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