US embassy cable - 03ROME5684

UNCLAS ROME 005684 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
FROM U.S. MISSION IN ROME 
 
USUN NEW YORK FOR AMBASSADOR NEGROPONTE AND LTAMLYN 
USAID/W FOR ADMINISTRATOR NATSIOS, AA/DCHA WINTER, AA/AFR 
NEWMAN AND DAA/AFR BROWN, DCHA/D/FFP LANDIS, DCHA/OFDA 
STATE FOR IO A/S HOLMES, A/S PRM DEWEY, A/S AFR KANSTEINER, 
AFR/EA, IO/EDA KOTOK 
USMISSION GENEVA FOR AMBASSADOR MOLEY AND USAID/KYLOH 
BRUSSELS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS AND USAID/LERNER 
NSC FOR JDWORKEN AND AFRICA DIRECTORATE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID, AORC, PREF, EAGR, EU, WFP, UN 
SUBJECT:  LETTER TO MARTTI AHTISAARI, UN SPECIAL ENVOY FOR 
THE HUMANITARIAN CRISIS IN ETHIOPIA AND ERITREA, FROM 
AMBASSADOR TONY P. HALL ON THE PRESENT CRISIS IN THE HORN OF 
AFRICA 
 
1. FOLLOWING IS TEXT OF A LETTER TO MARTTI AHTISAARI, UN 
SPECIAL ENVOY FOR THE HUMANITARIAN CRISIS IN ETHIOPIA AND 
ERITREA, DATED DECEMBER 22, 2003, FROM TONY P. HALL, 
AMBASSADOR, U.S. MISSION TO THE UN AGENCIES, ROME. BEGIN 
LETTER: 
 
"THE HONORABLE MARTTI AHTISAARI 
UN SPECIAL ENVOY FOR THE HUMANITARIAN CRISIS 
IN ETHIOPIA AND ERITREA 
UNITED NATIONS HEADQUARTERS 
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK 10017-3505 
 
DEAR PRESIDENT AHTISAARI, 
 
I HAVE FOLLOWED WITH KEEN INTEREST AND APPRECIATION 
REPORTS OF YOUR VISITS TO BOTH ETHIOPIA AND ERITREA IN JULY 
AND MOST RECENTLY IN NOVEMBER. YOUR INVIGORATING FOCUS ON 
THE CONTINUING HUMANITARIAN CRISIS, CHRONIC FOOD INSECURITY, 
AND STRATEGIES TO REDUCE VULNERABILITY TO FUTURE DISASTERS - 
IS SORELY NEEDED. 

I FIRST TRAVELED TO ETHIOPIA DURING THE GREAT FAMINE OF 
1984-85, AND SAW FIRST HAND THE ENORMOUS SUFFERING OF 
ETHIOPIA'S POOR IN THE NORTHERN HIGHLANDS. IN A NUMBER OF 
VISITS SINCE THEN, I AM A PERSONAL WITNESS TO THE EFFORTS OF 
THE UNITED NATIONS THAT, OVER THE YEARS, HAS MADE AN 
ENORMOUS DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF MILLIONS OF ETHIOPIANS 
AND ERITREANS. 
 
BUT I AM ALSO AWARE, AS I AM SURE YOU ARE, OF A WEALTH 
OF RECENT STUDIES (TUFTS UNIVERSITY, SAVE THE CHILDREN/UK, 
AND OTHERS) WHICH CONFIRM THAT: 1) RAINFALL PATTERNS ARE 
BECOMING INCREASINGLY ERRATIC IN ETHIOPIA AND ERITREA WHICH 
TRANSLATES TO THE REALITY THAT NATURAL EMERGENCIES ARE 
BECOMING ENDEMIC IN THE REGION; AND 2) ABSOLUTE DESTITUTION 
IS INCREASING IN ETHIOPIA'S NORTHERN HIGHLANDS AND PROBABLY 
ELSEWHERE IN THE REGION. AND COMPLICATING THESE SOBERING 
TRENDS IS OF COURSE THE TRAGIC BORDER CONFLICT THAT CLAIMED 
120,000 LIVES FROM 1998 TO 2000 - THESE WOUNDS HAVE NOT YET 
HEALED. 
 
DESPITE THE OBSTACLES, IT IS ENCOURAGING TO NOTE THAT 
ETHIOPIA IN PARTICULAR IS FINALIZING A NEW COALITION FOR 
FOOD SECURITY EFFORT TO ADDRESS CHRONIC FOOD AND LIVELIHOOD 
FOOD INSECURITY OF SOME 15 MILLION PERSONS OVER THE NEXT 3-5 
YEARS. THE QUESTION IS - HOW DO WE COLLECTIVELY MAKE THIS 
AMBITIOUS PLAN DO-ABLE? 
 
AT A MINIMUM WE NEED TO GO BEYOND BUSINESS AS USUAL. IN 
THIS PROCESS UN LEADERSHIP IS CRUCIAL. THE UN NEEDS TO 
COMMIT TO SENDING ITS BEST AND BRIGHTEST TO THE REGION BOTH 
AT THE LEVEL OF THE UN RESIDENT COORDINATOR AND UN AGENCY 
HEADS. STAFF FROM MY MISSION, WHO HAVE RECENTLY VISITED 
ETHIOPIA, HAVE REPORTED BACK TO ME THIS SPECIFIC WORRY. 
 
IN SHORT, THERE ARE EXTRAORDINARY NUMBERS OF PEOPLE 
AFFECTED, EXTRAORDINARY AMOUNTS OF MONEY REQUIRED, AND AN 
EXTRAORDINARY CAPACITY NEEDED TO MOVE FORWARD.  NONE OF US 
INVOLVED WITH ETHIOPIA AND ERITREA CAN BE AT EASE WITH THE 
GRAVITY OF THE PRESENT SITUATION. NOTHING LESS THAN A 
RENEWED AND SUSTAINED HUMANITARIAN ENGAGEMENT BY THE UNITED 
NATIONS, IN TANDEM WITH THE RESPECTIVE HOST GOVERNMENTS, 
NGOS AND DONORS AT ALL LEVELS TO REINFORCE AND REFINE OUR 
RESPONSE CAPACITY, IS REQUIRED. 
 
IN CLOSING, THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU'RE DOING ON 
BEHALF OF THE POOR AND HUNGRY OF THE HORN OF AFRICA.  GOD 
BLESS. SINCERELY, AMBASSADOR TONY P. HALL." END OF LETTER. 
 
2. US MISSION ROME WOULD BE GRATEFUL IF USUN NEW YORK COULD 
PASS THIS TEXT ALONG TO PRESIDENT AHTISAARI. 
 
3. ORIGINAL SIGNED LETTER WILL FOLLOW. HALL 
 
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	2003ROME05684 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED