VZCZCXRO8725
OO RUEHROV RUEHTRO
DE RUEHKH #1110/01 2740600
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 010600Z OCT 09
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4497
INFO RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 001110 
 
NSC FOR MGAVIN, LETIM 
DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SUDAN 
ADDIS ABABA ALSO FOR USAU 
GENEVA FOR NKYLOH 
UN ROME FOR HSPANOS 
NEW YORK FOR DMERCADO 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID PREF PGOV PHUM SOCI UN SU
SUBJECT:  Sudan Disaster Redeclaration 
 
¶1. (U) Summary:  USAID continues to provide humanitarian assistance 
to respond to the needs of conflict-affected and vulnerable 
populations in Sudan.  Due to the ongoing, complex emergency and 
humanitarian conditions in Sudan, Chief of Mission Robert Whitehead 
re-declares a disaster and requests continued support from USAID's 
Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA).  End 
Summary. 
 
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DARFUR 
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¶2.  (U) As of March 2009, nearly 2.7 million people remained 
displaced in Darfur, according to the U.N. Office for the 
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).  In Fiscal Year (FY) 
2009, inter-ethnic clashes and fighting between armed opposition 
groups and the Sudanese Armed Forces have limited access to civilian 
populations.  Assailants have also targeted humanitarian operations, 
abducting aid workers in Darfur, stealing non-governmental 
organization (NGO) and U.N. assets, food assistance, and emergency 
relief supplies.  Attacks on humanitarians have restricted access 
and reduced operating capacity, exacerbating humanitarian needs. 
 
¶3.  (U) In early March, the regime expelled 13 international 
non-governmental organizations and dissolved three Sudanese relief 
agencies.  The expulsions dramatically decreased humanitarian 
services to internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Darfur.  Despite 
humanitarian organizations' extraordinary efforts to provide for 
IDPs' needs, the expulsions demonstrated the fragility of the 
humanitarian situation in Darfur and the need for continued 
assistance. 
 
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SOUTHERN SUDAN 
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¶4.  (U) A marked increase in inter-ethnic conflict and Lord's 
Resistance Army (LRA) activities have  led to large-scale 
displacements and limited humanitarian access to populations, 
including returnees, in Jonglei, Warrab and Upper Nile states.  In 
the past year, inter-ethnic violence has caused the deaths of more 
than 1,200 people, many of them women and children, in Jonglei and 
Upper Nile states.  In addition, continued LRA activity has 
displaced new populations in Central and Western Equatoria states. 
On September 17, OHCA estimated that LRA-related violence had 
displaced nearly 85,000 people in Southern Sudan, including more 
than 18,000 refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and 
the Central African Republic. 
 
¶5.  (U) Conflict has also contributed to food insecurity in Eastern 
Equatoria, Jonglei, Northern Bahr el Ghazal, Upper Nile, and Warrab 
states in Southern Sudan. According to the Annual Needs and 
Livelihood Assessment, conflict, lack of access, delayed rains, poor 
terms of trade, and high food prices have exacerbated food 
insecurity in Southern Sudan.  The U.N. World Food Program estimates 
that approximately 1.5 million people face severe food insecurity 
from September to December 2009. 
 
--------------------------------------------- - 
NORTHERN AND EASTERN SUDAN AND THE THREE AREAS 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶6.  (U) In eastern Sudan in FY 2009, Gedaref, Kassala, and Red Sea 
state ministries of health recorded levels of malnutrition exceeding 
emergency thresholds.  Humanitarian access remains limited in many 
remote areas, and NGOs have faced difficulties securing travel 
permits to further assess and respond to humanitarian needs in 
eastern Sudan.  In Khartoum state, heavy rains in late August led to 
flooding that affected more than 22,000 families, many of whom were 
IDPs from Southern Sudan and Darfur and already lacked basic 
services.  As of late September, sanitation and shelter needs 
persisted in Khartoum state. 
 
¶7.  (U) The Three Areas (Abyei, Blue Nile and South Kordofan) were 
significantly impacted by the March NGO expulsions.  Several of the 
expelled organizations provided critical support for water, health, 
and agriculture activities in the 'northern' sections of Southern 
Kordofan and Blue Nile states and Abyei Area.  Gap-filling 
activities have not yet fully re-established pending GNU approval of 
technical agreements for new NGO operations.  Leading up to 
elections, popular consultations, and the referendum, humanitarian 
assistance programs in the Three Areas are focusing on decreasing 
tensions between farmers and nomads.  Activities include increasing 
access to safe drinking water and boosting farmers' productivity by 
 
KHARTOUM 00001110  002 OF 002 
 
 
providing agricultural assistance and training. 
 
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USAID/OFDA HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶8.  (U) In FY 2009, USAID/OFDA provided more than $93 million to 
meet the needs of conflict-affected persons in Darfur and nearly $44 
million to eastern and Southern Sudan and the Three Areas. 
USAID/OFDA programs targeted highly vulnerable populations 
throughout Sudan, particularly IDPs, returnees, and child- and 
women-headed households.  The U.S. government's overall package of 
emergency and transition assistance included contributions from 
USAID/OFDA, USAID's Office of Food for Peace (USAID/FFP), and 
USAID's Office of Transition Initiatives (USAID/OTI). 
 
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DISASTER REDECLARATION 
---------------------- 
 
¶9.  (U) The Chief of Mission re-declares a humanitarian disaster due 
to the persistent emergency conditions throughout Sudan and requests 
continued support from USAID/OFDA.  The scale of the complex 
emergency exceeds national response capacity and the GNU and 
Government of Southern Sudan are willing to accept USG assistance. 
Furthermore, it is in the interest of the United States to provide 
humanitarian assistance based on need throughout Sudan during FY 
¶2010. 
 
ASQUINO