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

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SUMMARY
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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.

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BACKGROUND
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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
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
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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.

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COMMENT
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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

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2002ROME05360 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED