US embassy cable - 05NDJAMENA1741

UNCLAS  NDJAMENA 001741 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
STATE FOR AF/C, AF/EPS, EB AND PRM 
USAID/W FOR DCHA/OFDA, FFP, CMM AND OTI 
 
ACCRA FOR USAID/WARP 
NAIROBI FOR OFDA AND RFFPO 
DAKAR FOR RFFPO 
LIBREVILLE FOR REO, M. CASSETTA 
ROME FOR FODAG 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID, SOCI, PREF, PREL, CD, Humanitarian Operations, USAID 
SUBJECT: USAID/OFDA PROGRAMMING IN EASTERN CHAD 
 
REF: NDJAMENA 01708 
 
Reftel provided summary report of USG team which 
conducted project monitoring trip to eastern Chad 
November 17-25.  Final nine paragraphs were truncated 
from that message during transmission and are being 
repeated below. 
 
--- 
CRS 
--- 
 
39.  Funds were provided through CRS to its local 
partner, Secours Catholique pour la Development 
(SECADEV), a leading Chadian NGO working in three 
refugee camps on behalf of UNHCR.  Based in Abeche, 
SECADEV has been active in the area since 1987, and has 
also received funding directly from CRS, from CARITAS 
and other international sources.  The OFDA-funded inputs 
consisting of vegetable seeds and garden tools are 
targeted to 7,708 participants in 48 villages near the 
Kounoungo and Farchana refugee camps.  The team visited 
a garden plot at Kondoko village, located at a distance 
of 6 km from the Kounoungo camp, where tomatoes and 
water melon were in abundance; the team also met with 
the SECADEV regional staff in Abeche. 
 
40.  According to the Kondoko village leader, the 
village has about 150 families scattered along the wadi 
where they practice some vegetable gardening using 
traditional shallow wells.  With the support of SECADEV, 
which has provided tomato, pepper, onion, melon, 
watermelon and lettuce seeds, and will shortly 
distribute tools including watering cans, wheelbarrows 
and hoes, the villagers have a sizable vegetable garden. 
 
41.  The village leader said they plan to keep most of 
the vegetables for their own use, but do sell some in 
Guereda, and sell watermelons to dealers who visit them 
with pickup trucks.  They are appreciative of the help 
provided by SECADEV, especially the technical expertise 
in preparing the soil beds and strengthening the 
traditional wells.  They said their children are 
healthier, they have more disposable income and an 
alternate food/income source to their livestock. 
 
42.  The SECADEV representative was well-known by the 
villagers, who gave the group a warm reception, clearly 
thankful for the project.  If the villagers are able to 
retain some seeds from their crop and expertise from 
SECADEV's technicians, then the project should have some 
lasting benefit. 
 
--- 
FAO 
--- 
 
43.  The three objectives of FAO's project are to 
provide material inputs and technical advice for rain- 
fed and irrigated agriculture, vaccinate 500,000 animals 
and establish coordination in the food security sector. 
It also hopes to shift efforts on behalf of refugees 
from food distribution to food security.  To this end, 
it reports that most local authorities are open to the 
idea of making government land available for refugee 
cultivation, as long as the international community is 
willing to help with required funding. 
 
44.  The team was not able to visit any actual FAO 
projects.  Because the OFDA funds arrived too late for 
the 2005 rain-fed cereal season, FAO only opened the 
office in Abeche in early October.  It has brought in an 
experienced Burundian agronomist to manage the program, 
with three local experts to assist.  FAO has also 
received a grant for 670,000 Euros from the European 
Community Humanitarian Office (ECHO) for similar 
 
activities in the area. 
 
45.  According to the international consultant, the need 
for coordination is growing.  There are 12 NGOs now 
engaged in food security in eastern Chad.  The 
ministries of agriculture and livestock are both 
represented in Abeche by delegates, but they are 
constrained by a lack of logistical capacity and 
experience with international NGOs.  FAO will focus on 
supporting government coordination efforts. 
 
46.  In terms of the food security sector in general, 
FAO believes a conceptual shift from food provision to 
assisting refugees and local people to produce their own 
will be important.  In the agriculture sector, improved 
seeds, research efforts, introduction of improved 
cultivation and water management techniques are 
required.  For livestock, vaccination, marketing, and 
animal productivity could be improved.  In general, the 
FAO consultant believes, eastern Chad has enormous 
potential for improved food production, but requires 
material resources, expertise and time to achieve it. 
 
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CONCLUSION 
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47.  OFDA's partners in eastern Chad have gotten off to 
a good start.  The fact that most are also partners of 
UNHCR and State's Bureau of Population, Refugees and 
Migration means they were able to capitalize on their 
existing capacity to get a quick start.  It also means 
they have a good sense of the tensions and issues 
between the refugees and local population. 
 
48.  NGOs funded by OFDA need to address several issues 
going forward.  First, USAID's new branding policy needs 
to be communicated to them from their respective 
headquarters, and implemented.  OFDA's Nairobi rep was 
happy, however, to hear from IRC in Bahai that it is 
already aware of the new policy and will be implementing 
it.  Second, they will need to continue making every 
effort to fully coordinate activities within their 
sectors and geographic areas.  Third, it will be 
important to maintain the unity of purpose and message 
within the assistance community that appears now. 
Finally, they will want to step up efforts to keep 
embassy assistance officer and Nairobi OFDA rep informed 
of developments affecting their projects, and of 
progress made. 
 
49.  The good rains in eastern Chad this year have 
provided a needed respite, and have alleviated some of 
the tension between the refugees and Chadians. 
Nevertheless, the activities of OFDA's partners and 
those funded by UNHCR and other sources on behalf of the 
local population are vital to maintain the hospitable 
atmosphere and welcome extended to the refugees. 
 
WALL 
 
 
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