UNDER-SECRETARY-GENERAL HOLMES BRIEFS THE SECURITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 USUN NEW YORK 000342

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TAGS: AF EAID PHUM PREF PREL SU UNSC
SUBJECT: UNDER-SECRETARY-GENERAL HOLMES BRIEFS THE SECURITY
COUNCIL ON JOINT UN/GOS DARFUR ASSESSMENT

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1. (SBU) Summary: On March 26, U/SYG Holmes briefed the
Security Council on the results of the recently-completed
joint UN and Government of Sudan (GoS) assessment of
humanitarian gaps in Darfur. Holmes told the Council that the
assessment revealed the extent of the gaps in humanitarian
services and the lack of capacity to cover them. He urged the
GoS to reverse its decision and delineated steps that need to
be taken to prevent further suffering. Ambassador DiCarlo
called upon the GoS to reverse its decision as did Japan,
Uganda, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and Burkina Faso. France
and Austria emphasized that the GoS bears responsibility for
the well being of the people of Darfur. Holmes promised to
keep the Council fully informed on the humanitarian situation
in Sudan in the future. End summary.


2. (SBU) Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs
John Holmes' brief to the Council on March 26 focused on the
results of the recently completed joint UN/GoS assessment in
Darfur of the gaps created by the GoS decision to shut down
the operations of 13 international and 3 national NGOs. He
indicated that, although some of the gaps in humanitarian
assistance could be plugged in the short term, a lack of
capacity on the ground would prevent effectively
reconstituting the lost services. Holmes broke down the
findings of the assessment by sector.


3. (SBU) In the food aid sector, Holmes said that the UN
World Food Programme (WFP) managed an ad hoc distribution of
rations for March and April through local food committees;
however WFP needs experienced partners to ensure that future
rations are delivered. Holmes said that local food
committees do not have this expertise. Holmes also stated
that emergency resources deployed by the GoS, UN and national
NGOs to maintain water systems for more than 800,00 people
could become increasingly ineffective within four weeks.
Holmes indicated that serious gaps in sanitation services
have developed. He said that latrines needed to be built in
Zam Zam camp for the 40,000 displaced persons who arrived in
recent weeks due to fighting in South Darfur. Holmes
observed that existing latrines in camps could start to
overflow without proper maintenance, threatening the spread
of diseases and that the rainy season which starts in May
would further complicate matters. As to health care, Holmes
said the departure of the N
GOs from Darfur left 650,000 people with lower levels of
access to basic health services. He indicated that, while the
GoS Ministry of Health and the UN World Health Organization
(WHO) were attempting to fill the gaps, the sustainability of
their response was in question.


5. (U) Holmes said that the GoS's brutal treatment of aid
workers, coupled with the GoS decision to ignore existing
administrative and legal frameworks governing relief work had
created an atmosphere of mistrust that needed to be addressed
and that negative media reporting about foreign NGOS further
diminished aid workers' security. Holmes said that the GoS
continues to delay the approval of technical agreements (only
7% have been signed by the GoS) that would allow the
remaining NGOs to function in Sudan


6. (SBU) Holmes finished by laying out a number of next steps
that should take place now that the assessment report has
been released. He called for continued efforts to identify
and fill critical gaps in life-saving assistance while
discussions take place to re-establish the ground rules under
which humanitarian operations take place in Sudan.


7. (SBU) Ambassador DiCarlo highlighted the fact that the
joint assessment indicates significant gaps in the delivery
of essential services to vulnerable population of Darfur. She
urged the GoS to reverse its decision to expel NGOs and
facilitate the work of the remaining aid agencies. Ambassador
DiCarlo noted that the GoS actions have undermined the
progress made in the Qatar peace talks and threatened the
stability of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA).


8. (SBU) Japan noted that the joint UN/GoS report reinforced
its own conclusions that the expulsion of the NGOs created a
grave situation with major gaps in assistance to Darfur's
vulnerable populations. Japan believed that the Council

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should give its full attention to this matter since the
humanitarian situation in all of Sudan has been impacted by
the expulsion order. Japan strongly urged the GoS to reverse
its decision on the expulsions and noted that other
unspecified steps might have to be taken to stop the
humanitarian crisis.


9. (SBU) Uganda called on the GoS to reverse its decision on
the expulsion of NGOs and urged the UN to use its contact
with the GoS to push this as well. Uganda's ambassador
described the joint UN/GoS assessment as a credible document
that could be used to mobilize support for addressing current
needs in Darfur. He noted that humanitarian work cannot be
divorced from the peace process and advocated for greater
efforts to move Darfur's peace process along.


10. (SBU) Mexico expressed its concern over the humanitarian
situation in Sudan and the possibility that it could
deteriorate in the coming months. Mexico noted that the best
way forward would be for the GoS to reverse its decision to
expel the NGOs. Mexico stated that it was inappropriate to
make a linkage between the humanitarian work of the NGOs and
the International Criminal Court (ICC).


11. (SBU) The United Kingdom noted that the expulsion of the
NGOs left millions of people in a vulnerable position and
termed the situation grave. The United Kingdom said that the
expulsions are unacceptable and that by co-authoring the
report, the GoS acknowledged that their actions may create a
humanitarian crisis.


12. (SBU) China took note of the joint assessment report and
expressed concern over the current situation in Darfur.
China hoped that the UN would communicate better with the GoS
to ensure that the needs of civilians in Darfur are met.
China expressed its view that the Council discuss a
comprehensive solution to the problems of Darfur in order to
facilitate humanitarian assistance.


13. (SBU) Burkina Faso stated that the report from the joint
assessment underlined the importance of the work of the NGOs
and that their expulsion undermined assistance to internally
displaced persons. Burkina Faso described the GoS efforts to
nationalize the aid operation as far from convincing and that
they could lead to a humanitarian disaster. Burkina Faso
recommended that the GoS reconsider its decision to expel the
humanitarian aid agencies.


14. (U) The Council agreed to the following elements of a
press statement linked to Holmes' briefing: stressing the
importance of continuing the distribution of humanitarian
aid; taking note of the assessment mission and urging the GoS
to continue cooperating with the UN and humanitarian
organizations; and appealing to the GoS to reconsider its
decision of suspending the activities of some NGOs in Sudan.
Rice