UNHCR HIGHLIGHTS PLIGHT OF "PROTRACTED" REFUGEES IN EASTERN

UNCLAS KHARTOUM 000204 SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF/SPG, S/CRS, AF SE WILLIAMSON ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SUDAN SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREF PREL KPKO SOCI AU UNSC SU SUBJECT: UNHCR HIGHLIGHTS PLIGHT OF "PROTRACTED" REFUGEES IN EASTERN SUDAN ¶1. (SBU) Summary: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Assistant Secretary General for Protection Erika Feller told the diplomatic community on February 7 that the purpose of her visit to eastern Sudan was to highlight the problem of "protracted" refugees. The Geneva-based Feller said that eastern Sudan has nearly 100,000 refugees, some of whom have been refugees for four decades and have been forgotten by the international community. Feller outlined plans to work with the Sudanese government refugee coordinator to improve understanding of refugee needs and to improve services for existing refugees while transitioning to an emphasis on refugee self-sufficiency. End summary. ¶2. (SBU) UNHCR A/SYG for Protection Feller said that UNHCR plans to shift from programs that encourage dependency to a focus on long-term refugee self-sustainability. Feller said that UNHCR plans "protracted refugee pilot programs" in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Tanzania, the Balkans, and eastern Sudan. She said the eastern Sudan problem is probably the most complicated of any refugee situation because it is long-term in nature and because the problem continues to grow. ¶3. (SBU) Currently, eastern Sudan has an estimated 92,000 camp-based Eritreans, 28,000 Eritreans not in need of international assistance, and 1,000 Eritreans in urban settings, said Feller. She added that in 2007 up to 11,000 Eritreans and nearly 1,000 Somalis fled to Sudan and formally applied for asylum. The number of refugees already living in Sudan continues to increase because the root cause of the Eritrean refugee problem remains unchanged, said Feller. The main causes that prompt Eritreans to flee are the ongoing conflict with Ethiopia, forced military recruitment of Eritreans, and "human rights abuses such as sexual violence against women." ¶4. (SBU) To address current and future needs, UNHCR will work with the Government of Sudan's (GOS) Coordinator for Refugees (COR) to improve the management of current services. Central to this effort will be a UNHCR-COR joint assessment mission to the refugee camps and population centers, an enhanced refugee registration program to enable improved refugee profiling, and a more efficient asylum process. With better information about refugee populations, UNHCR and COR hope to improve feeding and nutrition programs to refugees. In addition, UNHCR plans to enhance educational opportunities for urban youth refugees and develop solutions to improve local integration of refugees. ¶5. (SBU) However, UNHCR and COR foresee continued problems based on the regional political environment. These include the possibility of future large-scale refugee inflows due to conflict, and recruitment for further conflict. Feller said UNHCR and the International Red Cross and Red Crescent are planning for possible large scale refugee inflows. However, she cautioned that the long-term response will be limited by the lack for offers of resettlement and donor financial systems that cannot transition from humanitarian disaster assistance to development programs for the same refugee populations. ¶6. (SBU) Comment: The situation for Eritrean refugees inside Sudan is always precarious. There are increasing reports of refoulements and general round-ups of Eritreans in the country, despite the government's assurances that it would not engage in such practices. In the case of a future large scale influx of refugees in the east, UNHCR would likely redeploy some of its staff currently based in Darfur. POWERS