VZCZCXRO6422
PP RUEHTRO
DE RUCNDT #0342/01 0911334
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 011334Z APR 09
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6238
INFO RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA PRIORITY 1908
RUEHAE/AMEMBASSY ASMARA PRIORITY 1622
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO PRIORITY 1035
RUEHKH/AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM PRIORITY 1446
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 3620
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHRN/USMISSION UN ROME PRIORITY
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 USUN NEW YORK 000342 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR IO/RHS AND PRM, USAID FOR DCHA/OFDA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: AF EAID PHUM PREF PREL SU UNSC
SUBJECT: UNDER-SECRETARY-GENERAL HOLMES BRIEFS THE SECURITY 
COUNCIL ON JOINT UN/GOS DARFUR ASSESSMENT 
 
USUN NEW Y 00000342  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: On March 26, U/SYG Holmes briefed the 
Security Council on the results of the recently-completed 
joint UN and Government of Sudan (GoS) assessment of 
humanitarian gaps in Darfur. Holmes told the Council that the 
assessment revealed the extent of the gaps in humanitarian 
services and the lack of capacity to cover them. He urged the 
GoS to reverse its decision and delineated steps that need to 
be taken to prevent further suffering. Ambassador DiCarlo 
called upon the GoS to reverse its decision as did Japan, 
Uganda, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and Burkina Faso. France 
and Austria emphasized that the GoS bears responsibility for 
the well being of the people of Darfur. Holmes promised to 
keep the Council fully informed on the humanitarian situation 
in Sudan in the future.  End summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs 
John Holmes' brief to the Council on March 26 focused on the 
results of the recently completed joint UN/GoS assessment in 
Darfur of the gaps created by the GoS decision to shut down 
the operations of 13 international and 3 national NGOs. He 
indicated that, although some of the gaps in humanitarian 
assistance could be plugged in the short term, a lack of 
capacity on the ground would prevent effectively 
reconstituting the lost services.  Holmes broke down the 
findings of the assessment by sector. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) In the food aid sector, Holmes said that the UN 
World Food Programme (WFP) managed an ad hoc distribution of 
rations for March and April through local food committees; 
however WFP needs experienced partners to ensure that future 
rations are delivered.  Holmes said that local food 
committees do not have this expertise. Holmes also stated 
that emergency resources deployed by the GoS, UN and national 
NGOs to maintain water systems for more than 800,00 people 
could become increasingly ineffective within four weeks. 
Holmes indicated that serious gaps in sanitation services 
have developed.  He said that latrines needed to be built in 
Zam Zam camp for the 40,000 displaced persons who arrived in 
recent weeks due to fighting in South Darfur.  Holmes 
observed that existing latrines in camps could start to 
overflow without proper maintenance, threatening the spread 
of diseases and that the rainy season which starts in May 
would further complicate matters.  As to health care, Holmes 
said the departure of the N 
GOs from Darfur left 650,000 people with lower levels of 
access to basic health services. He indicated that, while the 
GoS Ministry of Health and the UN World Health Organization 
(WHO) were attempting to fill the gaps, the sustainability of 
their response was in question. 
 
¶5. (U) Holmes said that the GoS's brutal treatment of aid 
workers, coupled with the GoS decision to ignore existing 
administrative and legal frameworks governing relief work had 
created an atmosphere of mistrust that needed to be addressed 
and that negative media reporting about foreign NGOS further 
diminished aid workers' security. Holmes said that the GoS 
continues to delay the approval of technical agreements (only 
7% have been signed by the GoS) that would allow the 
remaining NGOs to function in Sudan 
 
¶6. (SBU) Holmes finished by laying out a number of next steps 
that should take place now that the assessment report has 
been released.  He called for continued efforts to identify 
and fill critical gaps in life-saving assistance while 
discussions take place to re-establish the ground rules under 
which humanitarian operations take place in Sudan. 
 
¶7. (SBU) Ambassador DiCarlo highlighted the fact that the 
joint assessment indicates significant gaps in the delivery 
of essential services to vulnerable population of Darfur. She 
urged the GoS to reverse its decision to expel NGOs and 
facilitate the work of the remaining aid agencies. Ambassador 
DiCarlo noted that the GoS actions have undermined the 
progress made in the Qatar peace talks and threatened the 
stability of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). 
 
¶8. (SBU) Japan noted that the joint UN/GoS report reinforced 
its own conclusions that the expulsion of the NGOs created a 
grave situation with major gaps in assistance to Darfur's 
vulnerable populations. Japan believed that the Council 
 
USUN NEW Y 00000342  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
should give its full attention to this matter since the 
humanitarian situation in all of Sudan has been impacted by 
the expulsion order.  Japan strongly urged the GoS to reverse 
its decision on the expulsions and noted that other 
unspecified steps might have to be taken to stop the 
humanitarian crisis. 
 
¶9. (SBU) Uganda called on the GoS to reverse its decision on 
the expulsion of NGOs and urged the UN to use its contact 
with the GoS to push this as well. Uganda's ambassador 
described the joint UN/GoS assessment as a credible document 
that could be used to mobilize support for addressing current 
needs in Darfur. He noted that humanitarian work cannot be 
divorced from the peace process and advocated for greater 
efforts to move Darfur's peace process along. 
 
¶10. (SBU) Mexico expressed its concern over the humanitarian 
situation in Sudan and the possibility that it could 
deteriorate in the coming months. Mexico noted that the best 
way forward would be for the GoS to reverse its decision to 
expel the NGOs. Mexico stated that it was inappropriate to 
make a linkage between the humanitarian work of the NGOs and 
the International Criminal Court (ICC). 
 
¶11. (SBU) The United Kingdom noted that the expulsion of the 
NGOs left millions of people in a vulnerable position and 
termed the situation grave.  The United Kingdom said that the 
expulsions are unacceptable and that by co-authoring the 
report, the GoS acknowledged that their actions may create a 
humanitarian crisis. 
 
¶12. (SBU) China took note of the joint assessment report and 
expressed concern over the current situation in Darfur. 
China hoped that the UN would communicate better with the GoS 
to ensure that the needs of civilians in Darfur are met. 
China expressed its view that the Council discuss a 
comprehensive solution to the problems of Darfur in order to 
facilitate humanitarian assistance. 
 
¶13. (SBU) Burkina Faso stated that the report from the joint 
assessment underlined the importance of the work of the NGOs 
and that their expulsion undermined assistance to internally 
displaced persons.  Burkina Faso described the GoS efforts to 
nationalize the aid operation as far from convincing and that 
they could lead to a humanitarian disaster.  Burkina Faso 
recommended that the GoS reconsider its decision to expel the 
humanitarian aid agencies. 
 
¶14. (U) The Council agreed to the following elements of a 
press statement linked to Holmes' briefing: stressing the 
importance of continuing the distribution of humanitarian 
aid; taking note of the assessment mission and urging the GoS 
to continue cooperating with the UN and humanitarian 
organizations; and appealing to the GoS to reconsider its 
decision of suspending the activities of some NGOs in Sudan. 
Rice