US embassy cable - 03ROME3595

UNCLAS  ROME 003595 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
AIDAC 
 
FROM U.S. MISSION IN ROME 
 
STATE FOR PRM/P AND IO/EDA 
USAID FOR AA/DCHA, AA/ANE, DCHA/FFP LANDIS 
USDA/FAS FOR CHAMBLISS/TILSWORTH/GAINOR 
GENEVA FOR RMA AND NKYLOH/USAID 
BRUSSELS FOR USAID PLERNER AND PRM REP 
 
E.O.  12958:  N/A 
TAGS: EAID, EAGR, PREF, AORC, WFP, UN 
SUBJECT:  ASPECTS OF WFP NEPAL COUNTRY PROGRAM - US 
MISSION/ROME VISIT TO NEPAL JULY 26 - 30, 2003 
 
REF (A) KATHMANDU 01295 
 
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Summary 
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1. A representative of the US Mission to the UN Food and 
Agricultural Agencies (FODAG) visited the United Nations 
World Food Programme (WFP) operations in Nepal to assess 
security aspects of WFP's on-going development activities in 
view of the Maoist insurrection.  UN controls to prevent 
sexual and gender-based violence against Bhutanese refugees 
in eastern Nepal were also reviewed.  End summary. 
 
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Background 
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2. Upon arrival on July 26, Philip Lamade, FODAG Program 
Analyst, met with WFP Country Director Erika Joergensen and 
US Embassy Kathmandu RSO to discuss WFP's operations in 
general and the security situation in particular.  Because 
of security concerns, Lamade was not permitted to visit the 
northern mountains or hill districts of Nepal.  From July 27 
through July 29, Lamade visited Terai districts Banke, 
Bardiya, Kailali, and Kanchanpur, where he met with WFP 
regional staff, Government of Nepal (GON) district 
administrators, and representatives of international (GTZ) 
and local NGOs.  Before departing Nepal, Lamade met with 
Bill Berger, OFDA/USAID Regional Avisor, and Crystal 
Kaplan, US Embassy Political fficer, and consulted again 
with WFP staff regaring Bhutanese refugees. 
 
3. Nearly half of Nepals population lives below the poverty 
line. Agricuture provides a livelihood for over 80 percent 
o the population and accounts for 41 percent of GDP 
Industrial activity mainly involves the processng of 
agricultural produce including jute, sugarane, tobacco, and 
grain. Textile and carpet prodution, accounting for about 
80 percent of foreignexchange earnings in recent years, 
contracted sinificantly in 2001 following the world 
economic lowdown and pressures by Maoist insurgents on 
fatory owners and workers. Security concerns in the wke of 
Maoist activity, the June 2001 massacre of many members of 
the royal family, and the September 11 terrorist attacks in 
the US led to a decrease in tourism, a key source of foreign 
exchange. 
 
4. Reference A discusses security concerns over the Maoist 
insurgency, which beginning in 1996 has claimed about 7000 
lives.  Last month the Maoists closed their office in 
Kathmandu, and last week they clashed with soldiers in 
western Nepal, thus ending a ceasefire that had been in 
effect since January 2003. 
 
5. UNSECOORD, through a field security office, provides 
assistance to WFP and its sister agencies in Nepal as 
follows: 
 
- Manages the interagency field security system to ensure 
the integrity of the travel clearance system into districts 
where UN security phases are applicable; 
- Supplements mandatory WFP Security Awareness Training; and 
- Provides security training for the UN Country Team and 
local area security coordinators, including overseeing the 
implementation of UN operating security standards and CD-ROM 
training in "Basic Security in the Field - Staff Safety, 
Health and Welfare." 
 
6. Lamade urged WFP and NGO personnel to be vigilant, follow 
established security procedures, and exercise great caution 
in Maoist threat areas.  Lamade also advised interlocutors 
that the US is WFP's largest donor, and the US and other 
members of WFP's Executive Board are the only outside 
entities authorized to approve WFP's work plan for Nepal. 
 
7. Despite uncertainty regarding Maoist intentions, WFP and 
NGOs uniformly expressed confidence that their projects can 
and should continue. 
 
8. Under a separate Protracted Relief and Recovery Operation 
(PRRO) and memorandum of understanding with UNHCR, WFP Nepal 
 
 
provides food assistance to Bhutanese refugees (of Nepali 
origin) that started to arrive in Nepal in late 1990.  By 
1993, over 80,000 were granted prima facia refugee status. 
On June 18, 2003, the latest Nepal-Bhutan joint verification 
team (JVT) exercise announced that repatriation to Bhutan 
may recommence as early as September, but the international 
community is concerned that only a few refugee families will 
be permitted repatriation. 
 
9. UNHCR is responsible for the protection of refugees in 
the camps.  WFP provides food assistance within the 
framework of letters of understanding with the GON and 
UNHCR.  The Ministry of Home Affairs is the GON counterpart 
responsible for refugee-related affairs and the monitoring 
of assistance to refugees.  Since 1994, the Nepal Red Cross 
Society has been WFP's operational partner managing the camp 
warehouses and overseeing food distribution. 
 
10. In March of 2002 as an immediate response to allegations 
of sexual exploitation in West Africa, a UN interagency task 
force was established to support refugee communities and 
prevent any reoccurrence of exploitation.  Nevertheless, 
instances of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) were 
discovered subsequently in the refugee camps, which resulted 
in criminal prosecutions and convictions.  As of July 2003, 
UNHCR reported 9 cases of refugees and 2 cases of local 
workers being held in detention for SGBV offenses. 
 
11. In addition, the interagency task force, including WFP, 
established a policy of zero tolerance toward SGBV; wrote 
and promulgated a "Manual of Interagency Procedures and 
Practices: Support to Refugee Communities for Prevention and 
Response to Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in Jhapa and 
Morang Districts, Nepal;" instituted a procedure requiring 
employees and implementation partners to agree to a code of 
conduct; increased the number of female food distribution 
monitors; and formed refugee committees to increase 
awareness of SGBV in the camps. 
 
12. On August 25, 2003, WFP Regional Manager Anthony Banbury 
is scheduled to arrive in Nepal as the head of WFP/UNHCR's 
annual joint assessment mission.  Among other areas of 
inquiry, the mission is charged with reviewing the 
effectiveness of monitoring systems, including women's 
participation in management and distribution systems. 
 
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Comment 
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13. FODAG agrees with Embassy Political Officer that WFP has 
taken appropriate precautions to contend with Maoists 
security risks and that its country program should continue 
despite these risks.  In addition, FODAG finds that WFP has 
implemented necessary policies and procedures designed to 
prevent future instances of sexual and gender-based violence 
in Nepal generally and specifically related to refugee 
populations.  Hall 
 
 
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 2003ROME03595 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED