US embassy cable - 04ROME2096

UNCLAS  ROME 002096 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
GENEVA FOR NKYLOH 
NAIROBI FOR USAID/DCHA/OFDA AND USAID/REDSO 
KHARTOUM FOR RWINTER 
NSC FOR JDWORKEN 
ROME FOR FODAG 
P U/S MGROSSMAN, AF A/S CNEWMAN, IO A/S KHOLMES, DAS 
RTMILLER 
STATE ALSO PASS USAID/W 
USAID FOR DARFUR RESPONSE MANAGEMENT TEAM 
USAID FOR D/A FSCHIECK, SUDAN TASK FORCE, AF/EA, DCHA, 
DCHA/FFP LLANDIS 
 
FROM THE U.S. MISSION TO THE UN AGENCIES IN ROME 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREF, PHUM, EAID, MOPS, PINS, SU, WFP 
SUBJECT: SUDAN - DARFUR  MOVING WFP FOOD 
 
REF: (A) ROME 001781, (B) MAY 21 USAID LETTER TO UN USG 
EGELAND 
 
 
1.  Summary.  The World Food Programme (WFP) tells us that 
the two existing supply routes for feeding the hundreds of 
thousands of Darfur refugees and internally displaced 
people are in danger of immediate disruption due to the 
soon-to-begin rainy season.  The organization would like to 
open a route through Libya to keep the flow moving and 
would welcome US efforts to achieve Libyan cooperation. 
According to WFP, the Libyans so far have been responsive 
on the working level, but there are blockages on the 
political level.  The Libyan Ambassador to the UN in Rome 
informed Ambassador Hall that the Government of Libya had 
not completely finalized its position. End Summary. 
 
2.  In reftel A, we outlined WFP's challenge in getting 
food shipments to refugees and internally displaced people 
in Eastern Chad and Darfur, Sudan.  Severe complications 
are on the near-term horizon as the rainy season sets in 
over the next few weeks, complicating existing surface 
transportation routes from Douala, Cameroon and potentially 
closing those from Eastern Sudan (entering through Port 
Sudan).  Both corridors are long and difficult, as is the 
Libyan corridor. 
 
3.  On May 26, on the margins of the WFP's executive board 
meeting, WFP director of transportation, David Morton, and 
chief logistics officer, Pierre Carrasse (who lead the WFP 
transportation assessment mission to Libya a few weeks 
ago), told the Ambassador that WFP would benefit greatly 
from another surface transportation route via Libya.  This 
could keep the flow of food moving during the rainy season. 
WFP foresees that two million people will require emergency 
food support between now and the end of this year. 
Estimated needs are for 209,000 metric tons of food.  Their 
latest figures are that there are 179,000 refugees in Chad. 
 
4.  Morton and Carrasse added that, after an initial 
openness and positive meetings in Tripoli and the Port of 
Benghazi, the Libyans are now stalling with a response to 
WFP's requests to open a land route through Libya. He said 
it would be very helpful if the U.S. could influence Libya 
to open the blockage, especially given the urgency of the 
situation. 
 
5.  They gave three reasons why a third corridor is highly 
desired, if not necessary:  first, the quantity of food 
required is taxing the current transportation capacity in 
Cameroon, Chad and Sudan. Port Sudan could become very 
congested and most trucks, rail cars and aircraft are 
engaged.  Second, the rainy season is expected to begin in 
the next three to four weeks, making many of the roads in 
Western Sudan impassable.  The main road from Libya south 
to Chad is paved, handles commercial traffic at present and 
could continue in the midst of the rains.  There are fewer 
rivers to ford from Eastern Chad into Darfur, than coming 
from Eastern Sudan into the affected region.  Third, the 
possibility that the situation could deteriorate and 
security problems could complicate current deliveries 
through Sudan.  A third corridor could insure that food and 
emergency supplies could get to those in need, even if one 
 
other was closed. 
 
6.  In a separate discussion on the margins of the WFP 
meeting, the Ambassador raised the question of moving food 
shipments through Libya with Libyan Ambassador to the WFP, 
Nuri Ibrahim Hasan.  Hasan replied that the Libyan 
government was evaluating the elements of the request and 
that the ultimate decisions allowing WFP access to the 
country's transport system would occur at the highest 
political levels.  He invited Ambassador Hall to raise this 
in Tripoli and offered to assist with such a meeting. 
 
7.  Ambassador's Comment:  Prior to these discussions, I 
had been working on a trip to Darfur, especially in light 
of the ongoing criticism the UN is receiving for the manner 
it has organized humanitarian efforts on behalf of the 
Darfur refugees (ref B).  Note.  A May 25 meeting with UN 
USG for humanitarian affairs, Jan Egeland, with USAID 
Deputy Administrator Schieck, Food For Peace Director 
Landis and me further underlined the urgency of the 
situation and these preparations.  End note.  I stand ready 
to travel to Libya in response to Ambassador Hasan's offer 
to discuss opening Libya to WFP shipments.  Whether I 
traveled there or not, WFP's point about opening another 
transportation route via Libya is important and urgent. 
Whatever the USG can do to urge Libyan cooperation with WFP 
is essential for keeping the flow of food and supplies to 
the hundreds of thousands, soon to be millions, of victims 
of this horrible tragedy. 
 
8. MINIMIZE CONSIDERED FOR KHARTOUM 
HALL 
 
 
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 2004ROME02096 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED