DART: CURRENT PICTURE IN TURKEY FOR INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN ORGANIZATIONS TRANSITING SUPPLIES TO NORTHERN IRAQ

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 ANKARA 001704

SIPDIS


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AND USAID/AA
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GENEVA FOR RMA


E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/11/2013
TAGS: AA EAID EFIN IZ MOPS PHUM PREF PREL TU WFP
SUBJECT: DART: CURRENT PICTURE IN TURKEY FOR INTERNATIONAL
HUMANITARIAN ORGANIZATIONS TRANSITING SUPPLIES TO NORTHERN
IRAQ

REF: ANKARA 1380


Classified by DART Information Officer Jeff Ladenson for
Reasons 1.5(B) and (D).


This cable was draft by Disaster Assistance Response Team
(DART) Field Office/North and cleared by Embassy Ankara.


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Summary
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1. (C) The current picture in Turkey for International
Organizations, the United Nations, and international NGOs for
cross-border humanitarian operations is still unclear. To
date, no international organization has received an official
permit to transit humanitarian supplies through Turkey to
northern Iraq. The World Food Program (WFP),under the U.N.
Development Program,s (UNDP) umbrella, does support school
feeding programs in northern Iraq through Turkey. However,
from February 27 through March 7, 41 World Food Program (WFP)
trucks traveling to Kurdish-controlled areas, carrying high
protein biscuits, vegetable oil, and chickpeas, were unable
to cross the Turkish-Iraqi border.



2. (SBU) Movement by international NGOs to apply for transit
permits, as well as registration status, with the Government
of Turkey,s (GOT) Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has been
slow. On March 10, the International Rescue Committee (IRC)
submitted a transit and registration application to the MFA.
Three other international NGOs (International Medical Corps,
and Northwest Medical Team, and Save the Children/USA) are in
Ankara preparing to submit applications to the MFA so that
they can move personnel and supplies through Turkey to
northern Iraq. End Summary


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Current Picture in Turkey for Cross-Border International
Humanitarian Operations
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3. (SBU) The current picture in Turkey for cross-border
international humanitarian organizations is as follows:
A) International NGOs have generally not been allowed
access to northern Iraq from Turkey since 1996.
B) Only two international NGOs have current registration
status with the GOT to operate in Turkey, Amnesty
International and the International Catholic Migration
Commission (ICMC). Programs being implemented by these
organizations are likely not in a position to support
emergency humanitarian response contingency planning in
northern Iraq.
C) The International Rescue Committee (IRC) submitted a
transit and registration application to the MFA on March 10,

2003. The process is expected to take two to three weeks for
a transit permit.
D) Three NGOs (International Medical Corps (IMC),and
Northwest Medical Team, and Save the Children/USA) are in
Ankara to submit applications for transit registration, so
that they can move personnel and supplies through Turkey to
northern Iraq. Indications are that all four organizations
will submit their applications to the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs (MFA) the week of March 10-15. "Reftel A"
D) WFP is the only UN Agency considering cross-border
operations. WFP,s contingency plan calls for more than
100,000 metric tons (MT) of emergency food assistance to
arrive in Iraq via Turkey per month; however, WFP currently
does not have registration status with the GOT and is working
under UNDP,s umbrella at present. WFP submitted their
transit application on February 28 and is hoping to have an
official transit license in the next two weeks.
E) IFRC will not participate in cross-border operations,
but will assist Kizilay in humanitarian response in Turkey.
F) ICRC will have a liaison office in Ankara, but are not
planning cross-border operations due to difficulties in
acquiring permission from the GOT.



4. (C) Kizilay and GOT are setting up a coordination office
in Diyarbakir and an operation office in Silopi. Kizilay and
GOT representation in Diyarbakir will provide overall
coordination and report back to Ankara. The Silopi operation
office will coordinate locally at the camp level and oversee
the distribution of supplies and personnel as needed.
Currently, there are no NGOs involved in either the operation
center in Silopi or coordination office in Diyarbakir. U.N.
agencies based in Ankara are considering sending liaison
officers to the coordination office in Diyarbakir, but will
concentrate on needs in Turkey.
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Constraints on Delivering Humanitarian Assistance Through
Turkey
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5. (C) Beginning February 27, the Silopi border crossing
(Habur Gate) was closed to all trucks going to
Kurdish-controlled areas of Iraq, while trucks going to Mosul
or further south were allowed to continue crossing the
border. Forty-one World Food Program (WFP) trucks traveling
to Kurdish-controlled (KDP and PUK) areas in northern Iraq,
carrying high protein biscuits, vegetable oil, and chickpeas,
were unable to cross the Turkish-Iraqi border since February

27. The WFP food is for its program in Iraq, which supports
school feeding and nutritional programs.



6. (C) Subsequent information provided by WFP indicated that
10 commercial trucks, including four WFP contracted vehicles,
were able to cross the border on March 7. However, at this
time, all vehicles with papers indicating that they are
transporting supplies to Kurdish-controlled areas of northern
Iraq are being offloaded and searched before gaining entry
through the Habur Gate. Speculation in Silopi on March 4 was
that the border was closed because Turkish Customs officials
found a commercial truck, not associated with WFP, trying to
bring weapons across the border. Note: The border closing
coincided with the Turkish military taking up positions near
the border crossing. EndNote Prior to February 27, more than
100 trucks crossed the border at Habur Gate daily bound for
Kurdish-controlled areas of northern Iraq.


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Role for the DART Field Office/North
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7. (SBU)Key International Organizations and UN agencies, such
as ICRC, UN OCHA, WFP, UN JLC, UNHCR, and UNICEF, as well as
several international NGOs, are in country and provide
valuable information on humanitarian contingency plans.
Discussing and identifying humanitarian contingency options
with these organizations remains important.

8. (SBU) Indications from the MFA on the NGO transit and
registration issue are encouraging. Positive indications
from the MFA in the near future regarding the submission of
transit applications,, such as IRC,s submission on March
10, are critical to supporting international humanitarian
operations in northern Iraq.
PEARSON