US embassy cable - 04ROME2781

UNCLAS  ROME 002781 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
FROM U.S. MISSION IN ROME 
 
KHARTOUM FOR CHARGE GALLUCCI AND CFARNSWORTH 
STATE FOR AS/PRM DEWEY, PRM/P, AF/E AND IO/EDA BEHREND AND 
KOTOK 
USAID FOR ADMINISTRATOR NATSIOS, AA/DCHA WINTER, DAA/AFR 
ALMQUIST, DCHA/FFP LANDIS, AFR/EA 
USDA/FAS FOR CHAMBLISS/TILSWORTH/GAINOR 
GENEVA FOR AMBASSADOR MOLEY, RMA LYNCH AND NKYLOH/USAID 
USUN FOR AMBASSADOR DANFORTH AND MLUTZ 
BRUSSELS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS AND USAID/LERNER 
NSC FOR JMELICE AND AFRICA DIRECTORATE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID, EAGR, AORC, PREF, SU, WFP, UNHCR 
SUBJECT: WFP BRIEFING ON DARFUR AND SOUTHERN SUDAN - JULY 13 
 
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Summary 
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1. (SBU) WFP conducted a Sudan humanitarian needs briefing 
for Rome-based permanent representatives at its Headquarters 
on July 13. Security remains a profound concern, with 
examples of humanitarian workers being detained anywhere 
from a few hours to a few days. WFP estimates that 1.2 
million people in the Darfurs will need emergency assistance 
each month until the end of September, and from then onwards 
an additional 800,000 people (for a total case load of 2 
million vulnerable people) will require emergency support 
until end of the year. In June, WFP reached 650,193 
beneficiaries (instead of the planned 800,000), due to: a) 
lack of logistical capacity for delivering commodities to 
scattered and insecure distribution points; and b) lack of 
implementation capacity at the field level of both WFP and 
its implementing partners (registration, verification and 
monitoring distribution). WFP is planning to lease 200 long- 
haul trucks and purchase 120 6x6 trucks. WFP's Emergency 
Operation (EMOP) is only 35 percent resourced and the 
present pipeline can only provide beneficiaries with cereals 
until end of September, and other commodities until October. 
WFP has already purchased (2004) 50,000 metric tons of 
cereals (sorghum) in-country, and if sufficient cash 
resources are promptly pledged, it could meet the bulk of 
its cereal requirements through local procurement for both 
the Darfurs and southern Sudan. End summary. 
 
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The Darfur Region 
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2. (U) WFP conducted a Sudan briefing for Rome-based 
permanent representatives at its Headquarters on July 13. 
WFP Sudan Country Director Ramiro Lopes da Silva provided 
the briefing via phone from Khartoum. Permanent 
representatives from 57 countries attended, including Saudi 
Arabia and Libya. 
 
3. (SBU) Da Silva stated that the joint communique signed 
between UNSG Kofi Annan and the GOS is yet to trickle down 
through the Sudanese bureaucracy. At present, apart from 
some isolated mainly logistic challenges being more rapidly 
resolved, nothing has de facto changed. Note. On the GOS 
promise to dispatch a 6,000 multipurpose police force to the 
Darfurs, Da Silva reported that 600 were deployed this past 
week, 1,275 are to be deployed this week, with the remainder 
reportedly in the process of mobilization. Da Silva 
commented that the Darfur region is comparable in size to 
France. End note. 
 
4. (U) The UN system has formulated a 90 day emergency plan, 
covering June - August, where WFP has estimated that 1.2 
million people will need emergency assistance each month 
until the end of September, and from then onwards an 
additional 800,000 people (for a total case load of 2 
million vulnerable people) will require emergency support 
until end of the year. The 800,000 number includes the host 
communities that will become impoverished due to the 
expected failed harvest. 
 
5. (U) WFP's overall plan for the Darfurs is as follows: 
 
A. Establish Field Offices (with adequate staff and 
vehicles) in Kutum, Kabkabya, Zalingey, Mornie, Mukjar, 
 
Jebel Marra, Tina, Kulbus, Habilla and Ed Daein, in addition 
to the three Sub-Offices in El Fasher, Nyala and El Geniena. 
 
B. Establish an Air Operation Cell in Nyala. 
 
C. Support enhanced international NGO presence as well as 
involving them in supplementary feeding and nutritional 
programs. 
 
6. (U) WFP Sudan's progress to date is as follows: 
 
a. Apart from established sub offices at the three state 
capitals, WFP has now opened one field office in Ed Daein. 
Recruitment is ongoing. At present, essential staff, 
including 13 food aid monitors and 18 stand-by personnel, 
are being recruited for both the sub and field offices. 
 
b. The airdrop zones have been identified and the airdrop 
operation will be executed in two phases. The first phase 
focuses on the priority locations: Fur Berenga, Habilla, 
Umjekoti, Umkhaire and Bendisi, with a distribution of 1,376 
mt (83,363 beneficiaries) and will commence next week with a 
duration of 6 days. The second phase covers 7 days and 
provides food for Arara, Beida, Mesteri, Kongo Haraz and 
Mourni (1,671 mt and 101,272 beneficiaries). 
 
c. Discussion are ongoing with the UN Country Team on the 
establishment of UNHAS (UN Humanitarian Assistance Support 
Unit). 
 
7. (SBU) In June, WFP reached 650,193 beneficiaries (instead 
of planned 800,000), due to: a) lack of logistical capacity 
for delivering the commodities to scattered and insecure 
distribution points; and b) lack of implementation capacity 
at the field level of both WFP and its implementing partners 
(registration, verification and monitoring distribution). 
Note. Da Silva stated that the UN and its NGO partners have 
at present some 300 international and approximately 1,000 
national staff on the ground in the Darfur region. He 
mentioned that WFP had activated standby agreements with 
Danish Refugee Council, Norwegian Refugee Council, Swiss 
Disaster Relief Committee, Swedish Rescue Services Agency, 
and others. End note. 
 
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WFP's Special Operation (SO) 
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8. (U) In response to the inadequate logistics capacity and 
in view of the rainy season as well as partly accommodating 
the influx of NGOs that are coming in to the area, WFP has 
launched a Special Operation (SO) to tackle the logistic 
challenges. The value of the SO is U.S. $36 million. 
 
9. (U) Under the SO, WFP will lease 200 long-haul trucks and 
purchase 120 6x6 trucks. The SO includes containerized 
accommodation for the staff to cope with the insecure and 
difficult situation in parts of the region and a contingency 
fund for emergency road repairs (pot holes, inaccessibility 
even for light vehicles). Note. On July 15, the Dutch 
Ministry for Development Cooperation confirmed the donation 
of 120 heavy-duty trucks to WFP. The total value of the 
fleet, including spare parts and a maintenance contingency, 
is euros 4 million (U.S. $4.93 million). End note. 
 
10. (SBU) Assuming funding, air capacity will be increased 
from 3 to 14 aircraft. Airdrops in some areas have become 
 
 
necessary because of fighting and other security concerns 
along the routes. (Aviation fuel availability was flagged as 
a possible constraint.) To date, humanitarian assistance has 
so far only been provided to GoS covered areas. At present, 
there are 137 IDP camps in Darfur. WFP has access to 103 of 
them, of which 84 have been verified and 72 receive 
assistance. 
 
11. (U) The malnutrition rates in the region are 
unacceptably high. Nutrition surveys have been undertaken by 
Medecins sans Frontieres (MSF) France, Action Contre la Faim 
(ACF), Save the Children/UK. Malnutrition, which is chronic 
in the region (according to Da Silva), is now rampant, with 
global acute malnutrition in excess of 30 percent. WFP and 
UNICEF have agreed that blanket supplementary feeding will 
occur in all areas where acute global malnutrition is in 
excess of 24 percent. 
 
12. (U) WFP together with other humanitarian agencies are 
now planning to provide blanket supplementary feeding to 
children in the worst affected areas. At present, WFP is 
providing food to 19 Therapeutic Feeding Centers (TFCs) and 
24 Supplementary Feeding Programs (SFPs) through its 
implementing partners (Goal (Ireland), ACF, MSF Holland, MSF 
France and MSF Switzerland, Save/UK, Save/US and Tear 
Funds). 
 
13. (U) In addition to working with CARE, German Agro 
Action, Save/US and Save/UK, WFP is also working with 
several local NGOs, including Islamic Agency for Relief 
(IARA) and the Sudanese Red Crescent (SRC) across all the 
three states. Furthermore, agreements with World Vision and 
Catholic Relief Services (CRS) have just been signed. 
 
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Southern Sudan Update 
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14. (U) The peace protocols have been signed, forming part 
of the signature framework for the peace agreement. The 
comprehensive peace agreement is yet to be signed. Already a 
portion of the internally displaced (IDPs) have started 
moving into the South. WFP expects a significant internally 
displaced populations (IDP) and refugee return once the 
rainy season is over. 
 
15. (SBU) The UN Country team has developed a Quick Start 
Peace Impact Program (QSPIP) for an interim period following 
the peace agreement. An IDP/refugee return strategy has been 
initiated and is already at an advanced stage involving the 
Northern and Southern authorities. Some joint assessment 
missions have been initiated. The QSPIP envisages that 
resources are available upfront to support the returnee 
population and their security as and when peace dividend 
become tangible. 
 
16. (SBU) There remain security concerns along the rivers 
where militia groups remain; despite the signed peace 
agreement no one knows if the areas are secured or not. Some 
road repairs from Loki - Rumbek - Waw are being undertaken. 
 
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WFP Wrap up 
----------- 
 
17. (SBU) WFP stressed that Darfur is in serious need of 
support, continued high level visits and adequate political 
 
pressure. Despite international attention, pledges are not 
yet forthcoming. WFP appeal for Darfur (EMOP 10339.0 "Food 
Assistance to Population affected by War in Greater Darfur") 
is only 35 percent funded (with the United States 
contributing U.S. $46.1 million of the $66.8 million 
received by WFP to date). The present pipeline can only 
provide beneficiaries with cereals until end of September, 
and other commodities until October. WFP has already 
purchased (2004) 50,000 metric tons of cereals (sorghum) in- 
country, and if sufficient cash resources are promptly 
pledged, could meet the bulk of its cereal requirements 
through local procurement for both the Darfurs (182,000 mts 
is the revised total cereals need) and southern Sudan 
(171,000 mts-revised total cereals need). Note. FAO forecast 
a record cereal harvest for Sudan in 2003/2004 of 5.9 
million tons, of which 82 percent was sorghum. Cereal 
production in-country was about 36 percent above the average 
of the past five years. End note. 
 
18. (U) As of July 12, WFP's Emergency Operation 10339.0 
"Food Assistance to Populations affected by War in Greater 
Darfur" is about 35 percent funded (i.e., requirements of 
U.S. $195.3 million and funding received as of date at $66.8 
million), from the following donors: United States, $46.01 
million; EC-EuropeAid, $4.55 million; UK, $3 million; 
Canada, $2.9 million; Australia, $1.43 million; Denmark, 
$1.37 million; Germany, $1.29 million; France, $1.24 
million; Ireland, $1.23 million; Norway, $0.89 million; New 
Zealand, $0.64 million; Spain, $0.58 million; Finland, $0.57 
million; Switzerland, $0.40 million; and Luxembourg, $0.12 
million. 
 
19. (U) Khartoum minimize considered. 
 
 
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 2004ROME02781 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED