Sudan Disaster Redeclaration

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 001110 NSC FOR MGAVIN, LETIM DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SUDAN ADDIS ABABA ALSO FOR USAU GENEVA FOR NKYLOH UN ROME FOR HSPANOS NEW YORK FOR DMERCADO SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID PREF PGOV PHUM SOCI UN SU SUBJECT: Sudan Disaster Redeclaration ¶1. (U) Summary: USAID continues to provide humanitarian assistance to respond to the needs of conflict-affected and vulnerable populations in Sudan. Due to the ongoing, complex emergency and humanitarian conditions in Sudan, Chief of Mission Robert Whitehead re-declares a disaster and requests continued support from USAID's Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA). End Summary. -------------- DARFUR -------------- ¶2. (U) As of March 2009, nearly 2.7 million people remained displaced in Darfur, according to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). In Fiscal Year (FY) 2009, inter-ethnic clashes and fighting between armed opposition groups and the Sudanese Armed Forces have limited access to civilian populations. Assailants have also targeted humanitarian operations, abducting aid workers in Darfur, stealing non-governmental organization (NGO) and U.N. assets, food assistance, and emergency relief supplies. Attacks on humanitarians have restricted access and reduced operating capacity, exacerbating humanitarian needs. ¶3. (U) In early March, the regime expelled 13 international non-governmental organizations and dissolved three Sudanese relief agencies. The expulsions dramatically decreased humanitarian services to internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Darfur. Despite humanitarian organizations' extraordinary efforts to provide for IDPs' needs, the expulsions demonstrated the fragility of the humanitarian situation in Darfur and the need for continued assistance. -------------- SOUTHERN SUDAN -------------- ¶4. (U) A marked increase in inter-ethnic conflict and Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) activities have led to large-scale displacements and limited humanitarian access to populations, including returnees, in Jonglei, Warrab and Upper Nile states. In the past year, inter-ethnic violence has caused the deaths of more than 1,200 people, many of them women and children, in Jonglei and Upper Nile states. In addition, continued LRA activity has displaced new populations in Central and Western Equatoria states. On September 17, OHCA estimated that LRA-related violence had displaced nearly 85,000 people in Southern Sudan, including more than 18,000 refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Central African Republic. ¶5. (U) Conflict has also contributed to food insecurity in Eastern Equatoria, Jonglei, Northern Bahr el Ghazal, Upper Nile, and Warrab states in Southern Sudan. According to the Annual Needs and Livelihood Assessment, conflict, lack of access, delayed rains, poor terms of trade, and high food prices have exacerbated food insecurity in Southern Sudan. The U.N. World Food Program estimates that approximately 1.5 million people face severe food insecurity from September to December 2009. -------------- - NORTHERN AND EASTERN SUDAN AND THE THREE AREAS -------------- - ¶6. (U) In eastern Sudan in FY 2009, Gedaref, Kassala, and Red Sea state ministries of health recorded levels of malnutrition exceeding emergency thresholds. Humanitarian access remains limited in many remote areas, and NGOs have faced difficulties securing travel permits to further assess and respond to humanitarian needs in eastern Sudan. In Khartoum state, heavy rains in late August led to flooding that affected more than 22,000 families, many of whom were IDPs from Southern Sudan and Darfur and already lacked basic services. As of late September, sanitation and shelter needs persisted in Khartoum state. ¶7. (U) The Three Areas (Abyei, Blue Nile and South Kordofan) were significantly impacted by the March NGO expulsions. Several of the expelled organizations provided critical support for water, health, and agriculture activities in the 'northern' sections of Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile states and Abyei Area. Gap-filling activities have not yet fully re-established pending GNU approval of technical agreements for new NGO operations. Leading up to elections, popular consultations, and the referendum, humanitarian assistance programs in the Three Areas are focusing on decreasing tensions between farmers and nomads. Activities include increasing access to safe drinking water and boosting farmers' productivity by KHARTOUM 00001110 002 OF 002 providing agricultural assistance and training. -------------- USAID/OFDA HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE -------------- ¶8. (U) In FY 2009, USAID/OFDA provided more than $93 million to meet the needs of conflict-affected persons in Darfur and nearly $44 million to eastern and Southern Sudan and the Three Areas. USAID/OFDA programs targeted highly vulnerable populations throughout Sudan, particularly IDPs, returnees, and child- and women-headed households. The U.S. government's overall package of emergency and transition assistance included contributions from USAID/OFDA, USAID's Office of Food for Peace (USAID/FFP),and USAID's Office of Transition Initiatives (USAID/OTI). -------------- DISASTER REDECLARATION -------------- ¶9. (U) The Chief of Mission re-declares a humanitarian disaster due to the persistent emergency conditions throughout Sudan and requests continued support from USAID/OFDA. The scale of the complex emergency exceeds national response capacity and the GNU and Government of Southern Sudan are willing to accept USG assistance. Furthermore, it is in the interest of the United States to provide humanitarian assistance based on need throughout Sudan during FY ¶2010. ASQUINO