USG RESPONSE TO IMMINENT FOOD SHORTAGE IN TINDOUF

UNCLAS ALGIERS 001518 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS ROME PLEASE PASS TO FODAG E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID PREF PBTS WFP AG SUBJECT: USG RESPONSE TO IMMINENT FOOD SHORTAGE IN TINDOUF REGION REF: A. STATE 136285 ¶B. FITZGIBBONS 8/23 EMAIL ¶C. ALGIERS 340 ¶1. (SBU) Marius Fortman, World Food Program (WFP) Country Director for Algeria, briefed us August 23 on the current state of food stocks for the Sahrawi refugees. Fortman said Sahrawi refugee camps near Tindouf would run out of food by the end of September absent additional donations. Fortman made clear he was not soliciting an additional U.S. donation, but wanted to apprise the U.S. of the current situation. We passed the main points of Fortman's briefing to regional Refugee Coordinator in Cairo, reviewing the overall food situation in the camps. Informed by PRM that the USG had just completed a $1 million donation to the WFP for the Sahrawis (ref B),poloff advised Fortman of the U.S. action later the same day. ¶2. (SBU) In his briefing, Fortman also noted that he had canceled his pending vacation to press the GOA to renew its current food allotments for the camps, which expire at the end of August. Fortman said that there continued to be no consensus on the number of refugees in the camps (ref C),and that the Polisario and GOA still opposed organizing a census of the refugees. In his view, disputes about how much food was needed for the refugees through the end of 2006 were bound to continue. Fortman was pessimistic that donors would agree to boost current levels of food allotments absent a census and said the issue was bound to be on the agenda for the expected November visit to Algiers of WFP Director James Morris. FORD