GREEK RESPONSE ON URGENT SUPPORT NEEDED FOR HUMANITARIAN CRISIS IN ETHIOPIA, SOMALIA, AND KENYA

UNCLAS ATHENS 001501 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DESK PASS TO USAID/FFP - CAROL MUTAMBA DESK PASS TO USAID/OFDA - KASEY CHANNELL DESK PASS TO STATE/EEB - JANET DEUTSCH DASK PASS TO STATE/AF/E - JOEL WIEGERT C O R R E C T E D C O P Y (ADDED SENSITIVE CAPTION) E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID PREF EAGR ET KE SO EUN GR SUBJECT: GREEK RESPONSE ON URGENT SUPPORT NEEDED FOR HUMANITARIAN CRISIS IN ETHIOPIA, SOMALIA, AND KENYA REF: 09 STATE 96625; A. A)STATE 70789; B. B) SEOUL 1144 ¶C. C) SINGAPORE 675; D. D) THE HAGUE 4750; E. E) NAIROBI 1812 ¶F. F) ADDIS 1556; G. G) STATE 87385; H. H) STATE 58996 ¶1. (SBU) DepEconCouns delivered reftel points on September 18 to Dr. Nike-Catherine Koutrakou, Director of Emergency Humanitarian and Food Aid Programs at Hellenic Aid (HA). On September 23, Dr. Koutrakou advised DepEconCouns that the GoG has made Ethiopia and Somalia two of its highest priority countries for assistance (in addition to Afghanistan and the Palestinian Authority). While Kenya is not one of Greece's high priority countries, the GoG has allocated assistance funding to it and will continue to do so. In addition, Koutrakou has proposed to HA's leadership that Kenya be added to Greece's list of high priority countries. Koutrakou advised that to date in 2009, HA has given to the World Food Program (WFP) EUR450,000 for Ethiopia, EUR150,000 for Somalia, and EUR300,000 for Kenya. In response to the most recent humanitarian appeal, Koutrakou told DepEconCouns that she has proposed to Ambassador Mercourios Karafotias, Director General of Hellenic Aid, that Greece donate an additional EUR300,000 for these three countries through the WFP. No decision, however, can be made on whether and when to provide this additional assistance until a new Greek government assumes power [Note: Greece's Prime Minister recently called snap elections, which will take place on October 4. End Note]. Reiterating statements made by Ambassador Karafotias to DepEconCouns in the past, Koutrakou emphasized that Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis wants HA, which falls under the MFA, to support USG assistance priorities whenever possible. While Koutrakou is not sure whether this policy will be continued under a new government, if the MFA's new political leaders are put in place in a timely fashion and agree, HA could be in a position to donate the EUR300,000 to the WFP by mid-November. Speckhard