Visit to Waziristan IDP Relief Center

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 ISLAMABAD 002675

AIDAC
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID ECON PGOV PK PINR PREL PTER PREF IO

SUBJECT: Visit to Waziristan IDP Relief Center


1. (U) Summary. Following reports of rioting at multiple relief
distribution points in Dera Ismail (D.I.) Khan, representatives of
USAID, the U.N., a local relief organization, and the media traveled
with Lt. General Nadeem Ahmed on October 28 to the newly established
centralized relief distribution center at Ratha Kulachi Stadium in
D.I. Khan District. While the reorganization of distribution
resulted in significant beneficiary backlogs and transportation
issues, General Nadeem's interventions have already led to improved
delivery of humanitarian assistance to displaced families in D.I.
Khan. End summary.

--------------
Background
--------------


2. (U) As of November 3, local non-governmental organization (NGO)
FIDA, a U.S. Government-funded implementing partner, had registered
approximately 319,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) from South
Waziristan, Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). To date,
only 162,800 people have been verified by the Government of
Pakistan's (GoP) National Database and Registration Authority
(NADRA); however, the IDP verification process is ongoing. Local
authorities estimate that initial registration lists may contain
more than 20 percent ineligible or duplicate entries. Therefore,
the GoP Special Support Group (SSG) expects verification to yield an
estimated 250,000 eligible IDPs, more than 80 percent of which
reside with host families in D.I. Khan District.


3. (U) On October 24 and 25, local media in Pakistan reported that
IDPs from South Waziristan rioted at several relief distribution
points in D.I. Khan District in North-West Frontier Province (NWFP)
due to confusion over, or non-receipt of, U.N. World Food Program
(WFP) food rations.


4. (U) According to the U.N., recent IDP unrest at distribution
points resulted from misunderstanding the relief distribution
process and site locations. Until mid-October, South Waziristan
IDPs registered at one of five locations in D.I. Khan District,
where FIDA immediately provided families a non-food item (NFI) kit.
Following initial registration and receipt of NFIs, IDPs were
required to travel to a separate location for U.N. World Food
Program (WFP) rations. According to the U.N., IDPs at several
registration points became disruptive in late October after
suspecting that they were shorted the monthly food ration.

--------------
Field Visit to D.I. Khan Distribution Center
--------------


5. (U) To follow up on reported IDP rioting, the Ambassador
requested that a representative from USAID's Office of U.S. Foreign
Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA) travel to D.I. Khan District. On
October 28, Lt. General Nadeem Ahmed, head of the SSG, escorted the
USAID/OFDA Principle Regional Advisor for South Asia, the newly
arrived Country Representative of the Office of the U.N. High
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR),the Pakistan Red Crescent
Society, and CNN to Ratha Kaluchi Stadium - the new central relief
distribution center for IDPs from in D.I. Khan.


6. (U) During the visit, General Nadeem explained that the SSG
addressed IDP concerns by co-locating food and NFI distribution.
However, he clarified that IDPs must continue to pass through one of
five initial registration points, noting that FIDA registration
forms authorize NFI/food collection at the stadium.


7. (U) At the stadium, FIDA distributes UNHCR NFI kits, which
include sleeping mats, blankets, buckets, and soap. Local NGO PEACE
distributes the WFP family food ration, which includes wheat flour,
oil, sugar, salt, tea, and USAID-branded pulses and high-energy
biscuits. During the visit, the GoP had also begun distribution of
10,000 Frontier Corps-provided tents.

--------------
Verification and GoP-Provided Cash Cards

ISLAMABAD 00002675 002 OF 004


--------------


8. (U) Following collection of relief items at Kulachi Stadium,
families present the registration form and national identification
cards to FIDA, who forwards this information to the Ministry of
Social Welfare (MSW) for review. One week later, the registration
information is sent to NADRA for verification and determination of
eligibility for the GoP-issued electronic cash cards and subsequent
monthly stipend of 5,000 Pakistani Rupees (PKR),or approximately
USD 60. Note: See paragraph 27.


9. (U) The SSG suspects that a portion of the individuals
registering with FIDA may be part of normal seasonal migration from
Waziristan to D.I. Khan District. These individuals will be
disqualified through the NADRA verification process and will not
receive the GoP-provided cash card.


10. (U) The SSG believes that cash cards will mitigate access and
distribution issues in D.I. Khan, and support local markets.
Beginning in November, General Nadeem indicated that families
holding cash cards will receive monthly payments of 5,000 PKR,
approximately USD 60, in place of the monthly WFP food rations
valued at 3,500 PKR, approximately USD 43. Card distribution has
already begun with the old caseload of Waziristan IDPs - the 80,500
individuals displaced from South Waziristan before September. As of
November 3, the GoP had issued 7,518 family cash cards, of which
6,491 had been activated. Note: approximately 33 percent of current
NADRA-verified families have received cash cards to date.


11. (SBU) The SSG indicated that cash card distribution may be
complicated by inability to use point-of-sale (PoS) machines at the
stadium to allow IDPs to immediately withdraw the 5,000 PKR in cash.
The SSG previously used a wireless PoS system in D.I. Khan;
however, General Nadeem indicated that the wireless network is not
currently functional due to the ongoing conflict in Waziristan. To
reconnect the machines, the SSG is working to establish landline
telephone service at the stadium.

--------------
Registration and Distribution Backlog
--------------


12. (U) During the stadium visit, the SSG, FIDA, PEACE, and the GoP
military held a troubleshooting meeting to discuss recurrent
registration and distribution problems. The SSG reported that lack
of registration forms delayed registration in mid-October. To
address the issue, SSG/FIDA contracted a local printing company to
produce the form.


13. (U) The USAID/OFDA Principle Regional Advisor found that,
although the center was well organized and addressed IDP discontent,
the new system created a significant bottleneck during the first
week of implementation, resulting in long lines of 7,000 to 8,000
people outside the stadium. On October 28, the majority of IDPs
waited to pass through two security checkpoints and had not yet
entered the stadium. However, the SSG provided water and shade
points intermittently along lines. Note: See paragraph 26.


14. (U) On October 28, local officials estimated that the one-window
system currently accommodates between 1,000 and 1,500 families per
day. However, General Nadeem believes that the stadium has the
capacity to process closer to 3,000 families per day. He noted that
the reorganization of distribution had created a beneficiary
backlog, which would be cleared in 10 to 12 days - on or before
November 8.

--------------
Checkpoints, IDP Transport, and Monitoring
--------------


15. (U) General Nadeem explained that the military had established
exit routes and checkpoints from South Waziristan - located at
Gurdawai, near Tank District; Khajuri, near Bannu District; and Toi
Khula (recently added),near Zhob District, Baluchistan Province.

ISLAMABAD 00002675 003 OF 004




16. (U) Beginning the week of October 26, the Provincial Disaster
Management Authority (PDMA) began providing transportation
assistance, funded in part by UNHCR, for IDP transport from military
checkpoints in South Waziristan to FIDA registration points in D.I.
Khan District. (Displaced families have complained that available
transport from conflict areas to D.I. Khan has been cost prohibitive
for some.)


17. (SBU) UNHCR has engaged FIDA to provide immediate assistance to
IDPs at military checkpoints. In addition, UNHCR is in the process
of training approximately ten national NGO staff in protection
monitoring (to facilitate identification of vulnerable individuals).
While it remains impossible to determine the extent to which some
people may be trapped by insecurity inside Waziristan, UNHCR plans
to post at least one trained monitor at each of the three identified
exit points, not only to identify the needs of those exiting, but
also to ascertain humanitarian conditions within Waziristan.

--------------
Schools for IDPs
--------------


18. (U) According to the SSG, nine schools in D.I. Khan District
have been identified as schools that will receive Waziristan IDP
students. Each of the schools has agreed to a split schedule, with
students and teachers from D.I. Khan using the school during the
morning and IDP students and teachers from Waziristan using the
school in the afternoon.

--------------
Tank District
--------------


19. (U) According to the SSG, less than 20 percent of Waziristan
IDPs relocated to Tank District. In Tank, the SSG has opted to
maintain separate registration and distribution systems, due to
limited local capacity to provide services simultaneously.
Therefore, FIDA will conduct registration first, followed by
distribution of relief and food items.

--------------
Concerns
--------------


20. (SBU) The SSG and GoP military indicated that efforts to include
tribal elders in the distribution process have yielded both positive
and negative results. The USAID/OFDA PRA noted that, during the
October 28 visit, Mehsud tribal elders objected to IDP women
collecting relief items, demanding that women send a male family
member to collect relief items on their behalf. In a November 3
telephone conversation with USAID/OFDA, the SSG reported that women
continue to collect relief items at the stadium, despite tribal
elder objections. Note: See paragraph 26.


21. (U) At a November 4 donor coordination meeting, U.N. agencies
expressed concern that the one-window distribution system solved as
well as created problems. The majority of IDPs in D.I. Khan are
concentrated in six rural tehsils (district sub-divisions),thus
face challenges due to the cost and time required to travel to/from
the stadium.


22. (U) In addition, following receipt of the NFI kit and food
ration, IDPs must find a way to transport heavy and bulky supplies
from the stadium to host family locations. According to the SSG,
families often pool money together to collectively provide the 200
to 300 PRK needed to rent transportation.


23. (U) General Nadeem indicated that the earliest IDP families
would return to South Waziristan is March, 2010, due to the onset of
winter. Therefore, the majority of IDP families will remain with
host families for more than five months - nearly double the time
IDPs from Malakand Division spent in host communities. However,
General Nadeem indicated that the hosting arrangements are distinct

ISLAMABAD 00002675 004 OF 004


in D.I. Khan. Many Waziristan IDPs had second homes in the area,
allowing them to move into the vacant houses, while also hosting
friends and relatives from Waziristan. Note: See paragraph 29.

-------------- ---
Additional UNHCR Take-Aways from D.I. Khan Visit
-------------- ---


24. (SBU) Newly arrived UNHCR Country Representative Kebede told
Refcoord that while he was unable genuinely to assess the situation
on the ground in D.I. Khan due to the managed nature of the visit,
military and CNN presence, the newly established procedures, and the
necessary security restrictions preventing movement outside the
stadium, he was pleased with the agreements he was able to reach
with Lt. General Nadeem. The GoP will permit national NGO and U.N.
staff to travel into D.I. Khan for assistance implementation and to
undertake the proposed UN multi-cluster assessment. UNHCR will also
facilitate a shelter program, including winterized tents (heretofore
non-existent). UNHCR plans to provide 30,000 tents for general
distribution by a local NGO.


25. (SBU) UNHCR will continue to expedite NFI kit distribution by
sending the supplies directly from the primary U.N. warehouse in
Nowshera to D.I. Khan warehouse for distribution, while using the
U.N. logistics base in Bhakkar, Punjab Province, only as a back-up.
The D.I. Khan warehouse has an 8,000 NFI kit capacity, and Bhakkar
has a 3,000 kit capacity.

--------------
Resolution of Outstanding Issues
--------------


26. (U) To resolve the issue of long lines at the stadium, the SSG
has assigned Mehsud sub-tribes with alternating relief collection
days. In addition, the SSG plans to designate days for women,
allowing female heads of household to collect relief items as
needed.


27. (U) The verification process traditionally takes three weeks;
however, the SSG is working with MSW and NADRA to reduce processing
time. The SSG has asked that NADRA provide FIDA the appropriate
database format to allow direct transfer of IDP information after
MSW review. General Nadeem believes this will hasten the process by
approximately one week.


28. (U) USAID/OFDA has followed up with General Nadeem regarding the
issuance of additional non-objection certificates (NOCs) for NGOs
with the experience and capacity necessary to operate in D.I. Khan
and Tank Districts. The SSG indicated that only three organizations
- all local NGOs - currently have NOCs, although provincial
government officials are reporting four, including two international
NGOs. General Nadeem plans to further discuss the issue and
possibilities with the SSG and GoP military. However, he
anticipates that many of the distribution issues will be resolved
through the cash card system.


29. (U) Due to the anticipated five-month host family arrangements
in D.I. Khan, USAID/OFDA will assess the need to provide host family
or rental subsidies for IDP families to mitigate potential host
family fatigue during the winter months.


30. (SBU) While the October 28 distribution initiated a new
procedure and was managed for media and security purposes, it is
clear that the presence and initiative of General Nadeem has a
significant positive impact in achieving resolution of relief
operations issues on the ground. General Nadeem indicated to
USAID/OFDA rep that he is planning to conduct regular site visits to
D.I. Khan, including a visit the week of November 1, to further
monitor the progress of distribution and registration at Ratha
Kulachi Stadium.

Patterson