WESTERN SAHARAN REFUGEES IMPERILED BY LACK OF FOOD

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ROME 005360 SIPDIS FROM U.S. MISSION IN ROME STATE FOR A/S PRM DEWEY, A/S AFR KANSTEINER, IO ACTING A/S UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 ROME 05360 01 OF 02 311632Z WOOD, NEA/ENA USAID FOR ADMINISTRATOR NATSIOS, AA/DCHA WINTER, DCHA/FFP USDA/FAS FOR U/S PENN, RTILSWORTH AND LREICH NSC FOR JWDORKEN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID AORC PREF EAGR AORC PREF EAGR EU WFP UN EU EAID WFP UN SUBJECT: WESTERN SAHARAN REFUGEES IMPERILED BY LACK OF FOOD AID - BRIEFING BY AMBASSADOR WILLIAM SWING, SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE UN SECRETARY-GENERAL FOR MINURSO REF: (A) ROME 5324, (B) ROME 5308 -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. AMBASSADOR WILLIAM SWING, SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE UN SECRETARY-GENERAL FOR MINURSO (UN MISSION FOR THE REFERENDUM IN WESTERN SAHARA) ADDRESSED WFP'S DONORS ON OCTOBER 25. HE UNDERLINED THAT THE LACK OF FOOD AID AND INSUFFICIENT FUNDING PRESENTLY THREATEN SOME 155,000 WESTERN SAHARAN (SAHRAOUI) REFUGEES LIVING IN FOUR ISOLATED QUARTER- CENTURY OLD CAMPS IN THE INHOSPITABLE TINDOUF REGION, SOME 2,000 KILOMETERS SOUTH OF ALGERIA'S MEDITERRANEAN COAST. THESE REFUGEES HAVE FEW OTHER SOURCES OF FOOD AND OPPORTUNITIES TO EARN AN INCOME ARE SCARCE. WFP'S FOOD PIPELINE IS EXPECTED TO BREAK IN FEBRUARY 2003, WHEN ONLY 31 PERCENT OF THE FOOD BASKET WILL BE AVAILABLE, WHICH WOULD PROVIDE THE REFUGEES WITH ONLY 650 KILO-CALORIES/DAY. AMBASSADOR SWING HIGHLIGHTED THAT FOOD SECURITY IS VITAL TO UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 ROME 05360 01 OF 02 311632Z MOVING THE POLITICAL PROCESS FORWARD AS IT DEMONSTRATES TO THE RESPECTIVE PARTIES THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY'S UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO A PERMANENT POLITICAL SOLUTION. END SUMMARY. -------------- BACKGROUND -------------- ¶2. AMBASSADOR WILLIAM L. SWING, SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE UN SECRETARY-GENERAL FOR MINURSO ADDRESSED DONORS ON OCTOBER 25 AT WFP HEADQUARTERS. HE DESCRIBED A DRAMATIC SITUATION WHERE SOME 155,000 REFUGEES FROM WESTERN SAHARA, LIVING IN FOUR ISOLATED QUARTER-CENTURY OLD CAMPS IN THE INHOSPITABLE TINDOUF REGION, RELY HEAVILY ON WFP FOOD ASSISTANCE. THEY HAVE ACCESS TO FEW OTHER SOURCES OF FOOD. THESE CAMPS ARE IN EXCEEDINGLY ARID ZONES WHERE LITTLE FLOURISHES AND OPPORTUNITIES TO EARN AN INCOME ARE SCARCE. THE STALLED UN-SPONSORED SETTLEMENT PLAN HAS QUASHED HOPES FOR A SPEEDY RESOLUTION OF THEIR PLIGHT. ¶3. AMBASSADOR SWING COMMENTED THAT ERRATIC FOOD DELIVERIES �A;AND INCOMPLETE FOOD BASKETS HAVE DRAMATIC EFFECTS ON THE NUTRITIONAL STATUS OF VULNERABLE BENEFICIARIES, PARTICULARLY PREGNANT AND NURSING WOMEN. CALORIC INTAKE AMONG BENEFICIARIES DROPS AS LOW AS 1,288 KILOCALORIES WHEN RESOURCES ARE INSUFFICIENT - SUCH AS OCCURRED IN JANUARY ¶2002. NOTE: A JOINT WFP/UNHCR NUTRITIONAL SURVEY IS BEING CONDUCTED TO DOCUMENT LEVELS OF MALNUTRITION AND VITAMIN DEFICIENCIES AMONG THE REFUGEE POPULATION. THE SURVEY REPORT IS EXPECTED TO BE RELEASED IN DECEMBER 2002. END NOTE. UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 04 ROME 05360 01 OF 02 311632Z ¶4. IT WAS ALSO POINTED OUT THAT WFP HAS SPONSORED DONORS' VISITS TO THE TINDOUF CAMPS, IN FEBRUARY 2001 AND AGAIN IN APRIL 2002, WITH A TOTAL PARTICIPATION OF EIGHTEEN EMBASSIES AND THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY'S HUMANITARIAN OFFICE (ECHO). AND WFP RECENTLY OPENED A SUB-OFFICE IN TINDOUF. NOTE: THE UNITED STATES HAS SUPPORTED A STEPPED-UP UNHCR/WFP PRESENCE IN TINDOUF, INCLUDING POST-DISTRIBUTION MONITORING TO ENSURE THAT WFP FOOD AID REMAINS WITH THE REFUGEES AND IS USED STRICTLY FOR HUMANITARIAN PURPOSES. AN ENHANCED UN PRESENCE WILL ALSO FURNISH THE REFUGEE POPULATIONS WITH A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THEIR RIGHTS AND THEIR OPTIONS FOR DURABLE SOLUTIONS. END NOTE. ¶5. IN ADDITION TO UNHCR AND WFP, THERE ARE SOME 19 NON- GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS (NGOS) - TWO ALGERIAN, 16 EUROPEAN AND ONE FROM THE UNITED STATES - OPERATING COMPLEMENTARY ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS IN THE CAMPS. ¶6. A JOINT WFP/UNHCR APPEAL WAS ISSUED IN GENEVA ON AUGUST 28 TO FURTHER ALERT THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO THE HUMANITARIAN NEEDS OF THE REFUGEES AND TO SENSITIZE DONORS TO THE LOOMING FOOD CRISIS IN THE COMING MONTHS. NOTE: ONLY ONE DONATION (FROM ITALY),AMOUNTING TO 2,322 MT, HAS BEEN UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED PTQ4759 PAGE 01 ROME 05360 02 OF 02 311632Z ACTION IO-00 INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AF-00 AID-00 AMAD-00 CIAE-00 COME-00 CTME-00 INL-00 WHA-00 SRPP-00 EAP-00 EB-00 EUR-00 E-00 UTED-00 VC-00 TEDE-00 INR-00 VCE-00 M-00 NEA-00 NSAE-00 NSCE-00 OES-01 OIC-02 OMB-01 PER-00 IRM-00 STR-00 TEST-00 TRSE-00 USIE-00 EPAE-00 ECA-00 PRM-00 SAS-00 /004W -------------- 0198D5 311825Z /38 P 311527Z OCT 02 FM AMEMBASSY ROME TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6719 USDA WASHDC PRIORITY INFO AMEMBASSY ALGIERS AMEMBASSY CAIRO AMEMBASSY RABAT AMEMBASSY OTTAWA EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE AMEMBASSY TOKYO USEU BRUSSELS 2910 USMISSION GENEVA USMISSION USUN NEW YORK UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 02 ROME 005360 SIPDIS FROM U.S. MISSION IN ROME STATE FOR A/S PRM DEWEY, A/S AFR KANSTEINER, IO ACTING A/S WOOD, NEA/ENA UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 ROME 05360 02 OF 02 311632Z USAID FOR ADMINISTRATOR NATSIOS, AA/DCHA WINTER, DCHA/FFP USDA/FAS FOR U/S PENN, RTILSWORTH AND LREICH NSC FOR JWDORKEN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID AORC PREF EAGR AORC PREF EAGR EU WFP UN EU EAID WFP UN SUBJECT: WESTERN SAHARAN REFUGEES IMPERILED BY LACK OF FOOD AID - BRIEFING BY AMBASSADOR WILLIAM SWING, SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE UN SECRETARY-GENERAL FOR MINURSO MADE TO DATE. END NOTE. ¶7. APPROXIMATELY 12,200 METRIC TONS ARE REQUIRED TO MEET THE REFUGEES' FOOD NEEDS BETWEEN NOW AND JUNE 2003. MONTHLY REQUIREMENTS ARE ABOUT 2,800 METRIC TONS (TO PROVIDE 2,144 KILOCALORIES PER PERSON PER DAY). THIS COSTS USD 1.25 MILLION/MONTH. NOTE: THE TWO-YEAR WFP PROTRACTED RELIEF AND RECOVERY OPERATION (PRRO) IS VALUED AT USD 29.7 MILLION COVERING THE PERIOD SEPTEMBER 1, 2002 - AUGUST 31, 2004. ECHO IS ALSO PROVIDING APPROXIMATELY USD 14 MILLION OVER A 15-MONTH PERIOD IN NON-FOOD AND MICRO-PROJECT SUPPORT. END NOTE. ¶8. GIVEN LACK OF PLEDGES, THE FOOD PIPELINE IS EXPECTED TO BREAK IN FEBRUARY 2003. THE CEREALS SHORTFALL IS EXPECTED TO STAND AT 73 PERCENT; SUPPLIES OF OIL, SUGAR AND SALT WILL BE COMPLETELY EXHAUSTED. IN TOTAL, ONLY 31 PERCENT OF THE FOOD BASKET WILL BE AVAILABLE, WHICH WILL PROVIDE THE REFUGEES WITH ONLY 650 KCALS/DAY. CONFIRMATION OF CONTRIBUTIONS NOW WOULD ENABLE THE WFP COUNTRY OFFICE TO BORROW FROM BUFFER STOCKS IN THE COUNTRY TO AVOID A COMPLETE BREAKDOWN OF THE UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 ROME 05360 02 OF 02 311632Z PIPELINE. IMMEDIATE AID (DECEMBER-MARCH),PREFERABLY IN CASH, WHICH WOULD PERMIT PURCHASES IN THE REGION, IS REQUIRED. -------------- COMMENT -------------- ¶9. AMBASSADOR BILL SWING HAS HAD A LONG AND DISTINGUISHED FOREIGN SERVICE CAREER AND IS UNDOUBTEDLY ONE OF OUR HANDFUL OF "WISE MEN" ON AFRICA. HE CLEARLY VIEWS A SUFFICIENTLY SUBSCRIBED AND PREDICTABLE SUPPLY OF WFP FOOD AID AS A VITAL ELEMENT IN MOVING THE POLITICAL PROCESS FORWARD - AS IT DEMONSTRATES TO THE RESPECTIVE PARTIES THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY'S UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO A PERMANENT POLITICAL SOLUTION. IN THIS REGARD HE NOTED THAT SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION 1429 (JULY 30, 2002) CALLED INTER ALIA FOR SUPPORT TO WFP'S FOOD EFFORTS. HE URGED SOME PROMINENT EX- DONORS (BELGIUM AND JAPAN) TO RE-JOIN THE FOOD AID EFFORT. HE UNDERLINED THAT FOOD SHORTAGES ACT AS A DE-STABILIZING FACTOR IN THE REFUGEE CAMPS AND IMPEDE CONFIDENCE BUILDING MEASURES WITH THE CONCERNED PARTIES, BY LIMITING UN LEVERAGE. ¶8. USMISSION STRONGLY SUPPORTS AMBASSADOR SWING'S APPEAL FOR ENHANCED ASSISTANCE TO WFP'S ALGERIA PRRO. HALL UNCLASSIFIED > 2002ROME05360 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED