DRC: HUMANITARIAN ACTION PLAN LAUNCHED BY UN AND EU

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BRUSSELS 000504 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR AF, EUR/ERA, PRM/AFR; DEPARTMENT PLEASE PASS USAID FOR AFR, DCHA AND PPC E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREF PHUM PREL PGOV EAID EUN USEU BRUSSELS SUBJECT: DRC: HUMANITARIAN ACTION PLAN LAUNCHED BY UN AND EU ¶1. (U) Summary. At the launch of the Humanitarian Action Plan (HAP) for the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on February 13, the UN and EU called on donors to fund 330 projects worth almost $682 million that will benefit 60 million people in 2006. In a taped address to the Ministerial Conference, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said that 1200 Congolese die each day as a result of the conflict and that "every penny" of the integrated, comprehensive plan is "desperately needed". The amount called for in 2006 is over three times larger than the consolidated appeal of $220 million in 2005 (less than two thirds of which was funded by donors). End Summary. -------------- Need, expectations huge -------------- ¶2. (U) Virtually every speaker added to the catalogue of despair in describing the Congolese tragedy: -- equivalent to one Asian tsunami every six months; -- four times as deadly as the Rwandan genocide; -- over 4 million deaths in the last six years (of which only 1.5% as a direct result of violence); -- 16 million hungry; -- 1.664 million IDPs, with 14,000 newly displaced each month; -- 1.7 million recent returnees needing assistance; -- a 10-year drop in life expectancy since 1992 to just 43 years; -- 3 million suffering from HIV/AIDS, with 900,000 new cases expected in 2006; -- 33,000 child soldiers (40% girls); -- 50% of schools destroyed in the war; -- infant mortality rates (128 dead per 1000 births) and mothers dying in childbirth (1289 per 100,000) among the highest in the world; -- most people living on under 50 cents a day; -- only 8% of the population with access to running water; ¶3. (U) Speakers also noted that progress made towards holding the first free elections in 45 years, largely the result of intense efforts by the international community, had raised expectations among the Congolese people. However, many speakers expressed concern that once the elections had been concluded, interest among the donors in DRC would wane. According to Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) William Swing, "exponentially expanding expectations" would emerge with successful elections and a dramatic improvement of the humanitarian situation would be critical for consolidating peace. In the same vein, Belgium,s Development Minister Armand de Decker said that with democratically elected representatives the Congolese expectations would be gigantic and that failure to meet them would result in great despair. -------------- International Response Unclear -------------- ¶4. (U) While acknowledging the HAP was sizeable, Deputy SRSG Ross Mountain observed that the UN appeal for Sudan was $1.5 billion to assist 40 million people, including 680,000 returnees (twice as much money to assist far fewer). The International Rescue Committee,s Richard Brennan also compared assistance levels in various ongoing crises, noting that tsunami victims received on average $130 per capita and Iraqi victims $138 per capita in aid while Congolese victims received only $4 per capita. ¶5. (U) In presenting details of the HAP, Deputy SRSG Mountain said that over 900 proposals worth $1 billion had been submitted for consideration, but not all had been selected. He outlined the three components of the plan as follows: -- 1) Saving Lives: 133 projects ($273 million) -- 2) Protecting Communities: 197 projects ($409 million) These projects will focus on education ($23 million),food ($225 million),health ($155 million),logistics/coordination ($15 million),nutrition ($22 million),protection ($59 million),returns/reintegration ($120 million),shelter and nonfood items ($14 million),water/sanitation ($21 million) and emergency telecommunications. Mountain said that protection activities would assist in reducing violence (particularly against women),arbitrary arrests, rape, mines, as well as demobilizing and disarming combatants and ensuring the army personnel was paid and fed in order to discourage looting and pillaging. -- 3) Promoting Stability: a separate launch will take place this summer in Brussels This third component will link the relief efforts to reconstruction over a two-year period. Peacebuilding activities will center on six high-impact projects to fast track poverty reduction and will also address thematic issues such as human rights, gender equality, HIV/ADIS, and ethnic reconciliation. ¶6. (U) Oxfam International presented a briefing note that calculated the "fair share" of the 22 major donors -- based on gross national incomes -- in allocating the $682 million HAP appeal. To meet the apportioned amounts -- U.S. ($275 million),Japan ($107 million),Germany ($56 million),UK ($45 million),France ($42 million),Italy ($34 million), Canada ($20 million),etc. -- Oxfam said that all countries would have to sizably increase their contributions in 2006. ¶7. (U) Several delegations announced their 2006 intentions, as follows: -- European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Issues Louis Michel said that the DRC was at the top of the EU,s list of priorities, stating that the Commission had committed 750 million euros for humanitarian activities since the beginning of the transition, including a pledge for 38 million euros this year. He said this represented 8% of ECHO,s budget for 2006. (Note. When adding in money for logistic support via ECHO flight, the total increases to over 10%. End note.) Most of ECHO,s funds are used to address health issues, overwhelming the largest killer in DRC, and are targeted to the conflictive Eastern regions. Michel said that ECHO also supports the work of UNHCR in neighboring countries to care for refugees. -- Belgium said that the DRC is its top aid recipient and pledged 9.4 million euros for the following humanitarian activities: food (4 million euros); violence reduction (1.9 million euros); refugee returns (2.5 million euros); and 500,000 euros into the pooled fund. This amount exceeds Oxfam,s "fair share" calculation of $7.32 million for Belgium. De Decker noted its role, along with the U.S., in fostering Good Humanitarian Donorship in DRC. He mentioned that in 2007, Belgium would double the amount of its contribution to the pooled fund. -- Sweden announced an initial contribution of 10 million euros to the pooled fund and said it will channel an additional 7 million euros through international and non-governmental organizations, also exceeding its "fair share" of $7.29 million. -- The UK welcomed the HAP, particularly for its comprehensive analysis of the need, its focus on the continuum between relief and reconstruction, and its contribution to coordination. The UK pledged approximately $50 million for humanitarian activities in each 2006 and 2007, also in excess of its "fair share". -- Germany praised the HAP for its needs-based analysis and the coordinative framework it provided. The German representative pledged 24 million euros for 2006, of which 11 million euros will go to meet humanitarian needs such as water/sanitation and health. ¶8. (U) Other countries did not announce specific amounts, but offered some ideas regarding the HAP and related issues: -- Speaking on behalf of the Acting USAID Administrator, the USEU Development Counselor expressed appreciation for the UN efforts to launch the HAP, recognized the humanitarian needs in the DRC and noted USAID will use the HAP to guide programs which address the critical needs outlined in the plan. She then highlighted USAID's efforts in the DRC. -- France expressed its "astonishment" that the HAP was in English only, noting that DRC was the largest francophone country in the world. France said it supported a favorable EU response to the UN,s request for a standby military force should the upcoming elections be accompanied by unrest. The French representative said the pooled funding mechanism was useful, but said its methodological approach needed clarification. She said the HAP would only succeed if there were an effective link to poverty reduction and the army reintegration process. -- Norway welcomed the pooled funding mechanism and said it would contribute a substantial amount (similar to its 2005 contribution) without earmarks in 2006. -- Finland said it would use its EU Presidency to play an active role in raising awareness and funds for the DRC. The Finnish representative said that his country,s contribution to DRC would be higher in 2006 than 2005. ¶9. (U) In his closing remarks, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Jan Egeland stressed that although the launch of the HAP was not intended as a pledging conference, he expected donors to communicate their firm intentions to him in the coming days and weeks. He stressed that the UN would be transparent in recording and reporting back to donors on progress in implementing the HAP. -------------- Comment -------------- ¶10. (U) The hard facts provided by an array of UN and non-governmental organizations made a compelling case for the need to robustly support the Humanitarian Action Plan. However, if donor participation at the launch is any indicator of donor interest, this comprehensive appeal will be severely under-funded. Despite labeling the conference as "ministerial", only the hosts provided that level of participation. The U.S. can expect continued pressure from the EU to show as much interest in what Kofi Annan characterized as "the deadliest conflict since World War II" as it has shown for the victims of the tsunami and conflicts in Sudan and Iraq. Gray .