SUBJECT: DEMARCHE REQUEST: URGENT NEED FOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L STATE 106010 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/01/2018 TAGS: EAID LE PGOV PHUM PREL UNRWA SUBJECT: SUBJECT: DEMARCHE REQUEST: URGENT NEED FOR DONATIONS TO UNRWA'S RECONSTRUCTION AND RELIEF APPEALS IN LEBANON REF: A. BEIRUT 1363 ¶B. BEIRUT 777 ¶C. BEIRUT 624 Classified By: NEA DAS David M. Hale for reasons: 1.4 (B) AND (D) ¶1. (U) This is an action request. Please see paragraph 3. SUMMARY -------------- ¶2. (SBU) The U.S. government is deeply concerned about the lack of financial commitments from donors to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in support of the agency's $282 million reconstruction appeal and its $42.71 million emergency relief appeal for the Nahr al-Bared refugee camp and adjacent Lebanese communities in northern Lebanon. If substantial contributions for the relief appeal are not immediately forthcoming, UNRWA could be forced to cut critical housing subsidies for 3,100 families and drastically reduce food assistance to 27,000 vulnerable refugees in the next 2-3 months. The Department requests action addressees urge host governments to urgently contribute to UNRWA's emergency relief and reconstruction appeals. End summary. Objectives -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Posts are requested to approach host governments at the highest level appropriate to pursue the following objectives: -- Highlight the critical shortfalls in funding to UNRWA's relief and reconstruction appeals for Nahr al-Bared, which could force the agency to sharply reduce its assistance to Palestinian and Lebanese displaced families. -- Urge host governments to reiterate their commitment to UNRWA's relief and reconstruction efforts benefiting Palestinian refugees displaced from the Nahr al-Bared refugee camp and adjacent Lebanese communities by making generous pledges to the agency's $282 million reconstruction appeal announced in June 2007 in Vienna and its $42.71 million emergency relief appeal launched in September 2008 in Beirut. Emphasize that support for these appeals remains a government of Lebanon (GOL) priority. -- Stress the important links between Lebanon's Palestinian refugee camps, Lebanon's internal stability, and regional stability. Failure to provide basic humanitarian assistance to over 30,000 Palestinian refugees who have been displaced since June 2007 will only serve to foster extremism and instability. --- Emphasize the role that joint efforts by UNRWA and the GOL to rebuild the Nahr al-Bared camp have in fostering improved relations between Lebanese citizens and Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, initiating new security arrangements inside of Lebanon's refugee camps, and demonstrating support to the new Lebanese government of President Sleiman. BACKGROUND -------------- ¶4. (SBU) During the Beirut Donors Conference on September 11, 2008, the United States contributed $13.5 million to UNRWA's reconstruction appeal for the Nahr al-Bared refugee camp and $4.31 million to UNRWA's emergency relief appeal to support assistance for those displaced. This funding is in addition to the $10 million committed during the launch of the joint GOL-UNRWA-World Bank reconstruction appeal in Vienna in June ¶2008. Total U.S. FY08 contributions to UNRWA's Lebanon appeals amount to $27.81 million. Disappointingly, the U.S. contribution of $4.31 million to UNRWA's $42.71 million emergency relief appeal was the only donor pledge made at the Beirut Donors' conference on September 11. ¶5. (U) Funding to UNRWA's emergency relief appeal supports assistance to over 30,000 Palestinian refugees displaced from their homes during the Lebanese army's battle against the terrorist group Fatah al-Islam at the Nahr al-Bared refugee camp during summer 2007. An estimated 95 percent of all building and infrastructure in the camp was either destroyed or damaged beyond repair as a result of the fighting. Funding to UNRWA's emergency relief appeal will ensure continuation of support to the most vulnerable Palestinian refugees, including food assistance, health care, shelter, and access to basic education, clean water, and skills training programs. ¶6. (U) During the September 11 donor conference in Beirut, UNRWA Deputy Commissioner-General Filippo Grandi highlighted the urgency of continuing UNRWA's relief efforts. He noted that 70 percent of displaced refugee families depend entirely on UNRWA for shelter. If additional contributions are not forthcoming in the next 2-3 months, these refugee families will again become homeless. He also noted that 79 percent of the Nahr al-Bared refugee workforce is now unemployed due to the destruction of camp-based businesses and other income-generating activities. Grandi warned that unemployment will provide fertile ground for violence and extremism if conditions for Nahr al-Bared refugees do not improve. ¶7. (C) The $445 million joint GOL-UNRWA-World Bank reconstruction appeal, launched in Vienna in June, is a comprehensive three-year plan to rebuild Nahr al-Bared camp and surrounding Lebanese communities. The plan includes the construction of homes and infrastructure, assistance to displaced refugees and Lebanese residents, investments in economic recovery interventions, and improvements in security inside the newly reconstructed camp to prevent another outbreak of violence. UNRWA's portion of the joint three-year reconstruction appeal totals $282 million. ¶8. (C) This joint initiative supports the U.S. and international community objective of ensuring the GOL is able to provide stability and security in Lebanon. A fully resourced GOL is necessary to prevent Hizballah and other militias from assuming governmental functions and thereby undermining the GOL in providing for the needs of the Lebanese people and their Palestinian neighbors. Significantly, many of the camps are located in the vicinity of densely populated areas and the risk that violence could spill over into neighboring areas or develop into another Nahr al-Bared-type incident is very real. ¶9. (C) Successful reconstruction of the camp will also provide a much needed boost to the Lebanese government, whose legitimacy was brazenly challenged by the Hizballah-led opposition's violent attacks in May 2008. During the Nahr al-Bared reconstruction donor conference in Vienna in June 2007, PM Siniora informed donors that the Gulf States would pay for half of the $445million cost of rebuilding the camp. To date, none of the four major Gulf donor countries (Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, and Qatar) have pledged funding to the UNRWA appeals. Despite the lack of donor support, Ambassador Makkawi, Lebanese Palestinian Dialogue Committee (LPDC) President continues to reiterate the GOL's commitment to returning the refugees to a fully reconstructed camp. According to Makkawi, the GOL is planning to press the governments of Saudi Arabia, the Emirates, Kuwait and Qatar for commitments after Ramadan. POINTS OF CONTACT -------------- ¶9. (U) Department requests that addressees include their front channel response their analysis of the reasons for host country reluctance to supporting UNRWA's appeals. Department POCs are NEA/ELA Christine Lawson and PRM/ANE Erica Thibault. Responses are requested by October 14. RICE