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Rome, 1 October 2008 - Facts, figures and the lastest updates from WFP's high profile emergencies.

• Under emergency assistance, approximately 2,000 battle and flood affected people have benefited from WFP food assistance in Laghman and Nangarhar provinces. The food was provided based on joint assessment made by Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority (ANDMA) and UN agencies.

• WFP has planned to dispatch 36,000 mt food intended for 520,000 recipients for winter pre-positioning. The food will be pre-positioned in 23 provinces which will be inaccessible during the winter. Thus far, eight percent of the total food has been dispatched.

• Georgia: On 18 September WFP, in cooperation with WVI, CARE and Save the Children, completed distributions of ten-day rations for IDPs accommodated in Tbilisi. A WFP mission arrived in Georgia to participate in the Joint World Bank/ EU/ United Nations Needs Assessment. The assessment aims to establish recommendations on how to meet immediate needs as well as how to address the mid- and long-term rehabilitation needs for conflict affected areas. The conclusions of the Joint Needs Assessment will be used to inform a donors meeting on reconstruction and rehabilitation needs in Georgia.

• The WFP sub-office in Gori completed the first round of distribution to the population in the buffer zone villages of Gori and Kareli districts. A total of 21,750 people in 32 villages of Gori district and 5,300 people in 11 villages of Kareli district were provided with 144 mt of wheat flour, pasta, vegetable oil, beans, sugar and iodized salt.

• Iraq: The Iraq Consolidated Appeals Process (CAP) for 2009 is starting with a workshop on 24-25 September. The document contains Pillar 1, which responds to in-country needs, and Pillar 2, which addresses the needs of Iraqis displaced throughout the Middle East Region.

• A WFP-led logistics coordination cluster has been activated in Vavuniya to coordinate food and non-food convoys into the Vanni.

• On 25 September, WFP conducted a logistics consultation meeting with key donors and humanitarian organizations to update on the food convoy and discuss the modality of assistance and options following the relocation of UN and INGO staff.

• The number of displaced persons is increasing and is expected to reach up to 230,000 or even higher in the Vanni. WFP beneficiaries have very little food and will soon completely run out of food.

• On Thursday 25 September, WFP held a meeting to inform donors on the deteriorating food insecurity and food availability situation in the country. Based on the May CFSAM result, a total of 1.2 million mt of food commodities are required to be imported this year to cover the country needs. Presently, only 435,000 mt have been imported; 175,000 mt by the government and 260,000 mt have been resourced by the international community.

• In October 2008, WFP plans to reach 1.8 million Vulnerable Group Feeding beneficiaries with 26,000 mt of food. WFP also plans to scale up the Safety Net activities to assist 700,000 beneficiaries with 8,000 mt of food. During the lean season, WFP will conduct registration and distribution in 37 districts country-wide.