representing implementing partners and, where appropriate, with other United Nations partners and bilateral agencies. A local programme review committee will also review the activity summaries. WFP/EB.3/2001/8/4 17

Programme Implementation 70. In terms of volume of activities, this CP will be at approximately the same level as the previous Country Programme. The same country office staffing level is therefore considered adequate and will be maintained. Implementation will have a programme-wide approach, although individual activity responsibilities will also be assigned. Relevant staff in the country office and from the implementing partners will be encouraged to participate in training on important aspects such as logframe analysis, gender action plans and participatory rural appraisal techniques. 71. Coordinating and executing authorities: WFP’s principal implementing partner in Egypt is MALR. MALR is directly responsible for the implementation of all WFP projects with the exception of the Sinai project, which is implemented by the Ministry of New Communities. MALR also draws on the support of other ministries or institutions. For example, the Ministries of Health and Education are requested to assist in staffing health clinics or schools. Specialized institutions, such as DRI in the Red Sea Governorate, are sometimes requested to assist projects on specific issues. 72. WFP has a long history of cooperation with MALR, and many missions (including the 2000 mid-term evaluation of the CP), have remarked on the capacity of MALR to ensure counterpart funding as well as management of WFP’s food and projects. 73. During the previous CP, the country office worked with MALR to improve the capacity of project staff to apply gender-sensitive and participatory monitoring and evaluation systems. In view of the need for increased results-based management, this will continue in this CP. 74. With the development of the CCA and UNDAF, the Government and United Nations agencies have recognized the need for closer coordination and information-sharing. Various formal and informal mechanisms have evolved over the last two years, including designing joint Web pages for mutual reviewing of CPs and organizing formal, annual, joint programme reviews. 75. Strengthening initiatives for the empowerment of women: In the above-mentioned areas of assistance in the rural sector, the CP aims to increase women’s literacy and income-earning skills as well as to address some of the pressing health problems facing women. This work is expected to be carried out in cooperation with UNICEF and UNFPA. In addition, the successful WFP-sponsored policy initiatives towards the empowerment of women (land allocation and land titling to women, issuing of identity cards) will be strengthened and promoted. WFP will actively enter into partnerships with other agencies working in these areas to ensure success and consistency. A goal will be to see to it that the number of women serving on development committees totals a minimum of 30 percent. This may be difficult to achieve within some of the targeted communities. In these cases WFP will seek alternative strategies to let women’s voices be heard. Furthermore, activities will consistently ensure that at least 15 to 20 percent of core activity resources will be allocated to women. Finally, all ration cards for families will be issued in the names of both spouses. 76. Promoting participation: The elements of participatory activity identified by the evaluation and the review missions as making useful contributions will be further strengthened. A key objective of adopting a stronger participatory approach is to ensure that the beneficiaries themselves are ready to contribute to planning and decision-making when the CP activities come to an end. The role of the Government here is crucial, and modes of participation as well as the main aspects of implementation will be included in the operational contracts of new activities. As recommended by the evaluation mission, 18 WFP/EB.3/2001/8/4

detailed plans for participatory approaches will be in place from the commencement of WFP-assisted projects, and those approaches will be used throughout the operation. 77. Being informed is crucial to participation. It is planned under the new CP to more actively inform beneficiaries. For example, all beneficiaries will be provided with a simple booklet that describes the project, its objectives, what is expected of the beneficiaries and what is expected of management. Even if individuals are illiterate, they can have a friend read it to them. 78. Under the present CP, there has been an effort to develop communities, either through the official creation of CDAs, which are registered with the Government, or through the establishment of cooperatives. Experience shows that more needs to be done to develop the capacity of these organizations. People in the newer communities are much more dynamic than those in older areas and are open to suggestions on how to make their communities more effective. As part of monitoring operations under the new CP, this kind of qualitative information will be collected and technical support will be organized to strengthen capacity and address any problems that are discovered. 79. Food logistics: For some years now, Egypt has financed all food logistic arrangements, including land transport, storage and handling. Almost all shipments arrive at the port of Alexandria, where the Government takes possession at the time of discharge. Initially, the food is kept in a warehouse at the port. Subsequently, activity authorities contract commercial trucking companies to transport the commodities to project warehouses. Warehouses and food movements are tracked in quarterly reports, and WFP officers, as part of monitoring visits, check the veracity of this information. Food is distributed to beneficiaries on a quarterly basis using family ration cards. It should be noted that Egypt has one of the lowest levels of post-c.i.f. losses. 80. Every year, project authorities prepare a work plan and food delivery schedule. WFP staff review these plans, to ensure in particular that operational contracts are respected and that total requests do not exceed the allocations for Egypt.

Exit Strategy 81. As proposed in the CSO, WFP will be phasing out of Lower Egypt and concentrating its activities in VAM-identified poor and food-insecure areas of Upper Egypt and in desert areas. In addition, the two basic activities of the CP have clearly defined objectives, which are to be achieved during a finite period.

Sustainability 82. The types of production activities promoted in the CP are sustainable after the CP. The asset structure gained by the beneficiaries contributes to this sustainability. Beneficiaries legally or customarily own the physical assets that are generated by the activities (houses, reclaimed land, cisterns, fenced rangeland, etc.) or will own them in the future, after repaying their long-term loans to the Government. In addition, activities provide training and promote community development, partly supported with food aid, which allows beneficiaries to build up valuable human resources and social assets.

Programme Monitoring and Audit 83. Given that monitoring of effects and impact of WFP interventions is an imperative of the Enabling Development policy framework, action is being taken to reshape the present monitoring system. In line with recommendations of the review mission and the mid-term evaluation missions, the country office is working with the implementing partners to: WFP/EB.3/2001/8/4 19

a) develop a systematic database, integrated with the CCA and supported by VAM, to get a clearer overall picture of poverty and hunger in Egypt and the effects of the WFP- Government programme on beneficiaries. This would include the annual collection of the following key programme indicators:
level of food consumption relative to need
level of income relative to basic need
availability/use of community assets
attendance/retention rates of schoolchildren in targeted schools b) place clear emphasis on the analysis of monitoring data for the purposes of assisting activity management and assessing effects and impact; c) make project management staff more responsive to the information that is collected; d) conduct periodic cost-benefit analyses to assess whether activities are achieving desired results in a cost-effective manner; e) periodically conduct (e.g. twice in the five-year period) participatory rural assessments of all activities. 84. For the above purposes, the Middle East, Central Asia and Mediterranean Regional Bureau's (ODC’s) VAM unit is developing closer ties with the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics in order to collect more disaggregated data and thereby have more precise vulnerability maps. In the country office, one officer is responsible for liaison with the VAM unit in ODC and similar officers in other United Nations agencies to update the CCA. This arrangement made WFP a key contributor to the CCA database. In activity areas, monitoring staff who already report on the progress of activities will be assigned to report the programme information required for the database outlined above. This information will be collated in the country office. 85. The country office is also working with agencies using remote-sensing technology to acquire and then update time-series images of project areas, particularly an area’s vegetation.

Supplementary Activity 1: Egypt School Feeding Initiative

➮ Strategic Focus 86. This three-year supplementary activity will be undertaken in two of the same governorates as the core activities and will complement those activities. The provision of a daily snack in school will encourage poor families in these governorates to send their children to school. The children will benefit directly from the nutrition provided by the food. 87. The supplementary activity addresses Enabling Development policy objective 2: Enable poor households to invest in human capital through education and training.

➮ Problem Analysis 88. Although Egypt’s primary-school enrolment rate nationally is relatively high, there are still regional disparities. For example, several governorates in Upper Egypt show significantly lower enrolment rates as compared with the national average. Children who do not attend primary school are more likely to be illiterate as adults, as well as systematically disadvantaged in terms of work opportunities. 20 WFP/EB.3/2001/8/4

89. The primary education system in Egypt hosts about 7.5 million students (4.0 million boys and 3.5 million girls) in 15,617 schools. The highest number of children aged 7−11 years not attending primary school is in Fayoum Governorate in Upper Egypt (21.8 percent), while the general average in Egypt is about 9.3 percent. Fayoum Governorate also has the second highest incidence of poverty in Egypt (about 40.6 percent of poor and 14 percent of ultra-poor). Although data are not available for Sinai, school attendance by children from Bedouin households, whether they are nomadic or semi- nomadic, has been observed to be low. Given the traditional household roles of women and girls, rates of attendance by girls would be even lower. 90. It should also be noted that in Egypt, about 52 percent of schoolchildren aged 6−12 years are suffering from anaemia.

➮ Objectives and Intended Outcomes 91. The objective of this activity is to assist poor families in Upper Egypt and desert areas in sending their children to primary school, and enable poor children to concentrate and learn through food assistance in school. 92. Two governorates would be covered under this project: Fayoum and North Sinai. The expected outcome of the activity is more children with primary school education in the targeted areas and an appreciation by parents of the long-term value of educating their children. This will be achieved through children’s increased attendance in primary schools and decreased drop-out rates. In addition, school feeding programmes will help children to better concentrate on their work and thereby benefit to the greatest extent possible from the academic and extracurricular activities provided.

➮ Role and Modalities of Food Aid 93. The role of food aid is primarily to act as an incentive for parents to send their children to school. This should help girls especially, given the economic roles they play in the household. Food assistance will also alleviate short-term hunger, thereby helping to increase concentration and enhance academic performance. 94. A nutritious daily snack to children in some 660 primary schools will be provided. This will help expand the existing school feeding programme in 117 schools carried out by MALR through the Centre for Motherhood and Childhood Development. WFP will provide fortified wheat flour, vegetable oil and sugar, and the Government will provide cheese as ingredients for the snacks.

➮ Implementation Strategy 95. Under the overall umbrella of the Ministry of Education, WFP’s implementing partner would be MALR, which will assign the responsibility for field-level implementation to the Centre for Motherhood and Childhood Development, a subsidiary of the ministry. A daily food ration is currently provided to the children in 79 schools in Fayoum and 38 schools in North Sinai. The food ration is prepared daily on the premises of the food preparation centres in Fayoum and El Arish (North Sinai) and distributed to the schools via trucks. The Centre is also providing training for women and girls in general hygiene and food processing, with the sub-centres operated mainly by women. 96. Commodities will be delivered directly to the project in Fayoum and Ismailia and stored in warehouses, where snack-preparation centres have easy access to them. About ten WFP/EB.3/2001/8/4 21

preparation facilities would be established in the targeted provinces. Staff at the centres would prepare the snacks daily under full supervision from the Health Department. 97. The snacks will then be transported to the targeted schools where the school food committee would accept the delivery and distribute the snacks to children. The same committee would have the responsibility to advise the children on improved dietary and hygiene practices. 98. As far as possible, WFP will seek to provide commodities that are vitamin and mineral enriched. WFP will also seek advice from, and the assistance of, UNICEF and WHO to determine if the targeted children will require additional supplements or deworming. 99. All land transport, storage and handling costs will be borne by the Government.

➮ Beneficiaries and Benefits 100. The number of children expected to benefit from this activity is 282,600 and the activity aim is to have 50 percent of these to be girls.

➮ Monitoring Arrangements 101. Quarterly distribution reports would be prepared by the school food committee and consolidated in a governorate report sent to the central project management. These reports and overall commodity movements would be consolidated in a government quarterly progress report and submitted to WFP. A biannual project implementation report would be prepared in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, and would include quantitative and qualitative data on beneficiary school children attendance and dietary conditions. Project management and WFP staff would carry out regular checks and field visits to ensure proper implementation and achievement of the goals of the project.

➮ Cost Estimate 102. This three-year activity will require 31,369 tons of commodities, composed of 25,434 tons of wheat flour, 2,543.4 tons of vegetable oil and 3,391.2 tons of sugar, with a direct operational cost to WFP of US$10,069,261. The Government will contribute the equivalent of US$3,660,054. 103. Implementation of supplementary activities will be subject to the availability of bilateral or additional directed multilateral funding. All WFP resources depend on voluntary donor contributions.

➮ Evaluation 104. Initially, a baseline survey covering each activity and targeted areas will be conducted. The information gathered will be gender-disaggregated and focus on socio-economic, health (particularly women’s and children’s health) and education indicators. This database then can be referred to at any later stage in the programme cycle, either during participatory rural appraisals or more formal evaluations. 105. While regularly monitoring the programme activities, the country office will organize a mid-term review mission in early 2004, which would be followed by a mid-term evaluation by the WFP Office of Evaluation during the summer of 2004. Key issues for these missions include: effectiveness of the country programme approach; compliance with the Enabling Development policy; participation of women; partnerships between joint participating agencies; and impact and results of the programme, environmental impact, project management, commodity management and beneficiary targeting. 22 WFP/EB.3/2001/8/4

106. Furthermore, a major conclusion of a WFP-led United Nations team that reviewed the possibility of undertaking joint United Nations reviews was that there was a broad need to inform the Government, and all participating groups, on how WFP activities were performing. It has been agreed to hold annual meetings under the chairmanship of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to review the programmes of the United Nations Development Group (UNDG) and other agencies.

RECOMMENDATION

107. For the proposed Egypt Country Programme covering the period 2002 to 2006, the Executive Director requests the Executive Board to approve, subject to the availability of resources, US$34,365,462 representing all basic direct operational costs, and to endorse US$10,069,261 for supplementary activities.

WFP/EB.3/2001/8/4 23

ANNEX I

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF THE EGYPT CSO (WFP/EB.3/2000/6/5)

Egypt is classified as a low-income, food-deficit country (LIFDC). In 1999 the country imported 7.9 million tons of grains or 50 percent of its needs. FAO’s Aggregate Household Food Security Index for Egypt stood at 96.0 during 1993-95, up from 92.7 during 1979-81. However, recent estimates from national sample survey data indicate that 12 percent of the total population (7.7 million people) and 21 percent (4 million people) in the lowest three deciles of the income distribution consume less than their daily energy requirements. Among children under 5, 21 percent are stunted and 11 percent are underweight. The UNDP Human Development Report for 1997 shows the mortality rate for children under 5 to be 73 per 1,000 live births. Overall economic growth has been impressive—the per capita gross national product (GNP) grew from US$660 in 1993 to US$1,290 in 1998. Nonetheless, there are inequities in income distribution; nearly 23 percent of the population (about 13.6 million people) lives on well below a dollar a day. UNDP's Human Development Index value of 0.623 places Egypt 119th out of 174 countries. Based on the principles of the Enabling Development policy and on lessons indentified from past experience, especially from the evaluation of the ongoing Country Programme (CP), this Country Strategy Outline (CSO) for the period 2002-2006 focuses on forms of assistance and target groups that will bring about the most effective use of WFP food aid in Egypt. Food assistance will be sharply focused to achieve a specific development purpose and will be provided in a timely manner. The strategy uses geographic targeting, based on analyses supported by the Regional Vulnerability Analysis and Mapping (VAM) Unit, to assist highly vulnerable households to move out of food insecurity and poverty. WFP will work with the Government and develop partnerships with other United Nations agencies and NGOs to bring physical infrastructure, local capacity-building and social development initiatives to the most vulnerable. This will involve the participation of beneficiaries to ensure social cohesiveness among the settler community and the sustainability of productive capacity. In all areas of assistance, the CSO will address the important cross-cutting issue of women's empowerment. WFP’s commitment to advocate for the poor will be consolidated and more effectively implemented. Building on the successes it has had in the past, WFP will utilize its programme experience to bring about a stronger and wider policy focus on the poor and catalyze lasting changes that will improve their lives. In accordance with decision 1999/EB.A/2, WFP focuses its development activities on five objectives. This CSO addresses objectives 2, 3 and 5. 24 WFP/EB.3/2001/8/4

Accordingly, the following areas of assistance and target groups are identified under this strategy: a) Enabling self-reliant food security for the poorest through agriculture: The landless and functionally landless, poor and food-insecure families in the most marginal areas of Upper Egypt, where vulnerability analyses have revealed serious problems of hunger, poverty and low levels of human development, will benefit from this activity. A new approach will be adopted, working with the Government to bring agricultural development and land settlement programmes to the areas where the poor live, rather than settling them elsewhere. This will help the poor community as a whole to benefit from the economic and social spin-offs from new economic activities. Food aid will help beneficiaries get through the transitory period of creating agricultural assets, which will increase their level of food security. b) Stabilizing livelihoods of food-insecure Bedouins: Poor and highly food-insecure Bedouin communities living in extremely harsh conditions in desert areas will benefit from this activity, which will support the development of broad-based and sustainable livelihoods. Food aid will support them during the period of changing from traditional to new forms of livelihoods. c) Assisting poor families to send their children to school: The provision of school lunches will encourage poor families of two of the poorest governorates of Egypt to send their children to school. The children will benefit directly from the nutrition provided by the food. d) Making a change in the lives of urban children at risk: In this activity to be undertaken jointly with the United Nations Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention and UNICEF, street children living in Cairo and Alexandria will receive a food incentive to participate in programmes for human capital development to be implemented by NGOs. The period of the current Country Programme (1998-2001) has been reduced by one year to ensure programme cycle harmonization for the next five-year Country Programme (2002-2006). Through the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) process, WFP will work with partners of the United Nations Development Group (UNDG) to plan and implement integrated interventions with emphasis on women’s literacy and training as well as on children’s education, and health and nutrition issues within the communities that WFP will assist. It is hoped that the urban sector intervention, which will be undertaken jointly with two United Nations agencies, will lead to a new focus on urban children at risk. WFP/EB.3/2001/8/4 25

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE DISCUSSION HELD DURING THE EXECUTIVE BOARD ON THE CSO FOR EGYPT

The Board commended the CSO for Egypt and authorized the Secretariat to proceed with the preparation of a Country Programme for Egypt, which should take into account the recommendations made. A number of representatives emphasized the importance of WFP collaboration with United Nations agencies and donor representatives/missions in Egypt, and highlighted the opportunities for WFP, IFAD and FAO to collaborate in projects of common interest. They stressed the importance of gathering baseline data in order to measure the impact of WFP assistance, and called for additional focus on girls' education in rural Upper Egypt areas, while expressing appreciation for the focus on capacity-building of the poor. Most representatives noted that the proposed key areas of assistance identified in the document were in line with the Board's policy guidance for WFP development assistance. All representatives who had visited Egypt thanked the Egyptian Government and the WFP regional and country office for their support and hospitality. The Board noted the usefulness of presenting the evaluation report and the CSO contemporarily.

26 WFP/EB.3/2001/8/4 ANNEX II s t t n n e e h s d t m r m i y t t n l i e t t i w s a e r r r m , e r t d o o m y v i a n m n l p p t n b e o a e i p p e e l d c u u r r m y g m a n i s s r s u u r n d t n t t a i r a e u n d d t i c c t n d e t l e a n n i n u u t v o n r r u i v a a e t t s i t a o a c t s s c - e u s s m c G y t t a a n o l c q e i r r a r u u l s u f f e e e c t f r t u p p p n n h d o i i a t n e o n n e i i a s m , , u s e n r y l l t o s s q e a n Y r o t t b m a a r c t e a a s n n c c s e R s i i l y d y p s e e e n l l e n e n n i p a i A t n u t e e o c i m m h h i i n l d o t t m d d i t i c c i m m M v e s s t i i c e e s r p e e t t e e t t p o a d d n e m M t i i f v v , , d d m s o p t t v v m i n n n e n U u n i i t t o l n n o o u l r a a r r s o a S b e e s y y i t e o p t p i s r r a s e e v e p l m m t t a a a t i A K s s m e A r p p p a a c i s s a a , l e e d , e u y R o o u s s u u v u l l t s c c s s r n i i i o q e e q d a l q e e k O k v v e n c c e e v v E a e N d r r s s e h a i e e i d d r e e . u d . n t e e W R R A a N d N s d A 1 q s a 2 a m o E M l ) A e d d n o s c e e e o R s s a r n t t e e h e F d e e e n n r l c i d d s s d a s i L o o h e e s s s t t c c y n e e a a A e y r n i e e i r o n n l r i i i y y a C v v t t t a i i e i i c c d I t t i i n m m h i n n n m a a s s t e a i r l l G u u a f r a a v r p e e r p r l r O b b y m m o w e f h e c t t L n n n e o o i m m i v n t t n n o o n i o o i e i w e s — l o t t i e c e c l i n e ) r l t c p p v i v n f f i i i i s h a a f s t t 6 e o o g t r f m m e r r c n y a a o u 0 l l t u u s d o e e o n u o t r l n i t i t s s s e e a i s s 0 t ( d - a r r e o a n n f h e i u u s a e l v c t 2 r c s o o c i e e y i n e o r c e d y d c c – f l s o d d s r p m m n o n n e i o p e b n t n 2 a d d f t o o a a i d I h f a t o o c c o m e e a 0 o m y y r o e i e c t o o n n o g g t t i o r i i f f 0 e i i c f a l l c a a a o i p i m d c f f f f t t i i n 2 f t y b b n n n o o o n o o n n a t ( g o i m a r a a l l l l e o o c e e r l l n i i e t t i i m i e t t e e e e e d c c T r i r r a r c u a a e v v v v v a a e c u o r P e v n v e a h o o e e e e c c f n o g r p p L L L P A L A I A T P u u Y v P e e . f ...... d d a m G P C D 1 o 1 2 I 1 3 f 2 1 2 3 2 3 e e E F d t n O s t s i a r e s i o E e y t t s t i s i l h , a i r M e g s c , n u l d , , u r s l a a c M i f y y o d a o t e t g r i i m t A n e o s r r h r u n y t a h l u u R l d a h e t c t c c a o t G s i n p e e m e r o c y e s s c p f e y O e r g n t o s m d d l p s a R a n E e p o o e s d h a d r P m v o o o i e i o l l f f n e r e e d , o e e t t e p Y p d r n v h n n m - n p i l d l a f e R h a a l e a i i U n e t m i d r l l g T e v f a c p a d e e u i s y l l r r r y o o t i N o y - - i g t r e f g f s h e : l l s r n U l v h o c E e e e a t e e u r b e r i O s r s v e i d a m P i m r h e m o e C n e e v a i c t p t e y p h m m o t a r o p o A h r o d a t t t d r p c : g e s U m m n n l t g g n u o o i a d d u e e n n s r r o I i d v n n g o r p n p r ) n n d a a e i C P , o , l a y y i e n t t a r s t s s l y t i h s y e a p t a a r e e a r e r e t c y t h t r n e r d t n h e i n m m g u r t n a e v f o e n o o l n a r E s i i l t u o n c c o t t t e i e r m a i o r i p n n d a e l i i e e s i s e l H n m s C n e p - e s e t e e p a m f t p s o e s c e s s a l p t t a r a o c l o f U d c a a o u i s u l l s u u p r e e o t S d a n n o a a r r r d f s I I ( o i h a s e c c o o e e u . . . o r r c h e n n R G G P 1 2 3 R i i p e r s s a WFP/EB.3/2001/8/4 27 e e d d u d e d a n d c e n r m a n r a s a l a e n e t d a c b o i i i a n t t v c u e o a d t o m i q t n t s a e c e a t p o e g d s w e r o s y n a t c e a i s s t , c n , a e e e a t d n v l i k y s r p o t e r b c i e o e o a a r u n m t c o h i u i d u o m c l p u s n a e w m q s d s o v t e e n i s s y c m l r l r n l a Y e s o l p e s i e l a o l i c s i t l d t R a t t s c n n m a n n c e A e r n n i e o i n o a i l g s i u e t o p n o t t i n M n l r s u t h i d d m o p a u i e b c p v n n i n t M c h , r e m n a a o a t t m c s r U e d u s i p u s s i i e e g n s i v S t y s n n c d r t i i i n a s n i a s i t a i u u l e r i e n n A K r g l A a o o c l a o u i , p n i b i , R d f d o t p c s o y e a s m l l l e r e e o a l o i k O k e p n h m g B B s a m a s s i i i p e c o r . v . h m o W r r i o R R 1 A B I c a S f 2 t t c E M e A n i d a l e R g n s e n d d g i n F a l e i s n i n n i t e a i s a t e a L m s b r v n e i s l a A m n a t l o o o f t i p b o o c t o t C i c t a d o e a m I o e i n a t v e h i o v i r n c i G i t c p c f t e e o a s o o v * a l O g s n l i n l t s e s n d e e s e L e i r r a r r t a v e g l e - o d a e h e c e — l t y n i e r r t s p d ) a i i i o n m y h u l i m n s c c n s t 6 o o d d c i o b i i r o t o n u p t c n u f s i a 0 r d t o c t t o a n a o t i m a m i s n n c 0 h s t c i i a t p u s d i u e a m u d 2 e , c i r l s i e e d o d n w l n g c e h – o n i t d o c t l e e t n o i m b r h o e i n 2 l e s e I n c p o e m s y w i m s o s m s m 0 s c c o d r e u i d d a s o s t a o f n u 0 u c a n w n o o b e h c e t o u i f o o i y l i n 2 v f c o o t t n s t i o d i i h i f o f c e a o t ( s o t a t e n n f f f f l e c y a y m p s r t e u u o o o e o a n n i T d r i r i a l v e e l l l l c e c e i i a v m m y y o r i P t t e e p i e e e e s t f d r d d t g r r v v s a v a v m m o m Y e l l i c e u u e c r a e e e a e e r o o o t t e e n G P A D L P L b r P L c r L I c m c s s p E F t l y d r d n a i O s n a e e e c r a a n i m o E m o e i s a r r s g n d t s m p a M n o s e d i e l r t l t d i u t e n t M t n d a v s n c a e i e e c n n a A l d s d c u a e i p m l y n R a l d a e g a m m l y d e l m t G n n t t o o n i f i n o n c e n O e o o n i s m i s e o - r t r d i R e f e s c i c a - n n t u f i t e e i m P l u l r a i t n e a d d n p c n e i s d v Y o e a l r e e n t f m n e R t p h e m m n e h t t r l n e T t t p o r s e a o m r a r i t d o i N o t n l - o o f a e v o f a o e g t U y v w n y c s v n t n y t i e f i r e i t i u O e o i m o r l v , l c e h d i d i e C o e a p t c e n b l e h y o p c a t t o a b h i d i l p t t m a a i t a s e n n c n o a a s n e e r g P u a i t e v f s p g c i a a a r C a e m h t r i n m y l c t i t i u l s c u i n t d d h m s l y o r a u i e r o o o n c o a r h s r s a e c b o i o a c a h p c l , p f h n a o v e r c l e p i d d r e p n a d d d o f a m a n e r t u e i n e e d d o o v f e a p s i a s s i s n t y e c a l t s s s a a i y d a n H n s r a i - e i d e s e e n o e e n e l r r n s c r i s c o e s u e l v t i c c p l e i o c a u l t o o a o r i n n m b o u p F S I I D A P m e v o d i a r l r d s i e m t i h l 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 c e u e ...... c n o h c e n R P 1 1 1 2 2 2 3 c B i a r c u s 28 WFP/EB.3/2001/8/4 l a i s c n o o r i s o s f , t , n g u g s e n o n t u i i t h l d d t a i a s s t i n n r r w s c u u e e f f , o t t w y m m s l r r r r s s e t b a a a a e e n u f f a p p c c t f r r o i i i o o o e e h v v t t u t t t r r i q e n n e e e e l l e w c u u s s b b n o o t t Y e e a a r r a c c t t c c t s R o o f f p p s a a p n l l p p o o A e e n e o p p p p c c i c o y y t i u u t t c c M s s c i i t l l s s p a a i e i e a p M k k l b b d d m e e y m a a r r a a a n n l U u l t l t r i i u a a a a b s t t u S s a a l l t a s s n n s l t v v s l l e e i l l e e u i i A s K a a A n n u c k k n , n m m , - n n q y y R s s l l o s e s e e o o o e i l l i e e k t t O k s s s w w m t t c r r d s s m m n i e e o i e e o i i e e n W e R R T S N T N p t p S S a w E M y l g s d t t A ) i i n 0 w n d i r m w n d d d R 3 e r a f e s o e e e e h e / F n a o u u s r r t d s n e f i c d l s t m c c e r n n s t i n L n o s w l n n o u i i a o ( p p a g g t a 6 o e o A w i m o o c n n n n 1 m s h c t d d i i i r s o d f u r C y c e a e s s a e e c r r n d f l a e I f t s b r e t u u g h d m n t i t r g s p e t s r o n s y G n o i t a i s s e o n t a r r l r i r i a e 0 r s o s o i w i i f a m O s b c d e s e r 2 l t l p e d c n s a l u n e L a ; i m o a t m i c m m i e i e a s d u r s r r f 0 i s r o p o c a l f i g s i ; o — f a d i F d a a 0 e c p h f i l r r c f f a n e s ) i e i t 1 c l e c y o t m p u t s , f f i e e e t h s s r s 6 d f n i h s s a e 5 o o s g g r y s , f - a s e n v e l i y e e v 0 i ; t t l l u a a o d i d r b p r e t l l n a b v s t t s l l l n n u b o 0 n r i i e a c u t o u e f * t a u a t e e a p v v u a s r m n o q s d 2 b t c A s c o c m i c c r s i i F h r s e e p n s r r e 0 0 h u 0 – r n - a 0 e d r c e p r o o a e f r e e i y 3 3 0 s p t h r t y t 0 h t n 2 d c o e p p d i t I s s c 5 s e n g t a 6 y y c e w , g o i d v l l 0 , f e c n e i s p o a 0 0 c e u l i d d c t e 3 n t u l e e e - i 8 m o i o 0 d t 3 t 3 t c s n r d l n l a n w c ; o o d r 0 i f t d c n a l a a n o 2 n a a a e d d n e a A 3 n n a o l n f n o r r n d c c a s ( a i h i e e h c m m h a a h l e t u u o n l - o i i c e d s g d t t l c p t i s c h h m c B l l l a i y x x a n T h e t t e 7 n 0 e r l r d t e o n u i i t t n t u u a i c l i o o t e t 8 3 0 e i l s b t o e P r r i p n e e e u c a c l e l f i i i 5 1 f 0 c p k r t r d i t d a n m p p m r g , , r g w r v t t Y a i c 6 r n o o e n e u o p p e o r 0 9 6 g , r e 0 g 0 e s e r a a a r a d G P M O A 3 T M 2 A 1 a 8 f i n m 3 a f t s 2 t w d l e i E F O t s n d E r s e s a m M e c l e l d y d M t t d d i n i n t t A e e a a n l n l h h e R e s s d d i i d l l d d G e e i n t b b n h ; a a O a a a s d t t l i g s l i s s R e ; d r d d t n b e e i r d P e i e e n a t t u t e h e e a l y p p o r r t s r l s Y t i o o d u u l e g w t t e R d d e b c c e s s d a a a T B u u n e t n s i r r s s s r t t u e N d n f e e l i s s e a h i d t t U u u o a a c s d e r r n r i q q h f f i i f e O h n e o l e n n n n f e t s i o i i s C t i m l h h n l t l s u e c c b p t e a a a s i o e e a o n c c b l t t t i c i h s e l l s s e s o y e d r y v y i a a e s m l r r e a i h s e h e l u u d p a d p m t t t m m y l l t i a d e r a y y y y h u t u e e d f t t t t e p i i i i c c s c s h e i i s u r s f n n n n - y r r t h s g a s o s u u u u n g g u r s s n e i i t e i a a l l e s i p m m m m i t d b e d n m m w m m w m m H u r s n a e e o - t e r o o e o o a u a O s s m t o L N C C C F N C C W l r e o p u o 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 r s w j ...... s o a r r 1 1 2 2 3 3 1 1 2 2 e ...... o o o R M 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 p f f WFP/EB.3/2001/8/4 29 4 5 s l 1 5 r e 9 8 i r r a G 9 0 / o 6 2 f s n e e s i t i u m l t i o a c t a s W f d w n e a n f s r o e s e 6 5 h e g c i 0 4 c n r n i 6 5 a Y a s a n i e t y 6 3 t R c o p i i s 4 1 o , t f e A n s c B e l c / o n i n o c M n t u e o a e f p l M h B M d c a m t r U n s c u u a f S t e s l r o s i e u t K r A d c a / e n , l n R u I b e s a i q O k m m c e s u o i o d W R N a S w 0 0 E 0 2 5 4 M 6 4 A l 1 3 a R t 1 o F n i T e L d r e A a m C s u I e i s r G n a i o O c c i L f d e d l n — n o ) a e h b 6 0 0 s 6 s d e l r 2 9 t 0 e r 0 s o i c t 3 8 2 t u 0 e u G a 1 5 1 r o / i b 2 c i 4 h n i d r 1 t – f e d l l s s o i n 2 a m I e s d t s 0 f o e e a d s t o 0 r c W a n a t t n r 2 e o n n i a ( t h t e e u a c m l n T r r o r m - o l e e o P d p o o f p m r r o o Y h r o n e o 5 s c G P 1 E D F w s e i 0 0 4 E r 0 1 0 a 3 3 3 i F s c y 1 3 7 i O f s 4 2 o l e 1 o B E n / d o e n e h M e B s c a t s M M c e y r A e r c r i a R n i d D m G e i s r l c O p o u o d R n i h e d P r c n e l s s 0 0 0 t e l Y t r 0 3 y 0 o e r d R 6 6 1 l o s i a T h 8 2 9 h l . s l m c 8 2 c a i N d a t r s 2 l g s o p U o i y n r T h a n O o r i a e p s C m n m p i u a e r a r o r p d h y l e t i n s i i g d h v e n i i e c s t r u d f c e y t a h a o a i h a e t t r c c m i h n a r t r f - e a u e e n d r t o - e m e n e - l t i r n e p o m i d H r o f o o - B e r 1 2 3 n h e s z y r t i t E D S t W y y y l i e t t t e i i i m u v 1 1 2 3 i g v v v i b . . . . i i i s r t n t t t 3 1 1 1 i e o c a . . . . c c c t R 2 3 3 3 m T A A A A * 30 WFP/EB.3/2001/8/4

ANNEX III

BUDGET PLAN FOR EGYPT COUNTRY PROGRAMME 2002–2006

Basic Activities

Activity I Activity II Total

Food commodities (mt) 67 731 42 177 109 908 Food commodities (value) 17 567 638 10 249 600 27 817 238 External transport 3 589 743 2 235 381 5 825 124 ODOC 328 000 395 100 723 100 Total Direct Operational Costs 21 485 381 12 880 081 34 365 462 DSC1 1 555 000 ISC2 2 680 506 Total WFP costs 38 600 968 Government contribution 29 204 169 83 080 500 112 284 669

1 The DSC amount is an indicative figure presented to the Executive Board for information purposes. The annual DSC allotment for a Country Programme is reviewed and set annually following an assessment of DSC requirements and resource availability. 2 The ISC rate may be amended by the Executive Board during the period covered by the Country Programme.

BUDGET PLAN FOR EGYPT COUNTRY PROGRAMME 2002–2006

Supplementary Activities

Activity I Total

Food commodities (mt) 31 369 31 369 Food commodities (value) 8 206 704 8 206 704 External transport 1 662 557 1 662 557 ODOC 200 000 200 000 Total Direct Operational Costs 10 069 261 10 069 261 DSC1 252 000 ISC2 785 402 Total WFP costs 11 106 663 11 106 663 Government contribution 3 660 054 3 660 054

1 The DSC amount is an indicative figure presented to the Executive Board for information purposes. The annual DSC allotment for a Country Programme is reviewed and set annually following an assessment of DSC requirements and resource availability. 2 The ISC rate may be amended by the Executive Board during the period covered by the Country Programme.

WFP/EB.3/2001/8/4 31 WFP/EB.3/2001/8/4 31 WFP/EB.3/2001/8/4 ANNEX IV

The designations employed and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the World Food Programme (WFP) concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its frontiers or boundaries.

WFP/EB.3/2001/8/4 33

ACRONYMS USED IN THE DOCUMENT

CCA Common Country Assessment CDA Community Development Association CP Country Programme CSO Country Strategy Outline DOC Direct operational cost DRI Desert Research Institute FAO Food and Agriculture Organization GARPAD General Authority for Rehabilitation and Agricultural Development HDLA High Dam Lake Authority IFAD International Fund for Agricultural Development LIFDC Low-income, food-deficit country MALR Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation NGO Non-governmental organization ODC Middle East, Central Asia and Mediterranean Regional Bureau UNDAF United Nations Development Assistance Framework UNDG United Nations Development Group UNFPA United Nations Population Fund UNICEF United Nations Children's Fund VAM Vulnerability analysis and mapping

CEB32001-2426E.doc 6 February 2009 16:49