WFP BRIEFING ON DARFUR AND SOUTHERN SUDAN - JULY 13

UNCLAS ROME 002781

SIPDIS


SENSITIVE

FROM U.S. MISSION IN ROME

KHARTOUM FOR CHARGE GALLUCCI AND CFARNSWORTH
STATE FOR AS/PRM DEWEY, PRM/P, AF/E AND IO/EDA BEHREND AND
KOTOK
USAID FOR ADMINISTRATOR NATSIOS, AA/DCHA WINTER, DAA/AFR
ALMQUIST, DCHA/FFP LANDIS, AFR/EA
USDA/FAS FOR CHAMBLISS/TILSWORTH/GAINOR
GENEVA FOR AMBASSADOR MOLEY, RMA LYNCH AND NKYLOH/USAID
USUN FOR AMBASSADOR DANFORTH AND MLUTZ
BRUSSELS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS AND USAID/LERNER
NSC FOR JMELICE AND AFRICA DIRECTORATE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID EAGR AORC PREF SU WFP UNHCR
SUBJECT: WFP BRIEFING ON DARFUR AND SOUTHERN SUDAN - JULY 13

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Summary
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1. (SBU) WFP conducted a Sudan humanitarian needs briefing
for Rome-based permanent representatives at its Headquarters
on July 13. Security remains a profound concern, with
examples of humanitarian workers being detained anywhere
from a few hours to a few days. WFP estimates that 1.2
million people in the Darfurs will need emergency assistance
each month until the end of September, and from then onwards
an additional 800,000 people (for a total case load of 2
million vulnerable people) will require emergency support
until end of the year. In June, WFP reached 650,193
beneficiaries (instead of the planned 800,000),due to: a)
lack of logistical capacity for delivering commodities to
scattered and insecure distribution points; and b) lack of
implementation capacity at the field level of both WFP and
its implementing partners (registration, verification and
monitoring distribution). WFP is planning to lease 200 long-
haul trucks and purchase 120 6x6 trucks. WFP's Emergency
Operation (EMOP) is only 35 percent resourced and the
present pipeline can only provide beneficiaries with cereals
until end of September, and other commodities until October.
WFP has already purchased (2004) 50,000 metric tons of
cereals (sorghum) in-country, and if sufficient cash
resources are promptly pledged, it could meet the bulk of
its cereal requirements through local procurement for both
the Darfurs and southern Sudan. End summary.

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The Darfur Region
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2. (U) WFP conducted a Sudan briefing for Rome-based
permanent representatives at its Headquarters on July 13.
WFP Sudan Country Director Ramiro Lopes da Silva provided
the briefing via phone from Khartoum. Permanent
representatives from 57 countries attended, including Saudi
Arabia and Libya.


3. (SBU) Da Silva stated that the joint communique signed
between UNSG Kofi Annan and the GOS is yet to trickle down
through the Sudanese bureaucracy. At present, apart from
some isolated mainly logistic challenges being more rapidly
resolved, nothing has de facto changed. Note. On the GOS
promise to dispatch a 6,000 multipurpose police force to the
Darfurs, Da Silva reported that 600 were deployed this past
week, 1,275 are to be deployed this week, with the remainder
reportedly in the process of mobilization. Da Silva
commented that the Darfur region is comparable in size to
France. End note.


4. (U) The UN system has formulated a 90 day emergency plan,
covering June - August, where WFP has estimated that 1.2
million people will need emergency assistance each month
until the end of September, and from then onwards an
additional 800,000 people (for a total case load of 2
million vulnerable people) will require emergency support
until end of the year. The 800,000 number includes the host
communities that will become impoverished due to the
expected failed harvest.


5. (U) WFP's overall plan for the Darfurs is as follows:


A. Establish Field Offices (with adequate staff and
vehicles) in Kutum, Kabkabya, Zalingey, Mornie, Mukjar,

Jebel Marra, Tina, Kulbus, Habilla and Ed Daein, in addition
to the three Sub-Offices in El Fasher, Nyala and El Geniena.


B. Establish an Air Operation Cell in Nyala.


C. Support enhanced international NGO presence as well as
involving them in supplementary feeding and nutritional
programs.


6. (U) WFP Sudan's progress to date is as follows:

a. Apart from established sub offices at the three state
capitals, WFP has now opened one field office in Ed Daein.
Recruitment is ongoing. At present, essential staff,
including 13 food aid monitors and 18 stand-by personnel,
are being recruited for both the sub and field offices.

b. The airdrop zones have been identified and the airdrop
operation will be executed in two phases. The first phase
focuses on the priority locations: Fur Berenga, Habilla,
Umjekoti, Umkhaire and Bendisi, with a distribution of 1,376
mt (83,363 beneficiaries) and will commence next week with a
duration of 6 days. The second phase covers 7 days and
provides food for Arara, Beida, Mesteri, Kongo Haraz and
Mourni (1,671 mt and 101,272 beneficiaries).

c. Discussion are ongoing with the UN Country Team on the
establishment of UNHAS (UN Humanitarian Assistance Support
Unit).


7. (SBU) In June, WFP reached 650,193 beneficiaries (instead
of planned 800,000),due to: a) lack of logistical capacity
for delivering the commodities to scattered and insecure
distribution points; and b) lack of implementation capacity
at the field level of both WFP and its implementing partners
(registration, verification and monitoring distribution).
Note. Da Silva stated that the UN and its NGO partners have
at present some 300 international and approximately 1,000
national staff on the ground in the Darfur region. He
mentioned that WFP had activated standby agreements with
Danish Refugee Council, Norwegian Refugee Council, Swiss
Disaster Relief Committee, Swedish Rescue Services Agency,
and others. End note.

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WFP's Special Operation (SO)
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8. (U) In response to the inadequate logistics capacity and
in view of the rainy season as well as partly accommodating
the influx of NGOs that are coming in to the area, WFP has
launched a Special Operation (SO) to tackle the logistic
challenges. The value of the SO is U.S. $36 million.


9. (U) Under the SO, WFP will lease 200 long-haul trucks and
purchase 120 6x6 trucks. The SO includes containerized
accommodation for the staff to cope with the insecure and
difficult situation in parts of the region and a contingency
fund for emergency road repairs (pot holes, inaccessibility
even for light vehicles). Note. On July 15, the Dutch
Ministry for Development Cooperation confirmed the donation
of 120 heavy-duty trucks to WFP. The total value of the
fleet, including spare parts and a maintenance contingency,
is euros 4 million (U.S. $4.93 million). End note.


10. (SBU) Assuming funding, air capacity will be increased
from 3 to 14 aircraft. Airdrops in some areas have become


necessary because of fighting and other security concerns
along the routes. (Aviation fuel availability was flagged as
a possible constraint.) To date, humanitarian assistance has
so far only been provided to GoS covered areas. At present,
there are 137 IDP camps in Darfur. WFP has access to 103 of
them, of which 84 have been verified and 72 receive
assistance.


11. (U) The malnutrition rates in the region are
unacceptably high. Nutrition surveys have been undertaken by
Medecins sans Frontieres (MSF) France, Action Contre la Faim
(ACF),Save the Children/UK. Malnutrition, which is chronic
in the region (according to Da Silva),is now rampant, with
global acute malnutrition in excess of 30 percent. WFP and
UNICEF have agreed that blanket supplementary feeding will
occur in all areas where acute global malnutrition is in
excess of 24 percent.


12. (U) WFP together with other humanitarian agencies are
now planning to provide blanket supplementary feeding to
children in the worst affected areas. At present, WFP is
providing food to 19 Therapeutic Feeding Centers (TFCs) and
24 Supplementary Feeding Programs (SFPs) through its
implementing partners (Goal (Ireland),ACF, MSF Holland, MSF
France and MSF Switzerland, Save/UK, Save/US and Tear
Funds).


13. (U) In addition to working with CARE, German Agro
Action, Save/US and Save/UK, WFP is also working with
several local NGOs, including Islamic Agency for Relief
(IARA) and the Sudanese Red Crescent (SRC) across all the
three states. Furthermore, agreements with World Vision and
Catholic Relief Services (CRS) have just been signed.

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Southern Sudan Update
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14. (U) The peace protocols have been signed, forming part
of the signature framework for the peace agreement. The
comprehensive peace agreement is yet to be signed. Already a
portion of the internally displaced (IDPs) have started
moving into the South. WFP expects a significant internally
displaced populations (IDP) and refugee return once the
rainy season is over.


15. (SBU) The UN Country team has developed a Quick Start
Peace Impact Program (QSPIP) for an interim period following
the peace agreement. An IDP/refugee return strategy has been
initiated and is already at an advanced stage involving the
Northern and Southern authorities. Some joint assessment
missions have been initiated. The QSPIP envisages that
resources are available upfront to support the returnee
population and their security as and when peace dividend
become tangible.


16. (SBU) There remain security concerns along the rivers
where militia groups remain; despite the signed peace
agreement no one knows if the areas are secured or not. Some
road repairs from Loki - Rumbek - Waw are being undertaken.

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WFP Wrap up
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17. (SBU) WFP stressed that Darfur is in serious need of
support, continued high level visits and adequate political

pressure. Despite international attention, pledges are not
yet forthcoming. WFP appeal for Darfur (EMOP 10339.0 "Food
Assistance to Population affected by War in Greater Darfur")
is only 35 percent funded (with the United States
contributing U.S. $46.1 million of the $66.8 million
received by WFP to date). The present pipeline can only
provide beneficiaries with cereals until end of September,
and other commodities until October. WFP has already
purchased (2004) 50,000 metric tons of cereals (sorghum) in-
country, and if sufficient cash resources are promptly
pledged, could meet the bulk of its cereal requirements
through local procurement for both the Darfurs (182,000 mts
is the revised total cereals need) and southern Sudan
(171,000 mts-revised total cereals need). Note. FAO forecast
a record cereal harvest for Sudan in 2003/2004 of 5.9
million tons, of which 82 percent was sorghum. Cereal
production in-country was about 36 percent above the average
of the past five years. End note.


18. (U) As of July 12, WFP's Emergency Operation 10339.0
"Food Assistance to Populations affected by War in Greater
Darfur" is about 35 percent funded (i.e., requirements of
U.S. $195.3 million and funding received as of date at $66.8
million),from the following donors: United States, $46.01
million; EC-EuropeAid, $4.55 million; UK, $3 million;
Canada, $2.9 million; Australia, $1.43 million; Denmark,
$1.37 million; Germany, $1.29 million; France, $1.24
million; Ireland, $1.23 million; Norway, $0.89 million; New
Zealand, $0.64 million; Spain, $0.58 million; Finland, $0.57
million; Switzerland, $0.40 million; and Luxembourg, $0.12
million.


19. (U) Khartoum minimize considered.


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2004ROME02781 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED