PAKISTAN IDP CRISIS: HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE UPDATE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ISLAMABAD 001007 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE PLEASE PASS TO USAID USAID FOR USAID/ANE, USAID/DCHA, USAID/OFDA, USAID/OTI E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM PGOV PREF PK AF EAID PREL PINR PTER ECON SUBJECT: PAKISTAN IDP CRISIS: HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE UPDATE REF: A) Islamabad 996 B) Islamabad 967 C) Islamabad 940 ¶1. (SBU) Summary: As of the evening of May 10, the total number of registered new caseload IDPs stood at approximately 360,000 (of whom 15 percent are in camps). According to UNHCR, outgoing Pakistan National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) Chief General Farooq Khan continues to challenge humanitarian community assessments of the IDP problem and contends that there is a very high, unreported IDP return rate. Coordination with the GOP is likely to improve, however, as General Farooq is being replaced by General Nadeem, who successfully managed Pakistan's earthquake relief in 2005. Through USAID/OTI, Embassy has provided capacity building to Northwest Frontier Province (NWFP) Secretariat in emergency coordination and public outreach, and USAID/OTI has provided 30,000 non-food item (NFI) family kits and 5,000 tents. UNHCR reports that while Mardan and Jalala camps are filled, sufficient capacity remains in Swabi and Jalozai. UNHCR is confident of the current NFI pipeline. UNICEF is providing tankered water to camps, and USAID/OTI has helped with generators and transformers for water provision. World Food Program (WFP) estimates that it will need USD 100-150 million between now and the end of 2009 to feed the existing and new IDP populations. Security concerns continue to impede humanitarian access, and as the large new IDP population finds its temporary place either in camps or outside them, there will be increasing need to address IDP protection needs and fuel and environmental impact considerations. Field-level donor coordination is increasing although needs will outstrip planned donations (septel). The UN plans to submit its revised Humanitarian Response Plan to the donors early next week. End summary. ¶2. (SBU) UNHCR reports that as of the evening of Sunday, May 10, there were a total of 360,000 registered, new caseload IDPs from Dir, Buner and Swat. Curfew was lifted on Sunday from 8:00 a.m. until the afternoon, and as in the preceding few days, lifting the curfew brought a flood of new IDPs. In addition, IDPs arriving from Swat have reported that lack of wheeled transportation is actually slowing their exodus. (Note: Embassy is exploring renting buses to provide sorely needed transportation for IDPs coming out of Malakand.) In separate meetings on May 11, NWFP Chief Minister Hoti and 11th Corps Commander General Masood told Peshawar PO and Islamabad PolCouns that additional registration sites were needed although USG officials had previously heard that use of union councils would address this need. ¶3. (SBU) Management of the increasing influx has brought some internal government conflict over IDP management and various coordination issues. NWFP Minister of Social Welfare Sitara Ayaz has expressed concern to UNHCR about internal government competition for control of camp activity in Mardan and parallel IDP registration. She indicated, however, that there remains a clear delineation of responsibilities in Swabi where camps are generally more organized. Despite general consensus in the humanitarian community and local government, NDMA continues to dispute IDP numbers and has complained in a letter to the UN resident coordinator about UNHCR assertions that overall IDP count would reach over 1 million. Meanwhile, the Chief Minister of the Northwest Frontier Province has said that 1.8 million people will be displaced. ¶4. (SBU)(Comment: General Farooq has been obstructive as NDMA coordinator, and the Prime Minister has decided to give the lead on IDP emergency assistance coordination instead to Pakistan Earthquake Relief and Rehabilitation Authority(ERRA) Chairman, and I Corps Commander, BG Nadeem. Nadeem is well-known to the Embassy and donor community for leading the successful 2005 earthquake relief effort. According to 11th Corps Commander in Peshawar, General Masood, Nadeem is expected to travel to Peshawar as early as May 12 to begin his duties. Nadeem is also well regarded by UN agencies although, according to UNHCR, direct coordination by a military representative is of concern as the military is "a party to the conflict" generating the IDPs. End Comment.) ISLAMABAD 00001007 002 OF 003 ¶5. (SBU) The USAID-funded Capacity Building Program is providing computers and technical assistance to help the Chief Secretariat set up an Emergency Response Unit (ERU) to coordinate the provincial relief effort. Development Alternatives International (DAI) and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) Secretariat have transferred two of the media cell public relations experts to help the Secretariat work with the press on coverage of the IDP situation. ¶6. (SBU) UNHCR expresses confidence at this point in camp capacity. While Mardan and Jalala camps are filled to capacity, ample space remains in Jalozai (capacity up to 40,000) and Swabi (capacity of 30,000 with expansion potential). Thus far, UNHCR estimates that only 15 percent of registered IDPs are going to the camps. Those outside camps are receiving assistance at humanitarian hubs although UNCHR is prioritizing camps, and assistance provision outside the camps is less organized and comprehensive. IDPs are registering in Peshawar and elsewhere, and there continues to be movement farther afield. Former NWFP Chief Minister Aftab Sherpao told Embassy some IDPs have traveled as far as Karachi to seek refuge. ¶7. (SBU) UNHCR is currently confident of its NFI pipeline despite a close call and some looting over the weekend in Mardan. Local procurement is possible for all items except plastic sheeting and mosquito nets. However, UNHCR has just received 20,000 mosquito nets and is arranging from Dubai an airlift (full 747) of plastic sheeting, mosquito nets, and Rubb halls. (Note: Embassy is also working with CENTCOM Planners in a variety of areas to refine military response -- medical, engineering, supplies, airlift, etc. -- in the event of a humanitarian disaster declaration.) Tents are procured locally and are not an issue (2000 in stock; 10,000 -- including 5,000 funded by USAID/OFDA and procured by IOM -- in pipeline). In fact, according to UNHCR, Pakistan is the world's largest tent producer and produces most, if not all, of the tents that UNHCR uses worldwide. UNHCR has 20,000 non-food item family kits in stock, 60,000 in the pipeline (30,000 USAID/OFDA-funded and IOM-procured, plus another 30,000 ordered by UNHCR),and intends to order another 20-30,000. ¶8. (SBU) UNICEF is providing water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services in Jalala, Sheikh Shahzad, Sheikh Yasin, and Technical College-Takht-i-bai in Mardan District; and at Yar Hussain in Swabi. ICRC and the Pakistani Red Crescent Society are doing so in Shah Mansoor camp in Swabi. Water is being tankered at the moment, as UNICEF and the UN are unsure if some of these camps will be maintained in the long term. Latrine construction has been ongoing in all these camps since their establishment. UNICEF is currently discussing long-term responsibility for these services with its partner NGO agencies. In addition, to respond to the NWFP Chief Secretary's request, OTI has instructed partner Creative Associates to meet an initial requirement of 20 emergency transformers and 20 generators which can run water systems for IDP camps. OTI has also, upon request, appointed a staff member to the NWFP Civil Secretariat's Emergency Response Unit. ¶9. (SBU) WFP estimates that it will need $100-150 million between now and the end of the calendar year to feed the existing and new IDP populations. Existing stocks of wheat, pulses and vegetable oil are sufficient for three or four months for one million beneficiaries. If the number rises above this, the stocks will last for two to three months. WFP is borrowing 5,000 MT of wheat from their Afghan program, and they are buying 45,000 MT this week. Delivery of this wheat begins on May 16. Other food basket items will be sporadic with the increased need. Tea will be available in May, sugar and high-energy biscuits in June. USAID/Food For Peace vegetable oil begins arriving at the end of May, and wheat flour and pulses arrive beginning in July or August. ¶10. (SBU) While cooked food is being locally provided (and most IDPs are being hosted outside the camps),UNHCR is eager to move as quickly as possible to IDP preparation of WFP-provided food within the camps because previous experience during the earthquake was that cooked food presented quality, hygiene and profiteering issues. ISLAMABAD 00001007 003 OF 003 Food preparation, however, will present fuel and environmental damage issues. Currently firewood is not being provided (and there are no cook stoves in the NFI kits),but after immediate urgent needs are met, UNHCR will probably need to consider camp firewood provision, possibly accompanied by cash-for-work tree-planting. ¶11. (SBU) While OCHA currently puts the number of old caseload IDPs at 540,000, it is unclear whether the small reduction (from 556,000) is due to successful scrubbing for double-registrations, to returns, or to both. UNHCR notes, however, that registration of an additional 40,000 old caseload IDPs in Rawalpindi, Lahore and Punjab has not yet been taken into account. Urban IDPs present different assistance concerns as they seek to obtain jobs rather than food or NFI support. ¶12. (SBU) Security concerns continue to impede humanitarian access, and field staff of international implementing partners have expressed concern about the insufficiency of their security budgets and claim that the slow transfer of funds is increasing both risk and up-front financial burden they face. Ensuring security of all international staff is also essential to maintain the smooth flow of international assistance. With the outflow of IDPs from Swat, the humanitarian assistance community and donors have increasing concern of radicalization in camps. CM Hoti told PO and PolCouns that there were concerns about militants slipping into the camps. In addition, as large IDP population finds its temporary place either in camps or outside them, there will be an increasing need to address protection needs beyond simple registration. ¶13. (SBU) The UN is currently in the process of revising its February 2009 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP). After a general coordination meeting on May 8, in which they briefed donors and implementing partners on the evolving IDP situation, UN agencies and clusters met over the weekend to begin assessing needs and planning for an IDP beneficiary population of more than 1.3 million. The revised HRP will be reviewed in Geneva this week, and the UN, along with the GoP, plans to present it to the donor community early next week. PATTERSON