Confronting Challenges to Humanitarian Operations in West

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 KHARTOUM 000610

DEPT FOR SE GRATION, S/USSES, AF A/S CARSON, AF/C
NSC FOR MGAVIN AND CHUDSON
DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SUDAN
ADDIS ABABA ALSO FOR USAU

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID PGOV PREL PREF ASEC SOCI KPKO AU UNSC SU
SUBJECT: Confronting Challenges to Humanitarian Operations in West
Darfur

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SUMMARY
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1. (SBU) From April 15 to 17, USAID's Office of U.S. Foreign
Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA) field officers visited El Geneina,
West Darfur, for the first time since July 2008. There they
discussed the impact of the early March non-governmental
organization (NGO) expulsions on humanitarian programs in West
Darfur and remaining organizations' plans to address gaps in
assistance. The team met with USAID/OFDA-funded NGOs including
Medair, Catholic Relief Services (CRS),International Medical Corps
(IMC),and Tearfund, as well as UN agencies including the UN World
Health Organization (WHO),the UN Joint Logistics Center (UNJLC),
the UN World Food Program (WFP),and the UN Department of Safety and
Security (UNDSS). Partners reported that insecurity in West Darfur
remains a major constraint to program implementation in the area,
hampering the provision of humanitarian assistance to
conflict-affected populations. According to USAID/OFDA discussions
with remaining NGOs, the latter plan to expand areas of operation
and programs to address gaps left by expelled NGOs in West Darfur,
including in food security, food and emergency relief supply
distributions, health, nutrition, protection, and water, sanitation,
and hygiene (WASH). Despite remaining organizations' attempts to
address gaps in the health sector, health partners report that the
West Darfur State Ministry of Health's (SMOH) refusal to acknowledge
gaps, together with weak coordination by the UN health-sector
cluster lead, has delayed the remaining health-sector partners from
quantifying gaps, assessing the available capacity to address gaps,
and coordinating a timely response. End Summary.

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BACKGROUND
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2. (U) The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
mapping department conceptually divides West Darfur State into
western West Darfur and eastern West Darfur for logistical reasons.
Western West Darfur houses the West Darfur state capital of El
Geneina. This area comprises the northern corridor, the area north
of El Geneina town; the southwest corridor, the area directly to the
south of Geneina; the southern corridor, the area stretching from El
Geneina south to Habila and on to Foro Baranga; and the eastern
corridor, the area east of El Geneina to Zalingei.


3. (U) The eastern part of West Darfur includes the Zalingei, Wadi
Salih, Mukjar, Um Dukhum, and Jebel Marra areas. As some
humanitarian agencies working in eastern West Darfur access
programs through South Darfur for logistic reasons and are not
present in El Geneina town, communication and travel have been
limited to El Geneina and discussions with partners based in the
town focus mostly on the western region of West Darfur State.

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USAID/OFDA PARTNERS IN WEST DARFUR
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4. (U) To provide basic services to conflict-affected populations,
USAID/OFDA currently supports seven international NGOs in West
Darfur: World Relief, Concern, Terre Des Hommes, CRS, Tearfund,
IMC, and Medair, as well as several UN agencies. From April 15 to
17, USAID/OFDA field officers traveled to West Darfur to meet with
partners CRS, IMC, Medair, Tearfund, UNJLC, WHO, WFP, and UNDSS.
Prior to its expulsion in early March, Save the Children/U.S.
(SC/US) was a key USAID/OFDA partner in western West Darfur.
Following the expulsions, the closure of SC/US programs in all four
geographic corridors in western West Darfur created significant
humanitarian gaps in the food security and agriculture,
coordination, health, nutrition, protection, education, and WASH
sectors, as well as the provision of emergency relief supplies. In
addition, USAID/OFDA partner CARE, which was also expelled in March,
supported transportation of emergency relief supplies for the
Non-Food Item (NFI) Common Pipeline and NFI distributions in limited
locations in the northern and eastern corridors of western West
Darfur. CARE also supported food distributions in the Wadi Salih,
Mukjar, and Um Dukhum areas of eastern West Darfur, and expelled NGO
Mercy Corps supported NFI distributions and WASH programs in Wadi
Salih, Mukjar, Um Dukhum, and Zalingei.

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POTENTIAL "GAP Filling"
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5. (SBU) USAID/OFDA-funded partner CRS is considering significantly

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increasing operations and doubling capacity in West Darfur to
address gaps in assistance caused by the expulsions, predominantly
in WASH, food security, food and NFI distributions, and shelter.
CRS currently operates north of El Geneina along the northern
corridor; however, to address gaps left by SC/US, CRS is considering
expanding activities in areas such as Beida to the southeast of El
Geneina and areas in the southern corridor, such as Habila and Foro
Baranga. CRS also is considering filling gaps in Wadi Salih,
Mukjar, and Um Dukhum left by expelled NGO partners CARE and Mercy
Corps in food security, provision of NFIs, and WASH. CRS is
currently a WFP implementing partner in the northern corridor and
has a beneficiary load of 160,000 individuals. Following the
expulsions, CRS signed a cooperative agreement with WFP to assume
control of 27 food distribution points in the southern corridor,
which will add a further 263,000 beneficiaries to the organization's
caseload. CRS currently distributes dry rations as well as
supporting health messaging in supplementary feeding programs (SFP)
for 7,000 beneficiaries in the northern corridor. In cooperation
with WFP, the organization plans to increase its caseload to support
14,000 new beneficiaries in SFPs in the new areas of operation. CRS
has also signed agreements with the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) to
construct 1,350 latrines, provide support for solid waste
management, distribute soap, and promote hygiene for 45,000
beneficiaries in the southern corridor and Mukjar areas.


6. (U) CRS is working with UNJLC to distribute NFIs to 10,000
beneficiaries prior to the onset of the annual summer rainy season.
Since mid-March, CRS has successfully dispatched ten international
staff from its regional office in Kenya to support the Sudan team
with internal operations, assessments, and recruitment of eight
senior national staff employees. CRS anticipates establishing three
sub-offices located in Habila, Mukjar, and Um Dukhum to adequately
address the program expansions. State-level officials from all
appropriate line ministries in El Geneiena have approved CRS'
tehnical agreements, and CRS is coordinating with appropriate UN
cluster leads in the various sectors on potential expansions.


7. (SBU) Over the past six months, insecurity has limited
Tearfund's ability to maintain a physical presence in Beida locality
in the southwest corridor, the current location of the
organization's USAID/OFDA-funded activities. In Beida, Tearfund has
had to balance the provision of humanitarian assistance with safety
amid tensions between Arab and African ethnic groups and nomadic
populations. On March 22, Tearfund relocated staff from the area
due to threats of international staff abductions. On April 14, UN
security canceled Tearfund's attempts to resume one-day visits to
the area, due to reports of significant movements by Chadian armed
opposition groups in the area and possible incursions into Chad.
Tearfund confirmed that while it has been able to implement and
monitor USAID/OFDA-funded programs remotely from El Geneina, the
programs have suffered from decreased output and quality due to lack
of direct supervision. Tearfund is currently conducting an internal
assessment and analysis on how it might address humanitarian gaps;
however, it has not yet developed any concrete plans to expand
operations.


8. (SBU) Historically, international NGOs in West Darfur have
benefited from supportive Sudanese government officials, including
the El Geneina Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC),as well as line
ministries, according to USAID/OFDA partners in the area. Thanks to
this supportive atmosphere, NGOs in West Darfur typically have been
able to implement humanitarian programs relatively easily compared
to other Darfur states, where NGOs experience significant
bureaucratic obstacles to program implementation. For instance, the
Government of National Unity Office of Water and Environmental
Sanitation in West Darfur, with support from UNICEF as the sector
lead, has actively facilitated access for NGOs that have expressed
an interest in conducting assessments aimed at filling gaps.
However, during USAID/OFDA's recent visit, both Medair and IMC
reported that the SMOH has been reluctant to permit NGOs to conduct
assessments in West Darfur to quantify gaps in the health sector.


9. (SBU) According to Medair and IMC, the SMOH is unwilling to
admit the existence of gaps in the health system created by the
expulsion of SC/US. SMOH asserts that government-sponsored agencies
are addressing all gaps in the health sector created by the
expulsions and that national NGOs are expected to take over and
support programs in the long-term. Although both Medair and IMC
have requested permits to assess health gaps in various locations,
the West Darfur State HAC has denied them access. The SMOH stated
that Sudanese doctors working in Darfur until the end of April and
the Egyptian doctors, who are expected to arrive in Darfur soon,
will be able to fill the gaps. The SMOH's approach has alarmed the
UN World Health Organization (WHO),as the NGO expulsions

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interrupted referral systems and disrupted early warning systems,
reducing the health sector's capacity and ability to respond to
health-related emergencies. WHO reports that only six of the 15
primary health care centers located in West Darfur previously
supported by expelled NGOs were functioning as of mid-April.


10. (U) While doctors arriving from Khartoum were tasked to fill
health gaps in the three Darfur states, most have preferred to
remain in urban areas, leaving rural areas and non
government-controlled areas without essential medical services.
Furthermore, it remains unclear how rapidly the Egyptian doctors
will be able to depart for Sudan and become operational upon
arrival. In a meeting with the WHO Emergency Coordinator on April
27, WHO mentioned that the federal MOH has requested assistance from
WHO to provide logistical support for the team of Egyptian doctors
once they arrive in Sudan.

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UN SECTOR LEADS
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11. (SBU) The UN in Sudan officially adopted the cluster approach
to programming under the 2009 Work Plan for Sudan. The main
objective of the cluster system is to ensure coordination among UN
agencies through joint programming, information sharing, knowledge
sharing on technical and policy issues, and the joint formulation of
sector/thematic strategies. This approach to programming also is
aimed at synergizing program implementation by combining support and
common services and provides a mechanism for the UN to interface
with the government on thematic issues as they relate to broader
policy strategies and program implementation. WHO is the health
sector lead under the cluster approach. Despite the organization's
role as sector lead, partners in West Darfur expressed frustration
with WHO's lack of leadership capacity in coordination and
information sharing, noting that the health sector lacks a
coordinated approach to responding to the current gaps in
humanitarian assistance.

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SECURITY
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12. (SBU) Lack of access to conflict-affected populations due to
insecurity continues to hamper the delivery of humanitarian
assistance in West Darfur. Between April 1 and 15, the UN reported
an upsurge in security incidents in the state, including
carjackings, temporary staff abductions, banditry, robberies, and
assaults on humanitarian premises. According to UN security
officials, assailants broke into 13 humanitarian compounds in El
Geneina from late February to March 2009, compared to almost no
assaults on compounds in 2008. To decrease the likelihood of
carjackings, the UN has reverted to using minivans in town and
traveling in convoys when possible. Although the curfew in El
Geneina town is 2000 hours local time, WFP requires that all
vehicles return inside the compound by 1630 hours. Due to decreased
security, partners reported that NGOs accessed most projects via
air.


13. (SBU) During the USAID/OFDA visit to West Darfur, Tamer Saad El
Derini, head of UNDSS in West Darfur, reported a relatively calm
security situation in El Geneina town. However, on April 12,
Sudanese government security officials alerted the UN of a potential
kidnapping threat targeting foreign humanitarian aid workers. While
the security officials did not disclose the source or extent of the
threat, the UN is actively monitoring security in El Geneina and has
increased surveillance monitoring systems to allow UN security to
respond efficiently and rapidly to potential incidents. In
collaboration with local police and security officials, UNDSS has
established police checkpoints in areas of town with high
concentrations of NGOs. UNDSS has also equipped police at the
checkpoints with VHF radios programmed with the UN frequency, so
that police can directly contact the UN radio room. Furthermore,
all international NGOs have programmed radios to contain the
U.N.-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) frequency on a
dedicated channel to initiate quick response in event of a security
incident. UNAMID and the Sudanese government have also increased
the number of joint patrols throughout the night in El Geneina.


14. (SBU) El Derini reported that El Geneina currently is
experiencing a visible increase in the movement of armed elements
within the town. On April 13, the Sudanese government and Sudanese
Armed Forces (SAF) put on a show of force, demonstrating an increase
in military equipment and other assets by flying four fighter jets
from the airport and conducting a parade through town. The heavy

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presence and build-up of Chadian armed opposition forces in West
Darfur towns pose a threat to NGOs' security and have limited
program implementation in the area. For example, on April 14, lack
of security forced CRS to suspend an assessment mission to Foro
Baranga. During an assessment the week of April 5, UN security
observed a similar increased presence of armed military personal in
Beida. In early to mid-April, UN security also received confirmed
reports that approximately 5,000 members of Chadian armed opposition
groups were moving from Habila, West Darfur, into Chad. El Derini
notes that troop movement across the borders is not unusual prior to
the onset of the rainy season, as this period is the optimum time
for military operations on both sides. The UN is concerned about a
potential outbreak of violence should either side attempt to
exercise force.

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COMMENT AND CONCLUSION
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15. (SBU) The mid-April visit to El Geneina confirmed the existence
of significant humanitarian assistance gaps in food security, food
and NFI distributions, WASH, health, nutrition, and protection, due
to the expulsion of key NGO partners, particularly SC/US, CARE, and
Mercy Corps. Remaining international and national NGOs are
coordinating and cooperating with government authorities and UN
agencies to address critical gaps while at the same time planning,
strategizing, and seeking funds to support longer-term solutions.
Supported by UN cluster leads, the majority of line ministries
demonstrate a willingness to coordinate and facilitate assessments
and future planning with NGO partners, with the notable exception of
the SMOH, which continues to insist that government interventions
are adequately addressing current gaps, and that national NGOs will
cover future gaps. As the health sector lead, WHO has been unable
to change SMOH's view or policy. As a result, plans for long-term
solutions in the health sector remain problematic.


16. (SBU) The visit also confirmed that the fragile security
situation in El Geneina has had a marked impact on humanitarian
operations. A pervasive atmosphere of anxiety and tension exists in
the international community due to the military build-up, movements
along the Sudan-Chad border, and increased criminality. The
militarization of West Darfur, due largely to the Sudan-Chad proxy
war, continues to be an impediment to humanitarian service delivery
in this fragile area.

FERNANDEZ