Review of PL-480 Title II activities; CRS and USAID Djibouti; Oct 18-24, 1981

480 Title II food distribution component of a project to assist the Djibouti Government's (DG) refugee relief efforts. Special evaluation covers the period 9/79-4/81 and is based on site visits, document review, and interviews with Catholic Relief Service (CRS) and USAID/D personnel. CRS distributed 5,700 metric tons of food to 48,250 recipients, fielded a professional staff, and worked well with USAID/D, the DG, and other donors. The DG's Office National d'Assistance aux Refugies et aux Sinistres (ONARS), however, overestimated the refugee population (28-30,000 versus 25,000) and was lax in commodity storage and accounting -- deteriorating stacking procedures at ONARS's warehouses preclude an accurate physical inventory, and until two new warehouses are ready in 1/82 storage will remain squeezed. Refugee feeding (accounting for 70% of program food) became less hectic in recent months, but abuse is growing as many who do not qualify for the program by reason of need or residence are nonetheless collecting monthly rations. By providing rations (900 metric tons) and food demonstrations to 15,000 mothers and children, the Maternal/Child Health program decreased malnutrition nationwide. The School Feeding program mitigated mid-day hunger among 4,500 rural school children and provided an economic boost to local schools. The Food for Work (FFW) program motivated unemployed refugees (3,750 people including dependents) to work in self-help activities (e.g., housing construction and dam repairs), and as a result, CRS plans to increase participation in FFW projects. It is recommended that CRS: (1) help ONARS improve stocking procedures; (2) investigate a 100 sack discrepancy at Ali Sabieh as a means of checking ONARS's commodity accounting system; (3) provide ONARS with a simple food distribution program operating manual; (4) request an internal audit from its home office; (5) advise USAID/D on its procedures for disposing with unsuitable food; and (6) implement a loss, diversion, theft reporting and follow-up system. USAID/D ought to transmit CRS quarterly commodity, recipient, and loss reports to AID/W and investigate storage at Djibouti port.