NO CRISIS IN OGADEN BUT FOOD DISTRIBUTION A

C O N F I D E N T I A L ADDIS ABABA 000432 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR AF A/S FRAZER, AF DAS SWAN, AF/E, AF/PDPA, OES, PRM A/S SAUERBREY, PRM/AFR CA/OCS/ACS, SDONLON AND RBRANSON USAID AFR/AA FOR KALMQUIST, WWARREN, JBORNS, KNELSON, CTHOMPSON DCHA/AA FOR MHESS, GGOTTLIEB DCHA/OFDA FOR KLUU, ACONVERY, CCHAN, PMORRIS, KCHANNELL DCHA/FFP JDWORKEN, PMORAN, SANTHONY, PBERTOLIN LONDON, PARIS, ROME FOR AFRICA WATCHER CJTF-HOA AND USCENTCOM FOR POLAD USDA/FAS FOR U/S PENN, RTILSWORTH, AND LPANASUK NAIROBI FOR OFDA/ECARO GPLATT, RFFPO NCOX, USAID/EA ROME FOR AMBASSADOR, OHA, HSPANOS BRUSSELS FOR USEU PBROWN GENEVA FOR NKYLOH, RMA USUN FOR FSHANKS NSC FOR PMARCHAN STATE PLEASE PASS TO DEPT OF AGRICULTURE E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/19/2018 TAGS: EAID PHUM SENV EAGR PGOV CASC ET SUBJECT: NO CRISIS IN OGADEN BUT FOOD DISTRIBUTION A PROBLEM - HAT REF: A. ADDIS ABABA 00412 ¶B. ADDIS ABABA 00381 Classified By: Ambassador Donald Yamamoto. Reasons 1.4(b) and (d). Summary -------------- ¶1. (C) The Ambassador and USG Humanitarian Assessment Team (HAT) members briefed separately the Government of Ethiopia (GoE) Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA),the Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Agency (DPPA),and the diplomatic corps and concerned NGOs, on the humanitarian situation in Ethiopia's Somali region and the HAT's findings and recommendations from Phase I of its assessment (see REF A for the HAT findings and recommendations). During the briefings, the Ambassador emphasized that, while not a "crisis," the humanitarian situation in the Somali region remains serious and continuing restrictions on humanitarian access are not acceptable. The Ambassador underscored that the Somali Region requires not only immediate food and medical relief as the HAT concluded, but also long term institution building and integration into Ethiopia's national development strategy. The Ambassador also emphasized to GoE interlocutors that current restrictions on NGOs, especially Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF),should be lifted, as should restrictions on food distribution and cross-border trade. In a separate meeting with State Minister for Foreign Affairs Tekeda Alemu, the Ambassador urged expeditious resolution of the MSF house arrests and pressed for consular access to an AmCit involved in the matter (REF B). End Summary. MFA Seeks More Baseline Data -------------- ¶2. (C) On February 18, the Ambassador, USAID Deputy Director Kevin Rushing and HAT member Rick Quinby briefed the MFA on the HAT findings and recommendations from Phase I of the HAT assessment (see REF A for the HAT findings and recommendations). A/Chief of Minister's Cabinet Abdeta Dribssa, A/Director General (DG) for International Law and Consular Affairs Menelik Alemu, A/DG for International Organizations Desalgn Alemu, A/DG for European and American Affairs Tesfaye Yilma, Director, General Directorate for European and American Affairs, Tebeje Berhe, and Third Secretary (notetaker) Adam Tesfaye, General Directorate for SIPDIS European and American Affairs were the MFA officials present. ¶3. (C) During the briefing, the Ambassador emphasized that, while not a "crisis," the humanitarian situation in the Somali region remains serious and continuing restrictions on humanitarian access are not acceptable. The Ambassador underscored that the Somali Region requires not only immediate food and medical relief, but long term institution building and integration into Ethiopia's national development strategy. The Ambassador also emphasized to GoE interlocutors that current restrictions on NGOs, especially MSF, should be lifted, as should restrictions on food distribution and cross-border trade. ¶4. (C) While emphasizing that they appreciated the HAT brief and that the GoE is eager to continue cooperation with USG humanitarian efforts in the Somali region, the MFA officials urged the HAT to provide more detailed, non-anecdotal data on the extent to which commercial trade has been disrupted and the effects on prices and availability of livestock and food staples in the Somali region. The MFA officials noted that inflationary pressures are rippling through the Ethiopian economy generally and cited the need for baselines against which to measure declines or improvements in conditions in the Somali region. NOTE: The USAID Mission and the HAT had previously briefed the GoE DPPA on February 14. During that brief, the DPPA took issue with the HAT finding that only fifty percent of food distribution points had received food (they placed the total much higher). The USAID Mission/HAT pressed the DPPA on humanitarian access and on ensuring mobile clinics can operate freely. END NOTE. Ambassador Raises Consular Access in MSF Case -------------- ¶5. (C) Separately on February 18, the Ambassador urged State Minister for Foreign Affairs Tekeda Alemu to work with MSF-Switzerland (MSF-S) and MSF-Holland (MSF-H) to resolve the house detentions expeditiously (REF B). The Ambassador underscored the need for the Embassy to have consular access to the AmCit involved. The MFA's position, Tekeda explained, is that the MSF-H and MSF-S situations should be resolved in as constructive a manner as possible. "Should MSF want to return to Addis Ababa, we will let them," Tekeda remarked, not distinguishing between MSF-H and MSF-S. He added that "some in (MSF) have been involved with demonstrable, palpable transgressions," such as ignoring military instructions at checkpoints and failing to provide lists of their members to GoE authorities. "We have an obligation to create space for humanitarian organizations and we respect their independence," Tekeda said, "but they have an obligation to respect us - we are their partners and the Ethiopian government cannot be treated simply as a faction on par with the ONLF (Ogaden National Liberation Front)." NGOs: Humanitarian Space Still Restricted -------------- ¶6. (SBU) On February 15, the HAT briefed the diplomatic corps NGOs and United Nations agencies on their findings in the Somali region. In response to the brief, NGOs complained that Ethiopian Defense Forces (ENDF) security restrictions continue to impact adversely humanitarian access and that NGOs do not have the same freedom of access/movement granted to the HAT. The ENDF retains effective control of food distribution. Required military escorts for food convoys create delays. Administrative delays at each stage of food distribution create further delays. Lines of authority between federal, regional and local authorities--and the ENDF--are nebulous and constantly shift, precluding efficient coordination with and among NGOs and diplomatic missions and GoE authorities, and also precluding efficient dispute resolution and delivery of services. ¶7. (SBU) NGOs also reported that the Somali region appears to be underpopulated, presenting challenges for food distribution and delivery of critical health services, such as vaccination campaigns. Many health and education facilities are closed due to lack of staff. Large new concentrations of internally displaced people in the Somali region have not been identified, but UN agencies are working to identify places in which displaced Somali region residents may have resettled, including Yemen and Kenya. YAMAMOTO