Ed Daein Humanitarian Update

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KHARTOUM 000238 DEPT FOR AF A A/S CARTER, AF/SPG, AF/C ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SUDAN SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ASEC PGOV PREL KPKO SOCI AU UNSC SU SUBJECT: Ed Daein Humanitarian Update KHARTOUM 00000238 001.3 OF 003 -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. During February 1-3 a joint USAID assessment team comprised of representatives from USAID's Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA) and the USAID Mission Program Office visited Ed Daein, South Darfur. The team monitored USAID/OFDA-funded programs and assessed the humanitarian conditions and management of USAID-funded programs. USAID/OFDA-funded projects in Ed Daein provide shelter to internally-displaced populations, improve food security through support to agriculture production and income-generation activities, increase access to safe drinking water and sanitation, and provide hygiene education through USAID/OFDA partners Solidarites and the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR). During the assessment, USAID partners working in Ed Daein reported that insecurity, restricted access, and bureaucratic impediments continue to hamper the effective and safe delivery of humanitarian services to affected populations and force many humanitarian organizations to operate programs through remote management. End Summary. -------------- BACKGROUND -------------- ¶2. During February 1-3, a joint assessment mission comprised of representatives from USAID/OFDA and the USAID Mission Program Office visited Ed Daein, South Darfur. While in South Darfur, the team met with representatives from U.N. agencies, HAC local authorities and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). The purpose of the visit was to monitor USAID-funded activities in Ed Daein and enhance USAID's collective understanding of the regional environment to better inform USAID/OFDA's funding strategy for Darfur. This was the first visit to Ed Daien by USAID in more than a year. -------------- WHY IS ED DAEIN IMPORTANT? -------------- ¶3. Ed Daein is situated 160 km southeast of Nyala, South Darfur. Located on the major transport route (both road and rail) between Khartoum and the rest of Darfur, Ed Daein is a strategic town and a hub for Southern Sudanese civilians returning to Southern Sudan via Northern Bahr al Ghazel State. Ed Daein was previously a slave trading post for abducted Southern Sudanese during the 1972-2004 north-south civil war. Ed Daein continues to be home to approximately 10,000 Southern Sudanese internally-displaced persons (IDPs) in Khor Omar Camp, located outside of Ed Daein, as well as El Ferdous camp, located approximately 80 km southeast of Ed Daein. A third camp, El Neem is a few kms outside Ed Daein and houses IDPs displaced from within South Darfur State. The dominant ethnic group in Ed Daein is the ethnic Arabic Baggara (cattle-herding) Rizeiget, but there are also non-Arab ethnic groups including the Zaghawa. The Maaliya (Arab) ethnic group inhabits the area northwest of Ed Daein. In addition, in June and July 2008, local sources reported a heavy presence of nomadic tribes west of Ed Daein, during the group's migration to North Darfur and in October and November 2008 as the group moved to the southern grazing lands. ¶4. Since 2004, the continual conflict in South Darfur has displaced communities in the villages surrounding Ed Daein town. IDPs have frequently sought refuge in camps or with family members living in more-secure communities. The influx of IDPs to the Ed Daein area has put a strain on the already limited resources in the host communities as well in the camps. The Baggara Rizeigat, who have generally not been involved in the fighting in Darfur, have been tolerant of the desperate newcomers but the lack of basic services continues to be a potential source of conflict as populations vie for limited resources. USAID/OFDA partners UMCOR and Solidarites provide humanitarian assistance to conflict-affected populations in camps, as well as in the surrounding rural areas. -------------- EL NEEM CAMP -------------- ¶5. One of the most visible outputs of activities implemented by the USAID/OFDA-funded partners is the coordination of services to approximately 56,691 IDPs at El Neem camp. USAID staff went to El Neem camp during their recent visit, assessing camp conditions as well as partner programs for the burgeoning camp population. USAID/OFDA funding supports United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) in their role as camp coordinator for humanitarian services for the IDPs. To date, UMCOR has completed construction of a brick KHARTOUM 00000238 002.2 OF 003 camp coordination center that is a meeting site for local IDP leaders, implementing partners, and government authorities. The camp also includes a newly-constructed IDP reception site that operates as a 10-day transit center for new arrivals. The reception area ensures temporary shelter for new arrivals while the displaced wait to be registered, allocated a plot of land, and to receive a food ration card. During the initial 10-day stay in the reception area, IDPs also receive instructions on proper construction of a shelter and are provided a shelter kit. According to USAID staff, both the coordination center and reception site were very well organized and laid out to fulfill the centers' purposes. ¶6. Implementing partners Solidarites and UMCOR coordinate in the provision of water and sanitation and hygiene activities throughout El Neem camp. UMCOR constructs latrine slabs and pit liners while Solidarities mobilizes the community members to construct latrines, trains local women as hygiene educators, and provides sessions with community members on hygiene and sanitation information. UMCOR also conducts an income-generating project, which engages IDP women to weave mats which are then used as the latrine superstructure. For ease of distribution to new arrivals, humanitarian partners store latrine slabs, pit liners, and shelter kit components in the reception center. USAID staff also had the opportunity to observe a well-attended hygiene-training session in El Neem camp. The session was highly interactive and community members appeared active and engaged. ¶7. During the February 2 visit to El Neem Camp, USAID staff noted long queues at the water distribution points around 1200 hours. According to the Office of Water and Environmental Sanitation (WES), which is responsible for oprating the water pumps, each pump requires one barrel or (200 liters of fuel) to run the pump for one day. On February 2, the Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC) and National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) only allowed WES to transport two jerry cans of fuel per pump (total 40 liters). Having only 20 percent of the needed fuel supply decreased supply of water for the camp residents. -------------- "REMOTE MANAGEMENT" -------------- ¶8. Access to the rural areas outside Ed Daein town is a constant challenge for NGOs. This is due in part to insecurity but also to the refusal of HAC and NISS to issue travel permits, particularly to Shearia locality, the area north of Ed Daein (Shearia has been an area of instability as the JEM rebel group, SLM-MM and the GOS vied for supremacy in late January/early February). The recent local insecurity has further restricted the movement of UMCOR and Solidarities. Previously, the aid organizations had communicated directly with commanders in the rebel-held areas to share information on the security situation and the direct communication allowed the organizations to alert the local commanders of NGOs planned movements. Due to recent clashes and continued confusion regarding which group controls specific territory outside of Ed Daein town, direct communication between humanitarian staff and armed opposition groups is no longer an effective mechanism for relief agencies to coordinate the delivery of assistance. In reality, implementing agencies depend solely on community networks they have established within surrounding villages with local community members for security updates. Due to insecurity, UMCOR has been unable to visit El Ferdous camp in more than six months. As a result of constantly restricted access, UMCOR and Solidarites operate by "remote management", a method of program management employed by many of USAID/OFDA's implementing partners, which relies primarily on locally established committees such as the water committee in the camp and locally recruited staff from the area to coordinate camp activities and to ensure the optimal functioning of equipment. Although remote management has recently become one of the only ways for humanitarian agencies and international donors to continue to provide assistance to the people of Darfur, the mechanism is far from ideal and prevents donors and other key actors from directly overseeing and implementing life-saving programs. -------------- IN-TOWN TRAININGS RATHER THAN RURAL ACCESS -------------- ¶9. Due to limited access to the rural areas around Ed Daien, Solidarites carries out all capacity-building activities in Ed Deain town. On the day of the visit, USAID staff witnessed a combined training between the Ministry of Agriculture and Solidarites national staff for community-based farmers from rural villages in Shearia locality on new agriculture techniques. Following the training session, the newly-trained farmers returned to home KHARTOUM 00000238 003.3 OF 003 villages and shared the new information and improved agriculture techniques with community members. Humanitarian agencies use a similar "training of trainers" methodology to train community livestock workers who undergo basic and refresher training in Ed Daein town every six months. -------------- COMMENT -------------- ¶10. Due to ongoing insecurity and regime bureaucratic impediments that restrict access and humanitarian space throughout South Darfur, USAID/OFDA-funded partners continue to implement life-saving programs in rural areas by relying on remote management mechanisms. Despite the valiant work of local staff and camp committees, better access to the camps is required if programs are to be implemented effectively. Despite the challenges, USAID/OFDA partners UMCOR and Solidarites are striving to adequately and effectively meet the humanitarian needs of IDPs located in and around Ed Daein town. FERNANDEZ