US embassy cable - 04ROME2442

UNCLAS ROME 002442 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
FROM U.S. MISSION IN ROME 

USUN NEW YORK FOR ACTING AMBASSADOR AND LTAMLYN 
AMEMBASSY ALGIERS FOR AMBASSADOR ERDMAN AND DMCNICHOLAS 
USAID/W FOR AA/DCHA WINTER, DAA/AFR YOUNG, AFR/WA, 
DCHA/D/FFP LANDIS, D/OFDA, AA/GLOBAL PETERSON 
STATE FOR IO A/S HOLMES, A/S PRM DEWEY AND DAS/PRM MCKINLEY, 
A/S AF NEWMAN, AF/NEA, IO/EDA BEHREND/KOTOK, 
NEA/ENA FOR CUTRONA 
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, WI, AG, WFP, UNICEF 
SUBJECT:  LETTER TO CAROL BELLAMY, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, 
UNICEF, FROM AMBASSADOR TONY P. HALL ON THE NEED FOR A 
UNICEF PRESENCE IN TINDOUF TO ASSIST WESTERN SAHARA REFUGEES 
 
 
1. FOLLOWING IS THE TEXT OF A LETTER TO CAROL BELLAMY, 
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, UNICEF, DATED JUNE 23, 2004, FROM TONY 
P. HALL, AMBASSADOR, U.S. MISSION TO THE UN AGENCIES, ROME. 
BEGIN LETTER: 
 
"MS. CAROL BELLAMY 
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, UNICEF 
UNICEF HOUSE 
3 UNITED NATIONS PLAZA 
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK 10017-3505 
 
DEAR CAROL: 
 
         AT THE RECENT SECOND REGULAR SESSION (MAY 26-27) OF THE 
WFP EXECUTIVE BOARD, THE BOARD APPROVED A SEPTEMBER 2004- 
AUGUST 2006 WFP PROTRACTED RELIEF AND RECOVERY OPERATION 
(PRRO) TO ASSIST WESTERN SAHARA REFUGEES (158,000 
BENEFICIARIES) AT A TOTAL COST TO WFP OF $39.5 MILLION. THE 
OPERATION HAS LONG BENEFITED FROM FUNDING BY UNHCR, THE 
EUROPEAN COMMUNITY HUMANITARIAN ORGANIZATION (ECHO), NON- 
GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS (PRIMARILY SPANISH), AND PRIVATE 
DONATIONS. THE UNITED STATES IS ALSO A MAJOR DONOR. 
 
     ONE OF MY OFFICERS VISITED THE FOUR SAHARAWI REFUGEE 
CAMPS IN THE TINDOUF REGION OF SOUTHWESTERN ALGERIA - EL 
AIUN, AWSERD, SMARA AND DAKHLA - IN JANUARY 2004. HE 
REPORTED ON A UNHCR, WFP, AND THE CENTRE FOR INTERNATIONAL 
CHILD HEALTH, INSTITUTE OF CHILD HEALTH (LONDON) 
ANTHROPOMETRIC AND NUTRITION SURVEY IN THE TINDOUF CAMPS 
THAT DOCUMENTED: A) GLOBAL ACUTE MALNUTRITION OF 10.6 
PERCENT AMONG 6-59 MONTH OLD CHILDREN; B) CHRONIC 
MALNUTRITION IN EXCESS OF 30 PERCENT FOR UNDER-FIVES; AND C) 
ANEMIA AMONG REFUGEE CHILDREN (AROUND 35 PERCENT) AND FOR 
WOMEN OF CHILDBEARING AGE (47.6 PERCENT AMONG NON-PREGNANT 
WOMEN). 
 
     CLEARLY, THIS SURVEY RAISES NUTRITIONAL CONCERNS THAT 
MUST BE SYSTEMATICALLY ADDRESSED. FORTUNATELY, BOTH UNHCR 
AND WFP HAVE STEPPED UP THEIR PHYSICAL PRESENCE IN THE FOUR 
CAMPS AND NOW HAVE FUNCTIONING OFFICES IN TINDOUF. BUT THEY 
REPORT THAT FAR TOO MANY CHILDREN HAVE NOT BEEN VACCINATED 
AND ARE NOW AT HIGH RISK OF THE LETHAL COMBINATION OF 
MALNUTRITION, ACUTE RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS AND DIARRHEA. 
 
         I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE UNICEF CONSIDER ESTABLISHING A 
PRESENCE IN THE CAMPS FOCUSED ON SUPPORTING HEALTH, PUBLIC 
NUTRITION AND DISEASE SURVEILLANCE SYSTEMS. 
 
     CAROL, I KNOW THAT UNICEF'S PLATE IS FULL AND THAT YOU 
AND YOUR UN COLLEAGUES ARE INTENTLY AND RIGHTLY FOCUSED ON 
THE HORRIBLE TRAGEDY STILL UNFOLDING IN DAFUR AND EASTERN 
CHAD. BUT IN THIS LARGELY "FORGOTTEN" EMERGENCY IN THE 
WESTERN SAHARA, THESE CHILD MALNUTRITION LEVELS CAN BE A DE- 
STABILIZING FACTOR IN THE REFUGEE CAMPS AND COULD IMPEDE 
CONFIDENCE-BUILDING MEASURES WITH THE CONCERNED PARTIES, 
LIMITING UN LEVERAGE IN MOVING THE POLITICAL PROCESS 
FORWARD. 
 
IN CLOSING, THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU'RE DOING ON BEHALF OF 
THE POOR AND HUNGRY THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.  GOD BLESS. 
SINCERELY, AMBASSADOR TONY P. HALL 
CC: JIM MORRIS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, WFP." END OF LETTER. 
 
2. US MISSION ROME WOULD BE GRATEFUL IF USUN NEW YORK COULD 
PASS THIS TEXT ALONG TO CAROL BELLAMY. 
 
3. ORIGINAL SIGNED LETTER WILL FOLLOW. HALL 
 
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 2004ROME02442 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED