DARFUR - NGOS REQUEST USAID/OFDA ASSISTANCE TO EXPAND UN

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 000765

SIPDIS

AIDAC
SIPDIS

STATE FOR AF/SPG, PRM, AND ALSO PASS USAID/W
USAID FOR DCHA SUDAN TEAM, AFR/SP
NAIROBI FOR SFO
NSC FOR PMARCHAM, MMAGAN, AND TSHORTLEY
ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU
USUN FOR TMALY
BRUSSELS FOR PLERNER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID PREF PGOV PHUM SOCI SU
SUBJECT: DARFUR - NGOS REQUEST USAID/OFDA ASSISTANCE TO EXPAND UN
OPERATIONS


KHARTOUM 00000765 001.2 OF 002


--------------
SUMMARY
--------------

(U) The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
(OCHA),the UN Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS),and the UN
Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) provide crucial services to the
non-governmental organization (NGO) community and enable the
humanitarian response in Darfur. During the visit of the Director
of USAID's Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA)
to Darfur, NGOs identified several areas where USAID/OFDA assistance
could assist in expanding individual UN agency programs. USAID/OFDA
plans to review the NGO's requests and encourage other donors to
contribute to these critical UN programs. End Summary.

--------------
WANTED: EXPANSION OF OCHA PRESENCE
--------------


1. (U) In an April 22 meeting with the Khartoum-based NGO Steering
Committee, NGOs stated that as long as OCHA does not have a presence
in areas outside of the Darfur state capitals it will not be able to
sufficiently serve as a buffer between the Sudanese government and
the NGOs. Currently, OCHA has offices in El Fasher, El Geneina, and
Nyala but does not have staff based in areas outside the state
capitals. According to NGOs, this limited presence diminishes
OCHA's ability to coordinate the humanitarian response. In the
meeting, NGOs agreed that a weekly or biweekly rotation of OCHA
staff to areas outside the state capitals would be sufficient to
establish relations with local authorities, monitor conditions
affecting relief organizations, and coordinate interagency
assessment trips to rural areas. The USAID/OFDA Director requested
that the NGO Steering Committee submit their list of priority sites
for regular OCHA visits to the USAID/OFDA staff in Khartoum who
would then discuss the list with OCHA.


2. (U) The USAID/OFDA Director also met with OCHA representatives in
all three Darfur state capitals. In North and West Darfur states,
OCHA emphasized the difficulty in establishing remote offices due to
UN safety and security requirements for offices and compounds. In
South Darfur, OCHA stated that plans to open offices in Kass,
Gereida, and Ed Daein were postponed after the security incidents in
Gereida and ongoing insecurity in other areas of South Darfur. OCHA
had planned to set up an office with one expatriate staff, one
national staff, and two vehicles in these locations. According to
OCHA/Khartoum, a major constraint to expanding OCHA presence is
staffing. OCHA/Khartoum told the USAID/OFDA Director that in its
four offices, one-third of all staff are seconded from other
agencies. OCHA has 25 international seconded staff and 40 core
staff and national staff dedicated to Darfur operations.
OCHA/Khartoum also indicated that their funding for 2007, with an
estimated USD 9 million budget, is still uncertain. In Fiscal Year
2006, USAID/OFDA provided USD 3 million towards OCHA's USD 6 million
total budget for Darfur.

-------------- --------------
UNHAS: DONOR SUPPORT NEEDED TO UNCLOG BOTTLENECK ROUTES
-------------- --------------


3. (U) As humanitarian space continues to shrink, humanitarian
agencies are dependent on air transport, particularly helicopter
routes from state capitals to internally displaced person (IDP)
settlements in remote areas. The USAID/OFDA Director met with NGOs
in Darfur to assess the effectiveness of UNHAS services, which
USAID/OFDA funds. NGOs in all three states noted that the current
helicopter routes were insufficient to adequately staff and supply
offices in remote areas in addition to accessing new areas of need.
USAID/OFDA staff note that revising the current UNHAS helicopter and
fixed wing aircraft schedule may be enough to improve access to the
areas NGOs need to visit regularly, but would still not allow NGOs
to reach areas in Jebel Marra during the hot season that require a
particular type of helicopter to assure safe lift-off. The
USAID/OFDA Director requested that NGOs compile a list of bottleneck
routes that could be supported with additional helicopter resources
or a revised UNHAS schedule that accommodates the identified needs.


4. (U) The USAID/OFDA Director notes that while investing in air
transport is expensive, it is crucial to maintaining operations in
Darfur, particularly in underserved areas outside of the state
capitals. Maintaining humanitarian services in remote areas will
prevent IDPs from migrating into the already crowded urban centers
in Darfur, and avert additional stress on the town infrastructure,

KHARTOUM 00000765 002.4 OF 002


water tables, and natural resources.

--------------
UNDSS: NGO SECURITY LIASON NEEDED
--------------


5. (U) UNDSS provides biweekly security briefings, security
assessments and analysis, and crisis management to the NGO
community. However, NGOs report that the briefings vary in quality,
lack analysis, and provide unclear instructions for field
operations. In addition, NGOs cited the need to establish personal
relationships with the UNDSS officers in order to ensure that they
have a reliable channel of communication. To address these ongoing
problems, the NGOs requested that UNDSS deploy a security officer
dedicated to liaising with NGOs. USAID/OFDA understands that UNDSS
has already hired a staff person to serve as the NGO liaison.

--------------
USAID/OFDA NEXT STEPS
--------------


6. (U) The UN continues to play a critical role in humanitarian
operations in Darfur. Without the services being provided by OCHA,
UNDSS, and UNHAS the humanitarian operation in Darfur would
essentially come to a halt. USAID/OFDA stands ready to assist the
UN to continue operations that enable the NGOs to implement
life-saving programs and expand operations to meet the growing
humanitarian needs in Darfur.


7. (U) USAID/OFDA will review NGO requests for priority sites to
establish an OCHA presence and will discuss this list with OCHA in
the coming weeks. USAID/OFDA will also review the NGO list of
bottleneck routes for UNHAS and discuss options with UNHAS to expand
operations or adjust flight schedules. USAID/OFDA plans to review
funding for UNDSS and work with the agency to facilitate the
deployment of an NGO security liaison.

POWERS