Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09ISLAMABAD1111
2009-05-21 13:56:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Islamabad
Cable title:  

GOP PLEDGES REHABILITATION PACKAGE AND SUPPORT FOR

Tags:  IO PGOV PHUM PINR PK PREF PREL PTER 
pdf how-to read a cable
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RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 0405
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 4930
RUEHKP/AMCONSUL KARACHI PRIORITY 1670
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RUEHPW/AMCONSUL PESHAWAR PRIORITY 6209
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RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ISLAMABAD 001111 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/21/2019
TAGS: IO PGOV PHUM PINR PK PREF PREL PTER
SUBJECT: GOP PLEDGES REHABILITATION PACKAGE AND SUPPORT FOR
IDPS

REF: ISLAMABAD 1100

Classified By: Anne W. Patterson for reasons 1.4 (b),(d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ISLAMABAD 001111

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/21/2019
TAGS: IO PGOV PHUM PINR PK PREF PREL PTER
SUBJECT: GOP PLEDGES REHABILITATION PACKAGE AND SUPPORT FOR
IDPS

REF: ISLAMABAD 1100

Classified By: Anne W. Patterson for reasons 1.4 (b),(d).


1. (SBU) Summary. In a May 21 conference with international
relief organizations, diplomatic missions and donor agencies,
Prime Minister Gilani announced Pakistan's three-pronged
strategy for the internally displaced persons (IDPs) crisis:
Relief, Return/Rehabilitation, and Reconstruction. Gilani
reported that this strategy will support the approximately
USD 500 million UN IDP appeal (to be released on May 22) and
the May 20 GOP pledge of PKR 8 billion (approximately USD 100
million),whereby each displaced family would receive a
one-time grant of PKR 25,000 (approximately USD 310).
Lieutenant General Nadeem with the federal-level Special
Support Group reported that the number of displaced is now at
1.74 million (with reports of approximately 200,000
returnees),but he expected the number to reach over 2
million IDPs as people continued to leave Swat. In his
National Response Plan, Nadeem plans to focus on the IDPs
inside and outside the camps as well as assistance to the
host families supporting 80 percent of the displaced.
Gilani, Nadeem, and the other federal and provincial
officials present assured the international community that
the GOP was working tirelessly on the growing IDP crisis, but
they expected tremendous support from the international donor
community present.


2. (C) In a high level meeting between the UN High
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the GOP, UNHCR received
a pledge from the Minister of Finance for USD 100 million
loan facility to permit UNHCR to address humanitarian needs
with quick expenditures, pending receipt of donor
contributions. End Summary.

PRIME MINISTER'S DONOR CONFERENCE
--------------


3. (SBU) On May 21, Deputy Chief of Mission and USAID Mission
Director attended a conference chaired by Prime Minister
Yousef Raza Gilani for international relief organizations,

diplomatic missions and donor agencies, along with
representatives from various federal ministries and
leadership from the Northwest Frontier Provincial government,
to discuss the Government of Pakistan's strategy for the
growing internally displaced persons (IDPs) crisis. Gilani
reassured the attendees of his country's commitment to
eradicate terrorism in Pakistan and called for a unified
international effort to respond to the IDP crisis with
concrete and visible relief. Gilani also reiterated the
pledge made by the GOP on May 20 for PKR 8 billion
(approximately USD 100 million) for IDP support. This
pledge, which has been called the Prime Minister's Special
Fund for Victims of Terrorism, will provide each displaced
family a one-time grant of PKR 25,000 (approximately USD 310).


4. (SBU) Gilani also outlined the GOP's National Response
Plan to the IDP crisis with its three-pronged approach:
Relief, Return/Rehabilitation, and Reconstruction. He
stressed that this strategy would be supported by the Special
Fund and would complement the May 2009 revision of the UN
Humanitarian Response Plan (approximately USD 500 million),
which is expected to be released on May 22. Within the
"Relief" phase, the GOP plans to continue to give the lead to
the NWFP provincial government for providing assistance and
coordination. However, Gilani also wants this "relief"
effort to be extended to the host families, who are housing
80 percent of the current IDP population, and he believes
that immediate infusions of cash would provide the greatest
levels of relief for this sector. After the IDPs have been
assisted in the short term, the humanitarian relief
operations will move into the second phase of
"Return/Rehabilitation." Although the GOP would like to have
the displaced return to their homes quickly, Gilani does not
want to push the IDPs back into danger. In order to assist
with the eventual IDP return, the GOP plans to work with
humanitarian agencies to develop return packages, including
the one-time grants under his Special Fund, to assist those
who lost their homes due to the conflict as well as those who
"gave of themselves" to host displaced families. Finally, in
the "Reconstruction" phase, the GOP, in coordination with the

ISLAMABAD 00001111 002 OF 003


international donor community, will assist the affected
communities at large within the Federally Administered Tribal
Areas (FATA) and the NWFP to prevent inequalities between the
IDPs and those who were not affected by the military
operations. This phase, which was touted by NWFP Chief
Minister Hoti as the most important, would include economic
and political support through commercial activity and
capacity building.


5. (SBU) Lieutenant General Nadeem Ahmad, who is assisting
the federal Special Support Group (SSG),presented the latest
IDP facts to the conference, noting that the number of IDPs
will always remain fluid due to returnees versus new
displaced additions. (Note: Federal Information Minister
Kaira is titulary head of SSG. End note.) As of today,
Nadeem reported that there were 1.74 million IDPs overall
(old and new caseload),with reliable reports of
approximately 200,000 IDPs returning to Bajaur and Lower Dir.
(Note: The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reports
that the IDP total is 1.45 million new cases and 550,000 old
cases, for a total of over 2 million IDPs. End note.) Nadeem
does expect an additional 500,000 IDPs from the fallout of
future Pakistan military operations in the lower FATA
agencies and Swat.


6. (SBU) Nadeem also outlined his views on the various IDP
assistance sectors, including Camp Management, Health,
Education, Shelter, Nutrition, and Agriculture. With Camp
Management and Nutrition, Nadeem recognized the immediate
need to prepare the camps for summer with strong food and
water distribution pipelines and requested support in
standardizing the food baskets and linking food distribution
to registration. For Health, Nadeem plans to monitor
potential health outbreaks at the camps while providing
primary comprehensive health coverage to those inside and
outside the camps and for the host families. Nadeem also
plans to provide the necessary water, sanitation and hygiene
(WASH) needs as issues arise, with an emphasis on women,
children, the disabled and the elderly. With regard to
Shelter, Nadeem will have an assessment team look at the
shelter requirements for those living in host communities to
gain a better understanding of the larger need. In addition,
he plans to provide rehabilitation materials, along with
construction training, to the host families in appreciation
of their service to their county. Stressing the need to give
people something to do while sitting idly in the camps,
Nadeem requested support in establishing primary and
secondary schools for children 5 through 17 and non-formal
skill training for the uneducated IDPs that could be used
while displaced and upon return. Within the Agriculture
cluster, he wanted to assist those currently returning for
the 2009 Kharif crop harvest with transportation to get home
and to get crops to functioning markets. Nadeem also
requested further assistance with the early recovery phases
through cash-for-work programs and the purchase of
pre-fabricated offices for temporary use within city centers.
Above all, Nadeem pledged to ensure complete transparency
and accountability for his response plan and the
international donations making it happen. (Note: Post will
request Nadeem's detailed presentation slides to pass to
Washington if received. End note.)

GOP PLEDGE TO UNHCR
--------------


7. (C) UNHCR told Embassy May 20 that in meetings that day
with the highest levels of the GOP, UNHCR had received a
pledge from the Minister of Finance to provide UNHCR with USD
100 million loan facility to permit UNHCR to address
humanitarian needs with quick expenditures pending receipt of
donor contributions. Both UNHCR and the GOP do not want to
highlight their understanding. UNHCR also told Embassy that
its meeting with the GOP was highly productive and serious.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs offered to set up a meeting
in which he would join UN officials in explaining to
mid-level MFA bureaucrats the logic of the UN appeal's
"conflict" references (reftel). Both Gilani and Nadeem in the
meeting frequently made references to "conflict,"
"militants," etc. while President Zardari used the word "war"
to describe Pakistan's current situation. Meanwhile, the
Minister of Interior established a meeting with UNHCR for May

ISLAMABAD 00001111 003 OF 003


21 to reconcile problems in registering and accounting for
IDPs.

COMMENT
--------------


8. (C) The Prime Minister's donors conference was a good
faith effort by the GOP to show the international community
that they are trying to address the IDP issue to the best of
their ability while recognizing that donor assistance is
greatly needed. Gilani has made strong gains among the
Pakistani people through his handling of this crisis, and it
is clear that he has given a great deal of faith and
responsibility to Nadeem who seems to be truly leading this
charge. Most importantly, this conference and the meeting
with UNHCR the previous day appear to be the first real
instances of GOP coordination, organization, and speaking
with one voice on the issue of IDPs. End comment.
PATTERSON