ROK'S RESPONSE TO DONOR SUPPORT FOR ETHIOPIA,

UNCLAS SEOUL 001144 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID ECON PREF ET KE SO KS SUBJECT: ROK'S RESPONSE TO DONOR SUPPORT FOR ETHIOPIA, SOMALIA AND KENYA REF: STATE 70789 ¶1. (U) This cable is sensitive but unclassified and not/not intended for Internet distribution. ¶2. (SBU) EMin delivered reftel demarche on assistance for the immediate humanitarian needs in Ethiopia, Somalia, and Kenya to Director General Park Gang-ho, head of the Development Cooperation Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. EMin commended the USD 100 million, 3-year pledge by South Korean President Lee Myung-bak for the Food Security Initiative supporting agricultural production and food security of developing nations at the G-8 summit in L'Aquila, Italy. EMin communicated the urgent need for humanitarian aid and stressed that the goal was to raise additional funding for aid without tapping the L'Aquila food security pledges. ¶3. (SBU) DG Park stated that while the amount of South Korea's humanitarian assistance is small, South Korea is making efforts to increase the amount of aid. This year's budget for humanitarian assistance has been set at USD 15 million but not all allocations have been determined. Humanitarian assistance as need-based emergency aid may be provided according to South Korea's assessment of urgent humanitarian crises and budget allowance. DG Park noted that South Korea shared U.S. concerns with respect to Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia. A portion of the USD 15 million aid budget has already been designated for Africa through the U.N.-led Consolidated Appeal Process (CAP). All of South Korea's contributions to the Consolidated Appeal Process for the year have been allocated to Africa. He pointed out that South Korea maintains bilateral assistance programs for Ethiopia and Kenya, but that bilateral assistance to Somalia is difficult due to security. He noted that South Korea has already provided USD 600,000 to Somalia in humanitarian food aid this year through the World Food Program (WFP). In addition, South Korea agreed in April in Brussels to provide USD 500,000 towards humanitarian aid to Somalia through the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). DG Park noted that during this meeting, most attention was paid to Somalia based the U.N's assessment of Somalia to be one of the countries most in need of aid along with the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sudan. ¶4. (SBU) DG Park provided additional details regarding South Korea's pledge of USD 100 million to the Food Security Initiative. A 25 percent share of the USD 100 million will be distributed through the World Food Program while the remaining 75 percent will be distributed as bilateral assistance. The USD 100 million budget will be equally distributed over three years. DG Park stated that South Korea anticipates devoting some of the money currently planned for the World Food Program to humanitarian aid, noting that humanitarian assistance contributes to food security. DG Park assured EMin that South Korea will not use all of its L'Aquila 2009 pledge towards the horn of Africa since South Korea has humanitarian aid commitments to other regions and countries and specific allocations have yet to be decided. However, DG Park underscored that South Korea would consider U.S. request for assistance in humanitarian needs in the horn of Africa. STEPHENS