OCHA MEETS WITH IDP DONORS IN ISLAMABAD

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ISLAMABAD 001180

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/28/2019
TAGS: PREL PREF PHUM PGOV EAID PTER PK
SUBJECT: OCHA MEETS WITH IDP DONORS IN ISLAMABAD

REF: A. ISLAMABAD 1151

B. ISLAMABAD 1143

C. ISLAMABAD 1120

D. ISLAMABAD 1079

E. ISLAMABAD 1042

F. ISLAMABAD 1033

G. ISLAMABAD 1031

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


1. (C) Summary: In an informal meeting with donors, Office
for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) officials
Rashid Khalkov and Manuel Bessler, expressed concern that
Bajaur and Buner are not yet ready to support IDP return. UN
contingency planning for a Waziristan displacement may be
misperceived and is not likely to be well funded, but lack of
preparedness would permit generation of spontaneous camps and
extremism. A Waziristan displacement will require funding
beyond that requested in the UN's May Pakistan Humanitarian
Response Plan appeal. OCHA reported security risks to those
IDPs returning home or thinking about it. The Government of
Pakistan has made clear to the UN that it wants no IDP camps
in Punjab. End summary.


2. (C) At a May 27, Swiss-hosted, informal meeting with
donors in Islamabad, Rashid Khalikov, Director of the Office
for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in New
York, and Manuel Bessler,head of OCHA's Pakistan office,
provided donors with a frank update on the humanitarian
situation, assistance constraints and increased funding
needs. The UN will undertake a security assessment of Bajaur
on May 30 to determine conditions for both returnees and
those who have remained in the district. The team hopes to
determine services available, the extent of destruction, and
the presence of unexploded ordinance. Khalikov and Bessler
expressed concern that while self-described Special Support
Group Officer-in-Charge Lt.General Nadeem is describing
Bajaur as safe, he also is offering to send a protective
detail with the assessment team, While Nadeem has also
described Buner as "clean", there are no services (such as
telephone, water, and law enforcement) to facilitate IDP
return. OCHA said that people are not returning to Buner any
more and that others are starting to come out of Shangla.
With regard to the Waziristans, OCHA expects that up to 80
percent of the 900,000 population will be displaced (with
likely only 10 percent going to camps),and OCHA estimates
that 37,000 have already been displaced.


3. (SBU) OCHA reported that to contain the IDPs in the
southern part of the Northwest Frontier Province (NWFP),the
Pakistani authorities have made clear to the UN that no IDP
camps are to be erected in Punjab and that force (police and
Frontier Corps) will be used, if necessary, to keep the IDPs
out of Balochistan and Punjab. The UN is now working on a
Contingency Plan for displacement from the Waziristans. It
was very clear at the donors' meeting that while the GOP, UN,
and donors all want to avoid the formation of "spontaneous
camps" and the risk of extremism they entail, the UN faces
serious challenges in getting sufficient funding for its
current appeal, let alone any contingency needs. Khalikov
noted that on the day of the announcement of the UN's revised
Pakistan Humanitarian Response Plan and appeal, the UN
learned that it was already out of date. The May appeal,
based on an average planning figure of 1.5 million 1DPs over
seven months, may, if fully funded, be sufficient to meet
needs of the current Swat, Buner and Dir displacements.
However, the appeal does not take into consideration
contingency planning for displacement from Waziristan. OCHA
noted the difficulty in fund-raising for a contingency.
There is also the risk that launching an appeal before the
military operation will be perceived as inducing some of the
civilian casualties from displacement and that it will cause
additional panic.


4. (C) OCHA stressed that while IDPs have reasons to return
home, their return must be informed and secure if it is to be
durable. IDPs are supposed to receive 25,000 rupees while
displaced, will receive compensation for destroyed homes in
situ, can take home their NFI kits home with them, and should
receive a two-three-month food package upon return. IDPs

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tend to go on visits home to assess the situation on the
ground before returning permanently. While there are reports
of 30 truckloads of IDPs returning home, OCHA also reported
specific evidence of the security risks, including the recent
capture by militants of 300 returnees and known threats to
IDPs intending to return because of their acceptance of
assistance from the Government and humanitarian community.
OCHA described some camps in Mardan as infiltrated.


5. (U) OCHA described the Pakistan IDP crisis as one of the
largest, fastest and most-underfunded displacement crises.
He noted that if the international community does not take
care of this problem, "it will blow up in our faces."
Khalikov noted that the Minister of Foreign Affairs continues
to pose a problem by insisting that the situation in Swat and
NWFP is not a conflict. While indicating that IDP camps are
"on track", he stressed the need to improve our ability to
reach IDPs in hosted communities and noted that people do not
"know their rights" and hence do not have sufficient access
to food and non-food items. (Note: We see and hear
everywhere about the real void that a radio station would
fill in getting out critical information to IDPs. End note.)
OCHA reps also highlighted the problem of lack of access to
civilians in conflict areas.


6. (U) While WFP has a solid food pipeline for the next three
months, and UNHCR has a sufficient pipeline of tents and NFI
kits for the moment, assistance in the sector of water,
sanitiation and hygiene is an urgent need, and health
services is also "a bottleneck."
PATTERSON