HUMANITARIAN PLANNING TEAM (HPT) DISCUSSES WFP

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 ROME 000542 SIPDIS STATE FOR A/S PRM DEWEY, IO A/S HOLMES, EUR/NE, EUR/WE, SA/INS, IO/EDA SWINNICK USDA/FAS FOR U/S PENN, MCHAMBLISS AND RTILSWORTH USAID FOR ADMINISTRATOR NATSIOS, AA/DCHA WINTER, D/DCHA/OFDA BMCCONNELL, D/DCHA/FFP LANDIS JOINT STAFF FOR J3/J4/J5 GENEVA FOR RMA BRUSSELS FOR USEU NSC FOR JDWORKEN USUN FOR AMBASSADOR NEGROPONTE AND MLUTZ E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/10/2008 TAGS: EAID AORC PREF EAGR ECON KUNR UN WFP SUBJECT: HUMANITARIAN PLANNING TEAM (HPT) DISCUSSES WFP PROGRESS IN PREPARING FOR POSSIBLE IRAQ HUMANITARIAN EMERGENCY OPERATION - FEBRUARY 4, 2003 MEETING IN ROME REF: A. (A) ROME 00371 ¶B. (B) 02 ROME 6133 ¶C. (C) 02 ROME 6072 CLASSIFIED BY: CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR TONY P. HALL FOR REASONS L.5 (B ) AND (D) ¶1. (C) ON THE HEELS OF A TRIP TO THE PERSIAN GULF, MEMBERS OF THE INTER-AGENCY HUMANITARIAN PLANNING TEAM (HPT) VISITED WFP HEADQUARTERS ON FEBRUARY 4 TO REVIEW WFP PROGRESS ON GEARING UP ITS HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE MECHANISM FOR IRAQ IN THE EVENT OF OUTBREAK OF CONFLICT. DISCUSSIONS INCLUDED AN UPDATED APPRAISAL OF WFP'S OPERATIONAL NEEDS AND THE AVAILABILITY OF HUMANITARIAN FACILITIES (PORTS, STORAGE, ICT, PARTNERSHIPS, ETC.) AND ITS PLAN FOR AUGMENTED/NEW CAPACITY. SEVERAL KEY ISSUES EMERGED: A) HOW QUICKLY SHOULD WFP PLAN ON BEING ABLE TO MOVE CARGOES BY TRUCK INTO THE 18 GOVERNORATES; B) PROCEDURES FOR ADDRESSING POTENTIAL IN-COUNTRY CBW CONTAMINATION OF TRUCKS; C) CLARIFICATION ON POCS FOR BORDER CONTROL ISSUES - INSPECTION REGIMES AND CUSTOMS PROCEDURES; D) FEASIBILITY OF HUMANITARIAN SHIPPING IN THE GULF AND MODALITIES FOR ESTABLISHING AIR CORRIDORS FOR HUMANITARIAN OPERATIONS; AND E) THE NEED TO FINALIZE A COMMON DEFINITION OF WHAT WOULD CONSTITUTE A SAFE AND SECURE ENVIRONMENT THAT WOULD PERMIT UN HUMANITARIAN PERSONNEL TO DEPLOY/RE-DEPLOY INTO IRAQ. END SUMMARY. -------------- BACKGROUND -------------- ¶2. (C) MEMBERS OF THE HUMANITARIAN PLANNING TEAM (HPT) - ANDREW WYLLIE, STATE /PRM; RAY EIRIZ, CENTCOM; ROGER CORNERETTO, JCS; AND DAVID TARANTINO, OSD - VISITED WFP HEADQUARTERS ON FEBRUARY 4 TO REVIEW WFP PROGRESS ON GEARING UP ITS HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE MECHANISM FOR IRAQ IN THE EVENT OF OUTBREAK OF CONFLICT. PRINCIPAL INTERLOCUTORS FROM WFP INCLUDED KHALED ADLY, REGIONAL MANAGER FOR THE NEAR EAST; DAVID MORTON, DIRECTOR OF TRANSPORT; AMIR DAOUDI, WFP CHIEF LOGISTICS OFFICER FOR THE IRAQ OPERATION; AND DAVID KAATRUD, TRANSPORTATION UNIT CHIEF RESPONSIBLE FOR COORDINATING THE UNITED NATIONS JOINT LOGISTICS CELL (UNJLC) FOR THE IRAQ OPERATION. DAA/DCHA GARRETT GRIGSBY, DCHA/FFP JIM THOMPSON AND US MISSION HUMANITARIAN ATTACHE TIM LAVELLE REPRESENTED USAID. ¶3. (C) STRESSING THAT ALTHOUGH NO DECISION HAS YET BEEN MADE TO UNDERTAKE MILITARY ACTION IN IRAQ, AND THAT TIME FOR HUMANITARIAN CONTINGENCY PLANNING IS RUNNING SHORT, THE HPT EMPHASIZED THE NEED FOR WFP TO VERIFY WITH UNSECOORD THE COMPLETENESS OF DATA PROVIDED TO THE USG ON WFP ASSET LOCATION WITHIN IRAQ, INCLUDING OFFICES, WAREHOUSING FACILITIES, TRUCK DEPOTS, NAMES OF PERSONNEL EMPLOYED, ETC. WFP AGREED TO DO SO. IT WAS POINTED OUT THAT, IN MANY OF THE MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT WAREHOUSING COMPLEXES IN THE CAPITALS OF THE 18 GOVERNORATES THAT ARE CRITICAL TO THE OFF RATION DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM, WFP HAD ACCESS TO/KNOWLEDGE OF ONLY THOSE PARTS OF THE COMPLEXES WHICH DEALT WITH FOOD STORAGE AND MOVEMENT. THE HPT EMPHASIZED THE NEED FOR THE USG TO HAVE ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION, BUT ACKNOWLEDGED THE SENSITIVITY OF HAVING IT PASSED TO THE USG BY WFP. -------------- ISSUES REVIEWED -------------- ¶4. (C) MAJOR ISSUES REVIEWED INCLUDED: A) COORDINATION STRUCTURES: IMMEDIATE IDENTIFICATION OF CENTCOM POCS FOR LOGISTICS RELATED QUESTIONS/ISSUES; THE ROLE OF THE HOC(S); AND PLANS FOR SATELLITE HOCS IN OTHER ACTION IO-00 INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AGRE-00 AID-00 CEA-01 CIAE-00 COME-00 CTME-00 USNW-00 DODE-00 DOTE-00 PERC-00 SRPP-00 EAP-00 EB-00 EUR-00 EXIM-01 OIGO-00 E-00 FAAE-00 VC-00 FRB-00 H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 ITC-01 LAB-01 L-00 VCE-00 AC-01 NEA-00 DCP-01 NSAE-00 NSCE-00 OES-00 OIC-02 OMB-01 OPIC-01 ACE-00 SP-00 IRM-00 STR-00 TRSE-00 USIE-00 SA-00 EPAE-00 PRM-00 DRL-01 G-00 NFAT-00 SAS-00 /012W P 110532Z FEB 03 FM AMEMBASSY ROME TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8175 INFO EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE AMEMBASSY AMMAN AMEMBASSY ANKARA AMEMBASSY CANBERRA AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS USCINCCENT MACDILL AFB FL USCINCEUR VAIHINGEN GE USMISSION USUN NEW YORK USMISSION USNATO USEU BRUSSELS 3105 USMISSION GENEVA