US embassy cable - 05NDJAMENA1758

UNCLAS  NDJAMENA 001758 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
STATE FOR AF/SPG, PRM, AND ALSO PASS USAID/W 
USAID FOR DCHA SUDAN TEAM, AF/EA, DCHA 
KHARTOUM FOR USAID DARFUR FIELD OFFICE 
NAIROBI FOR USAID/DCHA/OFDA, USAID/REDSO, AND FAS 
ROME FOR FODAG 
GENEVA FOR NKYLOH 
NAIROBI FOR SFO 
NSC FOR JMELINE 
USUN FOR TMALY 
BRUSSELS FOR PLERNER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID, PREF, PGOV, PHUM, SOCI, CD, SU, USAID, Humanitarian Operations 
SUBJECT:  USAID FOOD SECTOR SPECIALIST VISITS EASTERN 
CHAD, PART 1 
 
 
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Summary 
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1.  From November 16 to 29, the USAID Darfur Field 
Office (DFO) food sector specialist traveled to eastern 
Chad for the second time in 2005 to monitor USAID- 
sponsored food aid operations carried out by the U.N. 
World Food Program (WFP) and partners.  This is the 
first of two assessment cables reporting on food 
security and assistance operations in eastern Chad.  The 
first provides a general description of the trip, 
including sites visited and meetings held.  The second 
will include additional analysis and recommendations for 
future USAID initiatives. 
 
2.  Accompanied by representatives from WFP, 
implementing partners, and other humanitarian 
organizations, the USAID DFO food sector specialist 
visited 6 of the 12 refugee camps along the Chad-Sudan 
border, as well as several villages where host 
populations have been affected by the influx of 
refugees.  Following reports of increasing tension 
between refugees and host communities, the humanitarian 
community expanded food assistance programs in 2005 to 
target both populations.  The USAID DFO food sector 
specialist reports that WFP and partners have been 
consistent and thorough in the delivery of monthly food 
rations in eastern Chad.  In addition to food 
distributions, WFP and partners also implement food-for- 
work and food-for-training or education programs aimed 
at improving welfare of both the beneficiaries and the 
surrounding environment and infrastructure.  End 
summary. 
 
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Trip Itinerary 
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3.  From November 16 - 29, the USAID DFO food sector 
specialist visited Sudanese refugee camps and villages 
in eastern Chad.  The purpose of the visit was to 
observe and assess the effectiveness of WFP's emergency 
food aid programs in the area, referred to as EMOP 
10327.  The USAID DFO member worked closely with WFP 
representatives and U.S. Embassy in Ndjamena officials 
while in Chad, meeting with both in the capital upon 
arrival and departure. 
 
4.  The USAID DFO member visited 6 of the 12 refugee 
camps along the eastern border with Sudan managed by the 
U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).  The trip 
included visits to Abeche, Treguine and Farchana camps 
in Farchana, Djabal and Goz Amer camps in Goz Beida, and 
Oure Cassoni camp in Bahai.  The agenda for each camp 
was similar and consisted primarily of touring food 
distribution infrastructure, such as storage facilities 
and distribution centers; meeting with refugee leaders 
to discuss the food program and prospects for 2006; and 
visiting humanitarian assistance programs such as 
feeding centers, health clinic, camp schools, and water 
distribution points.  Outside the camps, the USAID DFO 
member visited with host communities to discuss food 
security, as well as food-for-work and food-for-training 
activities. 
 
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Refugee and Host Community Relations 
------------------------------------ 
 
5.  Living and working conditions in eastern Chad are 
harsh, with a desert climate that offers little 
sustenance to people or animals.  While hot and dry for 
most of the year, flooded riverbeds isolate communities 
from outside assistance for three to four months each 
year.  Water and firewood that was already limited prior 
to the influx of approximately 200,000 Sudanese 
refugees, is now severely scarce. 
 
6.  The USAID DFO member reports that the majority of 
refugees expressed a desire to return home; however, 
most intended to remain in eastern Chad until security 
 
 
improves in Darfur.  The presence of more than 200,000 
refugees in an environment barely able to sustain its 
local population can have a potentially destabilizing 
affect in the area, with tensions increasing between 
refugee and host populations.  These refugees remain 
entirely dependent on the generosity of the humanitarian 
community and the hospitality of the Chadian people. 
Food assistance programs that target refugees and local 
communities are crucial not only for basic survival but 
also as a means of mitigating tensions between both 
populations. 
 
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Programs Targeting Refugees 
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7.  Commercial trucks transport food commodities 
destined for refugee camps and host populations into 
Chad through two corridors:  1) Douala, Cameroon 
eastward into Ndjamena and then to Abeche and the camps; 
and 2) Benghazi, Libya, south into Chad, where the 
eastern route along the border allows the food stocks to 
be delivered to the northern camps, and the western 
route transports the food directly to Abeche.  WFP 
maintains warehouses in each camp, where sufficient food 
is stored to meet the camp's needs for several months, 
allowing flexibility in distribution planning. 
 
8.  Most refugees have received a full ration in 2005 
thanks to the effective management of WFP food stcks 
and zero pipeline breaks.  According to WFP, 
approximately 90 percent of refugees have receivd full 
food rations in the past six months 
 
9. In discussions ith refugees, the USAID DFO food 
sector specialist learned that most refugees are 
satisfied with the quality of the food distributed 
However, when given a choice, the refugee prefer wheat 
to sorghum because it can be cooked various ways and 
also converted to local brew.  An exception is noted in 
Oure Cassoni camp, where residents express dislike for 
peas and lentils, as refugees are not familiar with the 
taste and cooking process of these items. 
 
10.  Daily ration sizes are:  425g of cereals, 50g of 
corn soy blend; 50g of pulses; 20g of vegetable oil; 15g 
of sugar; and 5g of salt.  The amounts are calculated to 
meet minimum requirements for calories, protein, fat, 
carbohydrates, and micronutrients.  A common complaint 
from refugees is that the rations are insufficient to 
meet household needs.  Refugees continually requested 
meat, milk, and fresh fruits and vegetables.  Many 
beneficiaries admitted to using food rations to barter 
for other food items and clothing, as well as to pay for 
grain milling services. 
 
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Programs Targeting the Host Population 
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11.  The influx of Sudanese refugees has had a 
deleterious impact on the already fragile ecosystem in 
eastern Chad.  Competing demands between the host 
population and refugees have fueled tensions and 
depleted firewood and water resources.  In early 2005, 
the humanitarian community decided to provide assistance 
to Chadian host communities, as a way to recognize their 
sacrifices in providing temporary havens to refugees. 
In response, WFP worked with local populations to 
develop and implement temporary activities that use food 
as an incentive, such as food-for-work, food-for- 
training or education, school feeding, and seed 
protection rations.  During field visits, the USAID DFO 
food sector specialist observed a number of these 
activities:  a completed airstrip in Farchana; a water 
catchment basin on the road to Adre; a literacy program 
in French and Arabic for women in Adre; a reforestation 
campaign on the outskirts of Bahai; a vegetable garden 
near Oure Cassoni camp; as well as fields planted with 
sorghum, groundnuts, and beans in villages near Gaga 
camp.  In each program, laborers-mostly women-receive 
food rations in exchange for their work.  From January 
 
 
through September, WFP and partners distributed 1,471 
metric tons (MT) of food to nearly 147,000 vulnerable 
Chadians who live near the camps. 
 
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WFP Upgrades 
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12.  The USAID DFO food sector specialist noted several 
improvements in the WFP programs since the last visit to 
the area six months ago.  Five WFP field offices now 
have up-to-date communications equipment, as well as 
sufficient vehicles and trucks to meet field 
requirements.  WFP efforts rehabilitated or constructed 
several airstrips, linking field offices with Abeche 
headquarters and providing a vital alternative to ground 
transportation, particularly during the rainy season. 
WFP enhanced its warehouses and commodity tracking 
system.  Furthermore, WFP hired additional international 
staff for area and field offices in order to meet the 
expanding program requirements for refugee and host 
population operations. 
 
WALL 
 
 
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