LAUNCH OF UN EARLY RECOVERY APPEAL FOR SICHUAN

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000667 SIPDIS DEPT FOR IO, F/EAP, EAP/CM, EEB/IFD/ODF USAID FOR DCHA, ANE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: CH ECON EFIN EIND PHUM UNDP SUBJECT: LAUNCH OF UN EARLY RECOVERY APPEAL FOR SICHUAN EARTHQUAKE REF: BEIJING 02796 ¶1. (U) On July 25, 2008, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) launched the UN China Appeal for Early Recovery Support to Assist Wenchuan Earthquake Victims. The appeal was announced July 16 in Beijing (see reftel.) In an historic move, the Chinese government requested the support of the international community for post-earthquake rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts and worked with the UN to launch this joint appeal. The appeal requests a total of USD 33.5 million to support early recovery in nine sectors: livelihoods; shelter; water, sanitation and hygiene; health, nutrition and HIV/AIDS; education, protection of vulnerable groups; environment; ethnic minorities; and coordination and communication. It is estimated that the early recovery phase will last six months, followed by a reconstruction phase lasting three years. ¶2. (U) Early recovery is currently a gray area of responsibility and leadership for international responses and the UN system. The UN has difficultly attracting significant donor resources to support early recovery programs, in contrast to the largess that typically characterizes emergency humanitarian response efforts. Khalilzad