DARFUR - HUMANITAREAN SITUATION IN KALMA IDP CAMP CRITICAL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KHARTOUM 000746 DEPT FOR SE GRATION, S/USSES, AF A/S CARSON, AF/C NSC FOR MGAVIN DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SUDAN ADDIS ABABA ALSO FOR USAU BRUSSELS FOR PBROWN GENEVA FOR NKYLOH UN ROME FOR HSPANOS NEW YORK ALSO FOR DMERCADO SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL PREF EAID KPKO SOCI ASEC AU UNSC SU SUBJECT: DARFUR - HUMANITAREAN SITUATION IN KALMA IDP CAMP CRITICAL AS IMPEDIMENTS CONTINUE REFS: A) KHARTOUM 410 B) KHARTOUM 418 - - - - SUMMARY - - - - ¶1. (U) Kalma internally displaced person (IDP) camp, near Nyala, South Darfur, remains one of the most significant humanitarian-gap areas following the early March expulsions of international non-governmental organizations by the Government of Sudan (GoS). According to field reports, the humanitarian situation in Kalma has become critical, as South Darfur state authorities continue to delay the initiation of delivery of humanitarian services by the three non-governmental organizations (NGOs) approved by camp leaders to provide assistance. The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and NGOs report deteriorating health and water, sanitation, and hygiene conditions in the camp. Humanitarian agencies express grave concern regarding the effect of continued delays, particularly given the upcoming rainy season. End summary. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Expulsions, Intransigent Camp Leaders Limit Access to Kalma - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶2. (U) Following the early March expulsions of 13 international non-governmental organizations (NGOs),including five organizations working in Kalma camp, suspicious camp leaders denied access to UN agencies and NGOs, expressing concern that the GoS intended to use the opportunity to evacuate the camp and force camp residents to return to their areas of origin (reftels). Thus, relief assistance, including health services, routine immunizations, nutrition support, and food assistance, largely ceased as the UN, camp leaders, and GoS representatives negotiated humanitarian access to the camp. ¶3. (U) On April 7, UN World Food Program (WFP) implementing partner World Vision gained access to Kalma to commence a food distribution following negotiations between humanitarian agencies and IDP leaders. However, IDP leaders continued their month-long refusal of additional humanitarian services. As a result, neither the regularly scheduled polio immunization campaign nor the meningitis vaccination operation occurred in Kalma. Camp leaders also refused to allow government authorities to provide fuel for motorized water pumps. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Camp Leaders Relent, New Obstacle Emerges - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶4. (U) After nearly one month of negotiations, on April 19, Kalma IDP camp leaders approved three USAID-funded international NGO partners, International Medical Corps (IMC),Merlin, and American Refugee Committee (ARC),to fill health, nutrition and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) gaps in the camp. With IDP leaders' approval, ARC, IMC, Merlin, UNICEF, and the UN World Health Organization conducted a rapid needs assessment in the camp, revealing urgent water needs and depleted medical supplies. ¶5. (U) On May 13, ARC, IMC, and Merlin intended to commence activities in Kalma, initially focusing on identifying qualified former staff and verifying stocks of supplies and materials. During a May 13 health coordination meeting in Nyala, however, the State Ministry of Health (SMoH) informed NGO partners that recruiting former national staff in Kalma was not possible unless the hiring process proceeded through the Government of National Unity Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC) and the Ministry of Health (MoH), a process that the NGOs noted has taken up to six months to complete in the past. The HAC, MoH, and involved NGOs held a special meeting on May 14 to resolve the issue. ¶6. (SBU) Following the May 14 meeting, HAC informed the NGOs that they would not be permitted to provide assistance in Kalma camp until all activities were discussed directly with the South Darfur Deputy Wali, or governor. Since then, however, the Wali's office has cancelled or rescheduled all meetings with the NGOs, leaving urgent health and water, sanitation, and hygiene needs largely unmet. On May 26, one of the NGO partners reported that the HAC disallowed staff travel to the camp, insisting that the NGOs must KHARTOUM 00000746 002 OF 003 first resolve their status with the Wali's office. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Current Kalma Camp Conditions - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶7. (SBU) On June 4, Merlin (please protect) reported deteriorating conditions in Kalma camp and urged immediate intervention by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) to resolve the crisis. Merlin reported that drug and other medical supplies at both health clinics in the camp formerly run by expelled NGOs were nearly exhausted and that the quality of drinking water was of major concern. A small number of former NGO staff were volunteering in the former IRC clinic to provide urgent care; however, only a one-week supply of drugs remained. Without support and medical supplies, Merlin reported that these staff would be unable to keep the clinic open. National staff in this clinic see up to 200 patients per day, with three to five serious cases requiring referral to Nyala, which no longer can be facilitated due to lack of transport. In addition, drug supplies are nearly exhausted in the former MSF/H clinic, where former MSF/H staff had been purchasing essential drugs to support the clinic using pooled severance payments. Merlin noted that the former MSF/H clinic would soon close. Field staff noted extremely long queues for water, with people waiting in line for days to use hand pumps. As camp leaders continue to refuse GoS fuel deliveries, motorized pumps are not operational. In addition, humanitarian agencies express concern regarding poor water quality as the water table falls. ¶8. (U) UNICEF continues to provide nutrition support by transporting supplies for the SMoH and providing salary support to former nutrition workers employed previously by an expelled NGO. However, this arrangement is unsustainable in the long-term and risks the deterioration of services, including decreased early detection of malnutrition with the loss of outreach workers and reduced capacity to manage the seasonal increase in malnutrition during the hunger gap from April to September. ¶9. (U) Responding to reports of exhausted medical supplies in Kalma, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) offered to provide medical drugs for the camp, but camp leaders rebuffed the offer. They continue to distrust WHO, since WHO traditionally works with the GoS MOH. On June 7, a team comprising UN World Health Organization (WHO),UNICEF, and OCHA representatives visited Kalma to assess the medical supplies in the former Medecins Sans Frontieres Holland (MSF/H) clinic and water points in the camp. However, camp leaders denied them access to the clinic, stating that the leaders must discuss the matter internally before permitting the team to enter the camp. ¶10. (U) Lack of support prior to and during the upcoming rainy season could significantly exacerbate inadequate heath and water, sanitation, and hygiene conditions in the camp. During the rainy season, IDPs may be tempted to avoid long queues at water pumps by using unsafe drinking water from the nearby wadi, or seasonal riverbed. Nutrition and health conditions also typically worsen during the rainy season. With limited disease surveillance and the lack of regularly scheduled vaccination campaigns, increases in disease incidence that are typical during the rainy season could significantly worsen. Humanitarian partners planned to raise the issue with the HAC prior to the Tripartite Joint Technical Committee, scheduled for June 9. ¶11. (SBU) NGOs have expressed frustration regarding delays and perceived weakness in the UN's engagement with the GoS on the issue of Kalma camp, particularly given the potential for further deterioration of humanitarian indicators, as well as security. On June 10, Merlin sent a second urgent letter on behalf of the NGO Steering Committee in South Darfur to the OCHA Deputy Resident Coordinator regarding the humanitarian situation in Kalma, requesting immediate intervention with the relevant government authorities. On June 11, OCHA delivered a letter to South Darfur's Deputy Wali outlining conditions at Kalma and expressing concern regarding the more than three week delay in approval for the NGOs' work plans and the South Darfur authorities' refusal of travel permits to the NGOs. In addition, OCHA noted that the delay in resuming health services could increase tension in the camp. KHARTOUM 00000746 003 OF 003 ¶12. (SBU) On June 11, the HAC Secretary General notified the UN that the heads of UN agencies are expected to attend a meeting on June 13 in the South Darfur Wali's office, with HAC Commissioner General Hassabo and Special Advisor to the President Dr. Ghazi. Non-UN agencies were specifically excluded from the meeting invitation. - - - - Comment - - - - ¶11. (SBU) More than three months after the early March NGO expulsions, Kalma camp continues to languish without significant progress in filling gaps created by the loss of five major humanitarian organizations. Both the camp sheikhs and the South Darfur government have presented challenges to service provision, leaving 90,000 camp residents without urgently needed assistance. The politicization of the gap-filling process in Kalma, one of the most volatile and politically charged camps in Darfur, is perhaps unsurprising; however, the continued stand-off and the upcoming rainy season have the potential to create a serious humanitarian emergency if prolonged much further. The lack of drugs and medical supplies, as well as the limited water supply, are of particular concern. ¶12. (SBU) Comment continued: USAID will continue to liaise with partners ARC, IMC, and Merlin, as well as UN agencies, to monitor progress in gaining access to begin services in Kalma camp. In addition, Post will continue to encourage the GoS at the federal level to ensure that state-level officials abide by agreements to facilitate humanitarian assistance, even in locations the GoS finds unsavory. WHITEHEAD