DARFUR: NRC WITHDRAWING FROM KALMA CAMP

UNCLAS KHARTOUM 000824 SIPDIS AIDAC SIPDIS STATE FOR D, AF/SPG, PRM, AND ALSO PASS USAID/W USAID FOR DCHA SUDAN TEAM, AF/EA, DCHA NAIROBI FOR USAID/DCHA/OFDA, USAID/REDSO, AND FAS ROME FOR FODAG GENEVA FOR NKYLOH NAIROBI FOR SFO NSC FOR JMELINE USUN FOR TMALY BRUSSELS FOR PLERNER ABUJA PLEASE PASS C. HUME E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL EAID PREF PGOV PHUM SOCI SU SUBJECT: DARFUR: NRC WITHDRAWING FROM KALMA CAMP REF: A) Khartoum 0797, B) KHARTOUM 0454, C) KHARTOUM 0320, D) (05) KHARTOUM 1350 ¶1. The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is in the process of pulling out of Kalma camp in South Darfur. Despite UN and humanitarian community efforts, the GNU has not renewed NRC's camp coordination agreement, which expires today. As of this writing, Norway is delivering a message of inquiry/protest from its Deputy FM to MFA U/S Mutriff (no readout yet). It remains unclear whether the GNU will allow NRC to continue implementing separate, educational programs in the camp. In a letter to NRC dated March 30, South Darfur officials stated that NRC's safety might be in jeopardy due to lingering animosity towards Scandinavian countries, linked to the controversy over the cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohamed (Ref B). ¶2. NRC plans to hold a final coordination meeting today in the camp to close out NRC operations and confirm transition details. As no agency has the capacity to fill NRC's full coordination role, NRC has searched for agencies willing to take a lead role in designated sectors. UNICEF will serve as the lead agency for water and sanitation programs, including rainy season preparations. Action Contre la Faim will take on nutrition programs. World Vision, the WFP implementing partner in Kalma camp, will take the lead on food distribution and registrations. OCHA has agreed to serve as the lead for the distribution of relief supplies. CHF will take on some NRC community-building functions, such as running capacity-building programs and working with women's and youth groups. No agency has agreed to serve as a lead on health programs. ¶3. NRC is planning for a permanent withdrawal from the camp. NRC staff will remove all equipment and office supplies from its compound today. Government officials have stated that anything NRC leaves behind will become government property. NRC has not yet shared plans for the approximately 150 staff members who were working in Kalma. USAID representatives in Nyala will continue o monitor developments. ¶4. Note: The donor community will meet tomorrow April 5 with SRSG Deputy DaSilva. This issue, the Egeland visit cancellation, and other humanitarian issues will certainly be discussed. STEINFELD