LETTER TO CAROL BELLAMY, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR,

UNCLAS ROME 002442 SIPDIS FROM U.S. MISSION IN ROME USUN NEW YORK FOR ACTING AMBASSADOR AND LTAMLYN AMEMBASSY ALGIERS FOR AMBASSADOR ERDMAN AND DMCNICHOLAS USAID/W FOR AA/DCHA WINTER, DAA/AFR YOUNG, AFR/WA, DCHA/D/FFP LANDIS, D/OFDA, AA/GLOBAL PETERSON STATE FOR IO A/S HOLMES, A/S PRM DEWEY AND DAS/PRM MCKINLEY, A/S AF NEWMAN, AF/NEA, IO/EDA BEHREND/KOTOK, NEA/ENA FOR CUTRONA USMISSION GENEVA FOR AMBASSADOR MOLEY AND USAID/KYLOH BRUSSELS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS AND USAID/LERNER NSC FOR JDWORKEN AND AFRICA DIRECTORATE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID AORC PREF EAGR WI AG WFP UNICEF SUBJECT: LETTER TO CAROL BELLAMY, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, UNICEF, FROM AMBASSADOR TONY P. HALL ON THE NEED FOR A UNICEF PRESENCE IN TINDOUF TO ASSIST WESTERN SAHARA REFUGEES ¶1. FOLLOWING IS THE TEXT OF A LETTER TO CAROL BELLAMY, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, UNICEF, DATED JUNE 23, 2004, FROM TONY ¶P. HALL, AMBASSADOR, U.S. MISSION TO THE UN AGENCIES, ROME. BEGIN LETTER: "MS. CAROL BELLAMY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, UNICEF UNICEF HOUSE 3 UNITED NATIONS PLAZA NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK 10017-3505 DEAR CAROL: AT THE RECENT SECOND REGULAR SESSION (MAY 26-27) OF THE WFP EXECUTIVE BOARD, THE BOARD APPROVED A SEPTEMBER 2004- AUGUST 2006 WFP PROTRACTED RELIEF AND RECOVERY OPERATION (PRRO) TO ASSIST WESTERN SAHARA REFUGEES (158,000 BENEFICIARIES) AT A TOTAL COST TO WFP OF $39.5 MILLION. THE OPERATION HAS LONG BENEFITED FROM FUNDING BY UNHCR, THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY HUMANITARIAN ORGANIZATION (ECHO),NON- GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS (PRIMARILY SPANISH),AND PRIVATE DONATIONS. THE UNITED STATES IS ALSO A MAJOR DONOR. ONE OF MY OFFICERS VISITED THE FOUR SAHARAWI REFUGEE CAMPS IN THE TINDOUF REGION OF SOUTHWESTERN ALGERIA - EL AIUN, AWSERD, SMARA AND DAKHLA - IN JANUARY 2004. HE REPORTED ON A UNHCR, WFP, AND THE CENTRE FOR INTERNATIONAL CHILD HEALTH, INSTITUTE OF CHILD HEALTH (LONDON) ANTHROPOMETRIC AND NUTRITION SURVEY IN THE TINDOUF CAMPS THAT DOCUMENTED: A) GLOBAL ACUTE MALNUTRITION OF 10.6 PERCENT AMONG 6-59 MONTH OLD CHILDREN; B) CHRONIC MALNUTRITION IN EXCESS OF 30 PERCENT FOR UNDER-FIVES; AND C) ANEMIA AMONG REFUGEE CHILDREN (AROUND 35 PERCENT) AND FOR WOMEN OF CHILDBEARING AGE (47.6 PERCENT AMONG NON-PREGNANT WOMEN). CLEARLY, THIS SURVEY RAISES NUTRITIONAL CONCERNS THAT MUST BE SYSTEMATICALLY ADDRESSED. FORTUNATELY, BOTH UNHCR AND WFP HAVE STEPPED UP THEIR PHYSICAL PRESENCE IN THE FOUR CAMPS AND NOW HAVE FUNCTIONING OFFICES IN TINDOUF. BUT THEY REPORT THAT FAR TOO MANY CHILDREN HAVE NOT BEEN VACCINATED AND ARE NOW AT HIGH RISK OF THE LETHAL COMBINATION OF MALNUTRITION, ACUTE RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS AND DIARRHEA. I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE UNICEF CONSIDER ESTABLISHING A PRESENCE IN THE CAMPS FOCUSED ON SUPPORTING HEALTH, PUBLIC NUTRITION AND DISEASE SURVEILLANCE SYSTEMS. CAROL, I KNOW THAT UNICEF'S PLATE IS FULL AND THAT YOU AND YOUR UN COLLEAGUES ARE INTENTLY AND RIGHTLY FOCUSED ON THE HORRIBLE TRAGEDY STILL UNFOLDING IN DAFUR AND EASTERN CHAD. BUT IN THIS LARGELY "FORGOTTEN" EMERGENCY IN THE WESTERN SAHARA, THESE CHILD MALNUTRITION LEVELS CAN BE A DE- STABILIZING FACTOR IN THE REFUGEE CAMPS AND COULD IMPEDE CONFIDENCE-BUILDING MEASURES WITH THE CONCERNED PARTIES, LIMITING UN LEVERAGE IN MOVING THE POLITICAL PROCESS FORWARD. IN CLOSING, THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU'RE DOING ON BEHALF OF THE POOR AND HUNGRY THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. GOD BLESS. SINCERELY, AMBASSADOR TONY P. HALL CC: JIM MORRIS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, WFP." END OF LETTER. ¶2. US MISSION ROME WOULD BE GRATEFUL IF USUN NEW YORK COULD PASS THIS TEXT ALONG TO CAROL BELLAMY. ¶3. ORIGINAL SIGNED LETTER WILL FOLLOW. HALL NNNN 2004ROME02442 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED