BHUTAN REFUGEE FOOD SUPPLIES INTERRUPTED

UNCLAS KATHMANDU 000946 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR SCA AND PRM USEU FOR BTHOMAS GENEVA FOR RMA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV PREF EAID NP SUBJECT: BHUTAN REFUGEE FOOD SUPPLIES INTERRUPTED ¶1. (U) Summary. World Food Program (WFP) food supplies for Bhutanese refugees living in camps in Nepal are insufficient, so WFP will soon provide half rations for about one month. Meanwhile, UNHCR reports that security in Bhutanese refugee camps is good and fraud is relatively low in refugee resettlement cases. End Summary. ¶2. (U) WFP Deputy Representative Dominique Hyde briefed representatives of the U.S., Denmark, Australia, Canada, the Netherlands and UNHCR on an upcoming food pipeline break for the Bhutanese refugee camps in Nepal. WFP will start half rations of rice next week and expects the cut to last for about one month until Food for Peace assistance en route arrives. This is the first cut ever for the camps and both WFP and UNHCR expect some unrest in the camps. The U.S. assistance en route will provide food until mid-January, but there are no pledges of food after that. ECHO, which was the second largest funder in past years, has said it will provide no food this year. ¶3. (U) UNHCR Acting Representative Diane Goodman provided an update on the security situation in the camps. She said the situation is stable, despite another murder in September. UNHCR is working with local authorities to investigate, but there are no clear motives at this time. She noted that media reports about the event were exaggerated. ¶4. (U) Goodman also shared details on the one documented fraud case so far. This case involves a camp secretary who pressured a Bhutanese refugee to list a Nepali as her son. The case was discovered when her real son returned from India. There have been 26 other cases reported and an expert will be coming out shortly to investigate the cases according to Goodman. UNHCR believes that fraud is still relatively low, but will be conducting extra training at the end of the month as a precaution. ¶5. (U) Goodman confirmed that Stephane Jacquemet has been named the new UNHCR Representative for Nepal. UNHCR is waiting for agrement from the GON. Jacquemet is currently serving in Lebanon. ¶6. (SBU) Comment. While the food pipeline break next week is expected to be short, the lack of funding for 2010 is troubling. Meeting participants, including the Danish Ambassador, agreed that the EU position on cutting funding was unhelpful. The ECHO Director of Operations will be in Nepal on November 10-11, and will be asked about this issue. End Comment. MOON