IOM CHIEF ON LACK OF GOZ COOPERATION, FUNDING WOES

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 HARARE 000374 SIPDIS SIPDIS AF/S FOR B. NEULING G/TIP FOR RACHEL YOUSEY NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR C. COURVILLE USAID/AFR/SA FOR E. LOKEN E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/27/2016 TAGS: EAID PHUM PREL KWMN ZI SUBJECT: IOM CHIEF ON LACK OF GOZ COOPERATION, FUNDING WOES REF: A. HARARE 7 AND PREVIOUS ¶B. 2005 HARARE 1688 Classified By: Ambassador Christopher Dell for reasons 1.5 b/d -------------- Summary -------------- ¶1. (C) On March 22, Mohammed Abdiker, Chief of Mission for the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Harare, told the Ambassador that the GOZ continued to hinder efforts to assist internally displaced persons (IDPs),many of whom were living in dire conditions. IOM nonetheless was building some temporary shelters in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Welfare and local officials. Abdiker expressed concern over the plight of former commercial farm workers, who remained displaced years after the farms they had worked on had been seized. In a positive development, the GOZ had cooperated with IOM in establishing a reception center on the border for illegal migrants deported from South Africa, including trafficking in persons victims. Abdiker said funding for some of IOM,s key activities was coming to an end at a time when the situation was worsening and IOM was launching an appeal for new donor funding to which he hoped the USG would contribute. See ACTION REQUEST para 15. End summary. -------------- IDPs Still in Desperate Circumstances -------------- ¶2. (C) Abdiker described for the Ambassador in vivid terms the horrid living conditions that IDPs, both those displaced during farm takeovers, and those more recently displaced by Operation Restore Order, still face in Zimbabwe. Abdiker said the situation was especially dire at Hopely Farm near Harare, where the government had moved some victims of the operation to keep them from squatting in place near their former homes in high-density areas. The displaced there had faced further eviction from Hopely when the GOZ demanded that each family pay to stay (ref B). The displaced had spent the entire, particularly long, rainy season without shelter. Some had erected low, table-like structures to protect their heads from the rain while they slept on the rain-soaked mud but otherwise had no shelter. In Hopely especially, but also in other areas hit by Restore Order, there were few sanitation, health care, or other services available for IDPs. International food assistance continued at Hopely Farm and was now being conducted by Christian Care. -------------- Limited GOZ Cooperation on Operation Restore Order IDPs -------------- ¶3. (C) The Ambassador asked Abdiker whether IOM was continuing with its efforts to provide shelter to victims of Operation Restore Order despite the lack of GOZ cooperation (ref A). Abdiker said IOM, with the cooperation of local government and Ministry of Public Welfare officials, had begun erecting temporary shelters in certain areas even as talks with the GOZ at higher levels had ground to a halt. Different ministries could not agree on acceptable standards of temporary shelter, and Local Government Minister Chombo remained opposed to everything IOM presented. The GOZ at high levels did not want any temporary shelter and was pretending the problem did not exist in spite of local authorities' priority on proceeding. ¶4. (C) The shelters IOM was building consisted of plastic sheeting and gum poles with zinc roofs. IOM had already HARARE 00000374 002 OF 004 erected 20 structures at Hopely Farm and in Hatcliffe Extension (northern Harare),which had been hit hard by Restore Order, as a pilot project. IOM was also continuing to work with NGOs and churches to provide assistance to the hundreds of thousands remaining displaced. ¶5. (C) The Ambassador noted that this project was consistent with the direction of UN Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Jan Egeland after his visit to Zimbabwe. The Ambassador asked if IOM was concerned that higher levels of government would discover and put a halt to the project at Hopely, a location where the GOZ had not welcomed foreign &intervention8 in the wake of Restore Order. Abdiker said that both IOM and local officials were concerned about this, but IOM was moving ahead despite these concerns, doing all it could to keep its efforts out of the limelight. -------------- More Victims Being Discovered -------------- ¶6. (C) Abdiker said months after Restore Order, IOM was still learning of other victims who needed assistance. For example, they had just learned of 290 families living in the middle of a remote forest in Manicaland. The government had dumped them there during the visit of UN Envoy Anna Tibaijuka the previous June to prevent her from seeing the full effects on families who had lost their homes in the high-density areas. Local officials had required the families each to pay 5 million Zimbabwean dollars for the land (approximately USD 45 at the current official exchange rate),telling them the land would be theirs, but they remained without shelter. ¶7. (C) Abdiker said IOM had once again worked with local officials to devise a solution and had initially received approval from the governor of Manicaland to install pre-fabricated homes. Before they could begin work, however, the Minister of Environment and Tourism found out about the project and told Abdiker that the people were living illegally on protected forestland and would have to move, notwithstanding their payment for the land. Abdiker said several ministers, including Chombo who was opposed to the pre-fabricated homes, were now discussing the issue and there was a strong possibility that the families would be moved again, losing the payment they had made for the land. -------------- Continued Plight of Displaced Farm Workers -------------- ¶8. (C) Abdiker said there were still significant numbers of former commercial farm workers, displaced years ago by the GOZ,s seizure of private farms. Many of these IDPs were descendants of immigrants from neighboring countries who had had nowhere to go after their former employers, farms were taken over. IOM was particularly concerned about those who had been displaced &in place,8 i.e., had lost access to their livelihood, food, education, and healthcare, but remained on the farms. Abdiker said their situation was very serious. Many families appeared to have no access to food. IOM did not know exactly how they were surviving, because IOM officials had no access to those persons. Because IOM staff were overstretched and were not fully able to assess this needs of this population, Abdiker wanted to hire an IDP protection officer but lacked the funds to do so. -------------- -------------- Trafficking in Persons, Irregular Migration Increasing -------------- -------------- HARARE 00000374 003 OF 004 ¶9. (C) Abdiker said the economic impetus to emigrate increased the vulnerability of individuals in the country to trafficking in persons. He cited a case of 22 Zimbabwean girls who had been trafficked to China for prostitution. One of the victims had escaped and provided officials with sufficient information to prevent other girls from being trafficked. However, the investigators had not been able to develop sufficient information on the traffickers to be able to make any arrests. Abdiker added that officials in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were interested in developing legislation that specifically criminalized trafficking in persons. ¶10. (C) Abdiker said IOM had built a reception center, at Beitbridge on the border of South Africa, to deal with Zimbabweans expelled from South Africa. It was scheduled to open the first week of May. The GOZ had been cooperative in setting up the center and Minister of Home Affairs Mohadi had personally traveled to Beitbridge, his constituency, and declared the situation a national crisis. The government of South Africa had also been involved in discussions to create procedures for sending the deported individuals directly to the center. The Ambassador asked if there were signs that South Africa was stepping up its activities against illegal immigration. According to Abdiker, South African military and police patrols on the border had increased and approximately 10,000 Zimbabweans were now being expelled from South Africa every month. ¶11. (C) Abdiker said the center would provide deported families an immediate meal, transportation to homes in Zimbabwe, and a month,s worth of World Food Program-provided rations. The center included temporary shelter for special cases. Counselors would be available for victims of exploitation. There would be a child reception center, organized with assistance from UNICEF and Save the Children Norway, to provide special assistance and counseling to children. The Ambassador commented that many of the returnees might receive the assistance then turn around and attempt crossing again. Abdiker replied that IOM planned to keep a database of returnees to determine if deportees were returning home or to South Africa. The government of Botswana had asked IOM to establish a similar center at Plumtree, the major crossing from Zimbabwe to Botswana. -------------- Funding Requirements -------------- ¶12. (C) Abdiker said that IOM,s assistance to IDPs and its irregular migration awareness and protection activities had stretched IOM Zimbabwe,s resources at a time when they needed to undertake new activities, such as hiring an IDP protection officer. Moreover, funding for its anti-trafficking in persons activities, for the Beitbridge center, and for temporary shelter was coming to an end soon. IOM was therefore launching an appeal to donors, to which he hoped the USG would contribute. The Ambassador said he would indicate to Washington his strong support for IOM Zimbabwe,s activities. Abdiker invited the Ambassador to Beitbridge or Plumtree to see the effects of irregular migration and the need for increased IOM activity. -------------- Comment and Action Request -------------- ¶13. (C) Roughly a year after Operation Restore Order, media accounts of extreme privation and outrage associated with Restore Order have died down, but conditions for the operation,s victims remain extremely bleak. Despite some HARARE 00000374 004 OF 004 studies to determine how many remain homeless, the exact number is still unknown, in large part because of the GOZ,s desire to keep the victims hidden. Although it is clear that the GOZ at the highest levels has an interest in obstructing assistance to this population to keep them off-balance and unable to organize against the regime, there is no unified position among ministers as to how to deal with these victims. ¶14. (C) In the face of government intransigence, IOM Zimbabwe has used its flexibility to devise a winning strategy, working with local officials to provide some kind of relief to these victims. It is the major organization responding to the needs of IDPs in Zimbabwe. IOM,s activities have also been crucial in raising GOZ awareness of the problems of irregular migration and taking the lead in efforts to combat irregular migration,s negative effects. ¶15. (C) The USG provided the initial funds for IOM Zimbabwe,s work with IDPs. Our example has led other donors to come aboard, but much of that funding is now running out. At a minimum, IOM needs funding for a range of non-food IDP assistance, such as blankets and cooking supplies. Although the provision of shelter in Zimbabwe has been controversial, if IOM can demonstrate that its work in Hatcliffe Extension and Hopely provides shelter that meets USG standards, we recommend funding IOM to continue and expand shelter for Restore Order victims. We also recommend the highest consideration for an already-submitted proposal that would allow IOM to continue its anti-trafficking activities in Zimbabwe beyond this year. As the lead donor for humanitarian assistance, it is incumbent upon the USG to step up and address IOM,s funding needs. End comment. DELL