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
.