AMBASSADORS' FUND FOR REFUGEES: NIGERIA

UNCLAS LAGOS 000782

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREF NI
SUBJECT: AMBASSADORS' FUND FOR REFUGEES: NIGERIA
PROPOSAL

REF: A. STATE 27113


B. LAGOS 722

C. May 25, 2005, email from C. Chang to S. Litke


1. This is a revision of the proposal submitted in
reftel B. As requested in ref C, this revised
submission proposes the Nigerian Red Cross (NRC) rather
than the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
(UNHCR) as the grant recipient.

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Proposal Summary
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2. The Oru Refugee Camp in Ogun State, Nigeria, has a
critical need for latrines. The UNHCR minimum standard
is one latrine per 20 people; at one latrine per nearly
70 people, Oru Camp falls below this standard. Mission
proposes a grant of $20,000 from the 2005 Ambassadors'
Fund for Refugees to the Oru Refugee Camp to build 18
latrines. These latrines, along with 10 being
constructed with UNHCR funds, would bring the ratio to
one latrine per 27 people. If this proposal is
approved, the Nigerian Red Cross will manage and
implement the project. The NRC projects the new
latrines would be completed within two months of the
availability of the funds.

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Justification
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3. About 5,300 refugees, primarily Liberian and Sierra
Leonean, reside at the Oru Refugee Camp. However, much
of the assistance provided in the camp does not meet
acceptable standards because of funding constraints
caused by the influx of Liberians in May and June 2003.
(This influx resulted in significantly more refugees
without a commensurate increase in UNHCR funding.) In
the area of sanitation, all indicators, save one, are
below standards. The number of people per communal
latrine is 68, against a standard of 20; the number of
people per communal shower is 66, against a standard of
50, the percentage of dwellings with individual
latrines is 28%, against a standard of 100%; and the
percentage of communal buildings with adequate water
and sanitation is 72%, against a standard of 100%.
Funding is urgently needed to build more latrines, thus
improving water and sanitation conditions. This
project will especially assist women and young girls as
the new latrines will help them avoid having to venture
into isolated areas, where they are vulnerable to
sexual exploitation and gender-based violence.


4. Thirty-five additional latrine units would bring
the camp within the standard of one latrine per 20
persons. UNHCR Nigeria will fund the construction of
10 latrine units in 2005. The 18 additional units
proposed in this project will bring the ratio to one
latrine per 27 people and position the camp to achieve
the UNHCR standard in 2006. The project will improve
general environmental conditions in the camp as well as
the quality of water from hand pumps used for drinking
purposes.

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Code of Conduct
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5. NRC follows the UNHCR code of conduct. Mission has
received a copy of the UNHCR Nigeria code of conduct.
The code meets the core principles listed in reftel.

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Mission Capacity to Award Grant
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6. Mission has the contract authority and capacity to
award a grant to the NRC prior to the end of FY2005.


7. This cable has been cleared by Embassy Abuja and
USAID.

BROWNE