PL-480 TITLE II PROGRAM IN SUDAN

480 Title II food distribution program for pre-schoolers in Sudan administered by Catholic Relief Services (CRS). Evaluation covers the period 6/79-6/80 and is based on a review of project documents, site visits, and interviews with program personnel. Major problems encountered by CRS have raised the issue of whether or not to terminate the project. A vague verbal agreement between the CRS and Government of Sudan (GOS) regarding responsibility for commodity delivery caused the latter to be inefficient. According to CRS, the Ministry of Health (MOH) agreed to provide port clearance, inland transportation of food, and warehousing facilities. As of 6/80, MOH had not delivered 1,100 metric tons of Title II commodities. Worse yet, MOH is reluctant to allocate more than 250 MT"s of commodities to truck transport. Undispatched commodities are collecting the highest daily penalty applied to uncleared cargo. At least 25% of the commodities in port since 10/79 are subject to deterioration in the heat and humidity. CRS management problems include a long vacancy of the Project Officer position and irregularly performed and inaccurate warehouse inventories. Unauthorized GOS sales of Title II commodities are also a problem, although MOH views the program positively, as is evident from their continual input of personnel and health distribution centers into the program. The primary requisite for continuing the program is resolution of the dispatchment problem. Other requisites include program contributions by participating provinces; agreement by CRS/New York, through an outreach grant proposal, to make the program viable; adequate central and provincial warehouse facilities and storage space at individual health centers; expeditious port clearance and inland transport; and a completed evaluation of the present program and actions to correct its weaknesses. If the program is continued, it should be expanded to include 21,000 mothers and a food grain such as rice in the ration package. Evaluators also recommend expanding the program into the western provinces in addition to expansion already planned by CRS.