AMBASSADOR VISITS IDP CAMP

C O N F I D E N T I A L PESHAWAR 000020 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 2/4/2019 TAGS: PTER MOPS PGOV PINR PK SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR VISITS IDP CAMP CLASSIFIED BY: Lynne Tracy, Principal Officer, Peshawar, Department of State. REASON: 1.4 (a),(b),(d) Summary -------------- ¶1. (C) During a meeting with Vice President Elect Biden during a recent visit, Chief of Army Staff General Kayani raised his concern about the effect of poor treatment of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) on his counter-insurgency campaign in Pakistan's tribal areas. As part of the continuing Mission effort to improve IDP conditions, Ambassador visited the Kacha Gari IDP camp near Peshawar on January 26. She delivered nutritional supplements for children, met with camp officials as well as with IDP camp elders and women. Handover Of Latest U.S. Assistance -------------- ¶2. (U) On January 26, Ambassador, visited the Kacha Gari IDP camp (approximately seven miles west of Peshawar). The camp now houses approximately 17,000 IDPs, mostly from Bajaur. Ambassador delivered USAID-provided food assistance (a nutritional supplement for children),highlighted other U.S. support for IDPs disbursed via the UN and non-governmental organizations, learned of additional IDP needs, and viewed their living conditions. (Note: Most of the IDPs at Kacha Gari are from Bajaur Agency.) Also attending were, Principal Officer, USAID Senior Representative, Representative Office of Disaster Assistance, and Pol/Econ Chief (notetaker). What Do The IDPs Need? -------------- ¶3. (U) GOP Camp Administrator Magbool Roghani said that the greatest immediate need of the IDPs was fuel wood. He explained that wood was in critically short supply causing IDPs to forage in the nearby community areas in order to prepare food. The foraging was causing friction with local residents. He added that tea and sugar were items also needed as most of the IDPs were accustomed to consuming tea at least twice daily. ¶4. (SBU) Roghani said assistance for the camp is arriving regularly but so are 100 families or more per day. Water, sanitation, health facilities, education, non-food items (NFI) and tents are being provided by UNHCR and two dozen NGOs. Food items are provided by the World Food Program (WFP). Recently WFP has increased their family package amounts from 50 to 80 kgs; Mission Pakistan has been pressing WFP to augment the food packages to increase nutritional supplements for children. Complaints -------------- ¶6. (C) Roghani told Ambassador that they had received some complaints concerning the lack of electricity in general and lighting in particular for the tents. He explained that the camp only had 400 lights due to the size of the generator and the cost of fuel to run it which restricted electric lighting to the common areas. ¶7. (U) Another point of friction, according to Roghani, was the presence of many IDPs staying with local families which is placing a strain on both the host families and local resources. Thus far his administration had identified approximately 20,000 families that were staying with friends and relatives that would need assistance soon, as the host families were in most cases, coming to the end of their spare resources. Women Speak Out -------------- ¶8. (SBU) In a closed meeting, a group of women from the camp told Ambassador that they had fled their homes because of military operations. The women, however, blamed the "taliban" who had attempted to enforce "un-Islamic" customs (NFI) on their villages. The women emphasized the need for appropriate food and warm clothing for children at the camp. Comment ¶9. (SBU) WFP and the UN are in the midst of issuing separate appeals to continue to support a growing IDP population that is spreading from camps around Peshawar to cites around Pakistan. TRACY