HAITI HUMANITARIAN AID: DUTCH CONSIDERING APPEALS

UNCLAS THE HAGUE 000596

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

WHA/CAR
EUR/UBI

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID HA NL PHUM PREF PREL
SUBJECT: HAITI HUMANITARIAN AID: DUTCH CONSIDERING APPEALS

REF: STATE 52611

(SBU) EconOff delivered ref demarche to Johanneke de Hoogh of
the MFA's Humanitarian Aid Division. Ms. De Hoogh said the
Dutch were seriously considering making a pledge to one or
more of the appeals and were at the moment favoring the ICRC
Budget Extension Appeal over the UN Flash Appeal. They
believe the ICRC has a good established network in Haiti and
thereby could be more effective in providing health and other
services. The Dutch are checking with their missions in
Geneva and New York to determine to what degree the UN appeal
is humanitarian aid-focused and to what degree it will be a
means to build UN capacity in country. The results of this
research may influence the Dutch decision of whether or not
to fund the UN Flash Appeal out of their humanitarian aid
budget. Ms. De Hoogh promised to pass us any information on
Dutch pledging as soon as decisions are made.
SOBEL