Africa report 05/96 Individual countries

SIERRA LEONE

Area:	72 000 sq.km
Climate:	Mostly tropical wet-dry; extreme south tropical wet; one rainy season: March-October
Population:	4.51 million (1995 estimate) with more than 160 000 Sierra Leonean refugees located
	in neighbouring countries; G.N.P. per caput: U.S.$ 150 (1994)
Specific characteristics of the country:	Low-income food-deficit country; coastal country
Logistics:	Roads inadequate
Major foodcrops:	Rice, roots and tubers
Marketing year:	January/December; Lean season: July-August
Share of cereals in total calorie intake:	57 percent

CURRENT SITUATION

Seasonal dry conditions prevail. As a result of disrupted farming activities and population displacement, the 1995 cereal output is estimated at 380 000 tons, about 70 percent of pre-war production. Rice production, which represents 80 percent of cereal output has been the most affected by civil war.A peace summit was organized in late March. Overall security situation improved since the cease fire in mid-March and internally displaced people returned to villages in Bo and Magburaka provinces. However, violations of the cease fire are frequent in the south. The security situation remains tight in the south-east of the country, where villages in Bo and Moyamba districts have suffered devastation. Ambushes on roads from Freetown to Bo, Kenema and Makeni are severely disrupting commercial trade and food aid deliveries. National elections took place in late February, and a new civilian president has been elected. Peace talks between the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) and the new head of government are now underway. The number of internally displaced people is currently estimated at 1.6 million. In addition, 250 000 Sierra Leoneans are reported in neighbouring Guinea and about 120 000 in western Liberia. A new WFP emergency operation has just been approved to provide relief food aid for the war-affected population in 1996. The caseload has been increased from a planned figure of 500 000 in 1995 to 841 650 internally displaced persons and refugee beneficiaries, including 121 650 beneficiaries under targeted and institutional feeding programmes. The main locations for general food distribution are Bo (235 000 persons), Kenema (175 000) and Makeni (110 000). This represents a total of 41 500 tons of food commodities of which almost 33 000 tons of cereals.

CEREAL SUPPLY/DEMAND BALANCE FOR THE 1996 MARKETING YEAR (in thousand tons)

	Wheat	Rice	Coarse grains	Total
Normal production	-	293	60	353
Normal imports (incl. re-exports)	40	120	3	163
of which: Structural food aid	18	15	3	36
1996 Domestic availability	-	245	50	295
1995 Production	-	225	49	274
Possible stock drawdown	-	20	1	21
1996 Utilization	40	425	60	525
Food use	38	405	51	494
Non-food use	1	20	9	30
Possible stock build up	1	-	-	1
1996 Import Requirement	40	180	10	230
Anticipated commercial imports	20	130	-	150
Food aid needs	20	50	10	80
Current Aid Position
Food aid pledges	12	-	3	15
of which: Delivered	-	-	1	1
Estimated per caput consumption (kg/year)	9	90	13	112
Indexes
1995 production as % of normal:				78
1996 import requirement as % of normal:				141
1996 food aid requirement as % of normal (including refugee needs):				222

FAO/GIEWS - April 1996