36TH UNHCR STANDING COMMITTEE: AFRICA DISCUSSIONS

UNCLAS GENEVA 000597

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR PRM, EMBASSIES FOR REFUGEE OFFICERS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PREF PREL SMIG XA
SUBJECT: 36TH UNHCR STANDING COMMITTEE: AFRICA DISCUSSIONS

REF: A. SECSTATE 36380


B. SECSTATE 36528

C. GENEVA 555

D. GENEVA 556

E. GENEVA 557

F. GENEVA 582


1. (U) Summary: Africa Bureau Director Marjon Kamara and
Director of Operations for the Sudan Situation Jean-Marie
Fakhouri addressed participants in the 36th Meeting of the
Standing Committee (SC) of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on March 8. Both
highlighted the difficulties posed by projected severe
funding shortfalls this years, and noted the critical
relationship between security conditions and delivery of
humanitarian services. Each highlighted prospects for
significant repatriation in 2006 but cautioned that
development actors must engage sooner and more effectively in
return areas. The African Union representative reported that
Burkina Faso will host a June 1-2 Ministerial meeting on
"Protection and Assistance for the Forcibly Displaced in
Africa." End summary.

Sub-Saharan Africa
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2. (U) Africa Bureau Director Marjon Kamara noted that
severe funding shortages were among the challenges her Bureau
and field missions face in 2006. She expressed determination
to continue four major repatriation operations which are
currently underway: Liberia, Burundi, Sudan and the
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC); however, she added the
caveat that the success of each will depend on continued
peace in return areas and predictable resources for UNHCR and
its partners. In Burundi, drought and food shortages have
cut into the volume of repatriation from Tanzania and
resulted in some backflow of returnees to their former
country of asylum. As a further complication, she noted that
drought and food shortages in Rwanda have caused the movement
of some 20,000 Rwandans into Burundi; although the asylum
seekers among them are being screened, few have been found to
be in need of international protection.


3. (U) Repatriation to DRC got underway in 2005 following a
number of historic milestones. The movement continues, with
12,000 returnees thus far in 2006, even though UNHCR has not
yet received any donor responses in support of its
supplemental budget request. In addition, security must
improve in Katanga provinces and the Kivus if repatriation is
to continue at a robust pace. UNHCR will capitalize on the
dry season in Liberia to accelerate returns, and is also
scaling back its care and maintenance programs in Guinea and
Sierra Leone. The Angola repatriation operation is being
resumed in order to assist populations who did not decide to
return before the program concluded in 2005.


4. (U) Kamara referred to the ongoing gap between
humanitarian and development programs, and called for better
coordination, especially in areas of return. She said that
UNDP was actively engaging in Burundi, Liberia, Uganda, DRC
and southern Sudan, and that the African Union was also
increasing its focus on post-conflict needs and
opportunities. Along with repatriation, UNHCR continues to
actively pursue resettlement as a durable solution for
appropriate cases and groups, and also continues to work
toward self-reliance strategies when and where possible.
Although rates of SGBV and malnutrition often decrease in
response to self reliance programs, the latter are likely to
be among the programs which are cut back because of this
year's funding shortfalls.


5. (U) In pilot countries where UNHCR has the lead in the
IDP cluster approach, UNHCR has had to start the year with
"temporary and reimbursable" allocations of funds. Thus far,
UNHCR has only received direct donor support for its IDP
budget in Liberia.

Sudan and Chad
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6. (U) Jean-Marie Fakhouri, Director of Operations for the
Sudan Situation, recalled that last year at this time he had
been very hopeful about Sudan's Darfur Province and satisfied
that UNHCR and its partners had succeeded in stabilizing the
refugee population in eastern Chad. However, in the
intervening year, UNHCR had lost ground in Darfur and the
conflict has spilled over into Chad. Ironically, some
Chadians recently fled to Darfur for safety, while rape and
forced recruitment is occurring in Darfur's IDP camps as well
as the countryside. He cited recent estimates that 3.6
million people in Darfur have lost their capacity for self
reliance and the region is now totally dependent on WFP food
pipelines, which will run dry this month. Although UNHCR's
SB for Darfur initially requested $33 million, Fakhouri
projected implementation capacity at $18.5 million because of
security-driven restrictions on movement of staff.


7. (U) Although the food pipeline in Chad is well-resourced
through October, Chadian rebels have undermined the civilian
nature of some camps, using them for rest and recuperation
points as well as recruitment of fighters. In addition,
UNHCR assessments indicate that 47,000 refugees from the
Central African Republic (C.A.R.) are now in southern Chad.
"They are hard to reach and it will be expensive" to assist
them.


8. (U) Fakhouri reported that, although donors pledged $4.5
billion (sic) in Oslo in 2004, little money has reached the
region to date. There is "not a gap but a gulf" between
humanitarian and development efforts in the south. Despite
the lack of infrastructure and development, pressure for
return by refugees in neighboring countries is strong. UNHCR
has established 10 offices in southern Sudan and has signed
tripartite agreements with four neighboring states. Fakhouri
acknowledged that it will be difficult for UNHCR to achieve
its goal of 58,000 returns by the end of May, and cautioned
that returns can cause new conflict if badly done. He
emphasized the need for "robust attention" to the provisions
of the peace agreement, and concluded by noting that the Vice
President of Southern Sudan has asked UNHCR to assist with
the return of IDPs currently in the north.

Delegation remarks
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9. (U) The chair did not open the floor for delegation
comments and questions until both Kamara and Fakhouri had
spoken. Among comments from African states, the following
were of note:
Ethiopia:
-- asserted that UNHCR budget cuts have damaged operations
there;
-- reported that repatriation of Sudanese refugees from
Ethiopia will commence this month. Uganda:
-- appreciated the High Commissioner's two visits in the
short time since taking office;
-- emphasized its efforts to stop rebel activities in
northern Uganda.
DRC:
-- was encouraged by the joint mission of UNHCR, UNICEF and
WFP top leaders last month;
-- welcomed international willingness to contribute to its
recovery.
Sudan:
-- stressed great resource needs in eastern Sudan, speaking
for the allotted five minutes but not addressing issues
raised by Fakhouri about security in western Sudan.
Kenya:
-- observed that conflict resolution is the prelude to
repatriation;
-- noted that, despite progress, massive outflows still occur
in parts of Africa.
The African Union:
-- stated that it will hold a June 1 and 2 Ministerial
Meeting in Burkina Faso on "Protection and Assistance for the
Forcibly Displaced in Africa;"
-- advised that the ministerial was intended to mobilize
public opinion for protection, identify gaps, formulate
strategies, review past progress and difficulties, and build
a legal framework for addressing IDP populations;
-- lamented the devastating effect of budget cuts and called
for a roundtable on resource mobilization for food, water and
health programs.


10. (U) Donor statements tended to focus on UNHCR's need to
do a better job with the resources available and to keep
donors fully informed. Using points provided in Ref A, the US
delegation:
-- expressed grave concern about the impact of budget
shortfalls on UNHCR programs in Africa;
-- urged traditional and non-traditional donors to make an
exceptional effort to support UNHCR programs there;
-- expressed deep concern about WFP resources for refugees,
particularly in light of droughts in east and southern
Africa, and urged donor support;
-- expressed interest in the IDP cluster lead approach and
noted that the USG is working to come up with additional
resources to support these efforts;
-- conveyed appreciation to the Government of Tanzania for
its long-standing hospitality to Burundi refugees;
-- urged continued patience and hospitality as drought,
continued insecurity in some regions, and lack of
infrastructure are contributing to a slow down of
repatriation;
-- noted the USG has contributed $5.6 million to UNHCR for
its 2006 program in Burundi, and expressed appreciation to
UNHCR for the excellent job it did of bringing donors and
partners together in the recent Country Operation Plan (COP)
exercise;
-- noted the return of thousands of refugees to the DRC and
USG intent to do our best to support UNHCR's supplementary
appeal for Congolese repatriation this year;
- commended UNHCR for its close coordination with and strong
support of its implementing partners on refugee return and
reintegration activities in Liberia;
-- expressed support for UNHCR's continued efforts to provide
assistance to refugees in Cote d'Ivoire given on-going
insecurity and UNHCR facility losses during January attacks;
-- welcomed the promotional phase of the Liberian
repatriation process and urged concerted mass information
campaign activities to accelerate returns during the dry
season;
-- acknowledged the efforts made by UNHCR under challenging
conditions in eastern Chad to meet the needs of refugees;
-- urged UNHCR to redouble its efforts to relocate refugees
from Oure Cassoni and Am Nabak camps in eastern Chad;
-- applauded UNHCR's efforts to assist displaced Sudanese in
Darfur and noted that, although skeptical at first, the USG
believes that UNHCR has proven a valuable asset to protection
and relief operations there;
-- noted UNHCR's report of new Chadian refugees and asked for
additional information on this situation;
-- acknowledged progress in obtaining signatures on
tripartite agreements for southern Sudan repatriation,.
-- noted that the USG contributed $18 million to UNHCR's
Sudan repatriation appeal in 2005, and planned to provide
support again in 2006;
-- encouraged other donors to contribute to UNHCR's
supplementary appeal in support of durable reintegration for
those ready to return to southern Sudan this year.
Moley