VZCZCXRO8407
RR RUEHDU RUEHGI RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHPA RUEHROV
DE RUEHNJ #0413/01 0731544
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 141544Z MAR 06
FM AMEMBASSY NDJAMENA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3344
INFO RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE
RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE
RUEHAR/AMEMBASSY ACCRA 0280
RUEHBP/AMEMBASSY BAMAKO 0513
RUEHGI/AMEMBASSY BANGUI 1115
RUEHYD/AMEMBASSY YAOUNDE 0961
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0629
RUCNDT/USUN NEW YORK
RUEHDK/AMEMBASSY DAKAR 0988
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 0510
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 0120

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 NDJAMENA 000413 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
ROME FOR U.S. MISSION TO THE UN 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: N/A 
TAGS: PREF PHUM ASEC CH UN SU
SUBJECT:  SUDANESE REFUGEES IN CHAD:  PRM MONITORING VISIT 
 
REF:  (A) NDJAMENA 360, (B) KHARTOUM 2131 
 
NDJAMENA 00000413  001.2 OF 005 
 
 
¶1.  Summary.  PRM/AFR Neil Ahlsten (Chad/Darfur Program 
Officer) travelled to eastern Chad from February 17 to March 
2 to visit refugee camps sheltering over 200,000 Sudanese 
refugees from Darfur.  Since January, at least 3,500 new 
arrivals have been registered in Gaga Camp after fleeing 
from insecurity in West Darfur or the Sudan/Chad border 
south of Adre.  Banditry and carjackings north of Adre have 
limited access to some of the camps, and moving Am Nabak 
Camp has become a top priority for UNHCR.   Basic assistance 
in food, water, primary health care and nutrition are 
operating well in almost all of the camps.  Malnutrition 
rates have fallen to their lowest levels since the arrival 
of the refugees. Education and environmental programs are 
improving slowly but still have significant gaps.  Funding 
shortfalls in 2006 will limit UNHCR activities and could 
push the International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC) to 
phase out its programs.  End summary. 
 
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Registration and Protection 
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¶2. PRM/AFR Neil Ahlsten visited eight of the twelve refugee 
camps in eastern Chad to monitor PRM funded activities, 
examine the security situation and review the state of 
contingency planning.  According to the latest figures, 
206,000 Sudanese refugees from Darfur live in the twelve 
camps.  With verification exercises complete, phase three of 
the registration process is underway in Kounoungou and 
Farchana camps, and will begin soon in the other camps. 
UNHCR expects to begin issuing photo identification cards 
for refugees within the next couple of months.  UNHCR is 
documenting all births in the camp, but the GoC is still not 
allowing birth certificates to be issued because of the 
implications for citizenship.  According to Chadian law, all 
people born within its borders have eligibility for 
citizenship. 
 
¶3. Gaga Camp has received over 3,500 new arrivals since the 
beginning of the year and continues to receive between 50 - 
150 new arrivals each day.  Exact figures for the camp 
population are not available since at any given time one 
hundred or more new arrivals are waiting at the UNHCR office 
to be registered, while others stay in the camp a few days 
before declaring their presence to UNHCR.  Roughly half of 
the new arrivals are from the Internally Displaced Person 
(IDP) camps of Masteri and Mornei in West Darfur.  Some of 
these newly arrived refugees reported that the Sudanese 
Arabs had raided their homes or micro-enterprises on 
multiple occasions.  The other half were refugees living in 
Chadian host communities in border areas south of Adre. 
These refugees fled after GoC forces withdrew from these 
areas to reinforce positions in Adre, leaving these villages 
open to small opportunistic attacks (reftel).  UNHCR 
suspects that some of these new arrivals are actually 
Chadian IDPs fleeing the border areas.  UNHCR's policy 
toward accepting Chadian IDPs in the refugee camps is 
ambivalent.  Some senior staff members are adamant that they 
will not accept IDPs into the camps, while others see it as 
a natural extension of UNHCR's mandate to become more 
involved in IDP programs and confessed that UNHCR is not 
pressing the new arrivals to determine which side of the 
border they are originally from. 
 
¶4. Regarding protection, UNHCR is supporting 189 Chadian 
gendarmes at the camps and will increase this to 235 in the 
coming months.  Refugee security committees operate within 
each camp and generally feel comfortable referring policing 
issues to Chadian gendarmes.  Refugee leaders in Oure 
Cassoni who conducted a strike in January because of poor 
security around the camp said that the specific issues 
leading to the insecurity have largely been resolved with 
the support of the local authorities.  In nearly all of the 
camps visited, sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) 
continues to be a significant security concern for women 
collecting firewood.  Firewood collection programs, SGBV 
education and counseling programs are available, but 
numerous incidents of sexual assault are still reported. 
One day prior to the visit to Gaga Camp, a man was arrested 
 
NDJAMENA 00000413  002.2 OF 005 
 
 
after he beat his wife and stabbed a neighboring woman who 
tried to intervene. 
 
¶5. Recruitment by the Sudanese rebel groups is rumored to 
occur in many of the camps, but there have been few 
confirmed incidents.  On March 2, local authorities detained 
14 young men who were leaving Kounoungou Camp late at night. 
The group said that they had been recruited by a rebel 
movement and were planning to leave for Sudan.  In February, 
UNHCR staff witnessed an incident of suspected recruitment 
in Touloum Camp.  UNHCR reports that relevant ministers and 
governors in the GoC deny that recruitment is occurring in 
the camps. 
 
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Getting the Basics Right: Food, Health and Nutrition 
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¶6. Basic assistance in food, health and nutrition are 
generally meeting international standards.  WFP food 
distributions are attaining the full ration target of 2100 
kcal in all of the camps.  The food pipeline is strong over 
the next six months as the bulk of WFP's food requirements 
for eastern Chad are already covered through October of 
¶2006.  WFP is in the process of expanding its warehousing 
capacity in the camps to increase stocks prior to the rainy 
season.  As reported in Reftel B, milling of the wheat and 
sorghum is still problematic, as many refugees give between 
30 - 40% of their staple food ration as an in kind payment 
to private mills.  This situation should improve in the 
coming months as UNHCR and WFP will partner to place mills 
in each of the refugee camps to increase the total amount of 
food available to refugees. 
 
¶7. Primary health care is progressing well in most of the 
camps.  Hospitals at Bahai and Iriba are well supported by 
NGO partners, though the hospital at Guereda is still in 
need of improvements.  The main shortcoming in primary 
health services has come as a result of insecurity. 
International Medical Corps (IMC) withdrew essentially all 
of its health services from Am Nabak from February 14 to 
March 6.   Numerous refugees were reported to have walked 
40km from Am Nabak to Touloum to receive medical care.  On 
the preventative side, health experts at UNHCR and UNICEF 
are concerned this is an exceptionally high risk year for 
meningitis.  They are looking to build contingency stocks of 
meningitis vaccines in eastern Chad. 
 
¶8. Nutritional screening for children under five occurs on a 
monthly basis in all the camps.  It has been standardized 
across the camps and includes interviews with families of 
children who have relapsed.  Malnutrition rates are well 
within international rates at all of the camps with the 
possible exception of Am Nabak, which was missing data at 
the time of the visit.  The rate of new entries into the 
therapeutic feeding centers fell from 470 in the month of 
July to less than 50 in January.  Several camps have not 
reported a single case of severe malnutrition since the 
beginning of the year.    Some of this could be a seasonal 
drop since many refugees are believed to have recently 
harvested crops in Sudan.  If the significant drop in 
malnutrition rates continues into the rainy season, UNHCR 
may further consolidate the number of therapeutic feeding 
centers. According the Action Contre le Faim (ACR), a PRM- 
funded nutrition partner in Oure Cassoni, the rate of Global 
Acute Malnutrition (GAM) in Oure Cassoni Camp stood at 2.3% 
in January, which is well within the standard of 10%.  ACF 
said that its headquarters is contemplating closing its 
field office there at the end of the grant period in July. 
(Comment:  this represents a very significant turnaround 
from the malnutrition figures cited in November 2005 and 
needs to be watched closely to ensure that the rate is 
sustainable.  End comment). 
 
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Significant Gaps in Education and the Environment 
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NDJAMENA 00000413  003.2 OF 005 
 
 
¶9. Primary education programs have operated below 
international standards in several key areas during the 2005- 
2006 school year.  The bulk of the textbooks did not arrive 
at the camps until the beginning of March, meaning that 
students did not have access to textbooks for the first five 
months of the year.  Twenty five percent of school-aged 
refugee children are not enrolled in school.  Class sizes in 
almost all of the camps exceed the international standard of 
50 students per class.  Farchana, Touloum and Treguine have 
classes exceeding 150 students.  Class sizes are constrained 
both by the number of rooms and the number of qualified 
refugee teachers.  Since classes are held only in the 
morning, UNHCR is considering the addition of afternoon 
classes under the instruction of the existing refugee 
teachers, which would require additional salary expenses. 
With the existing budget constraints, this decision appears 
like it will be delayed until the next school year.  For 
students finishing primary school, it is unlikely that they 
will be able to take their qualifying exams at the end of 
the year and thus will not receive Sudanese graduation 
certificates.  The GoS suggested that the 400 eligible 
refugee students return to Sudan for their exams, a proposal 
that was rejected by UNHCR.  UNICEF and UNHCR submitted a 
joint proposal to the GoS at the end of February asking it 
to provide the exams to UNICEF.  UNICEF would then be 
responsible for administering the exams.  The GoS has not 
yet responded to this request.  There is currently no 
secondary education available to refugees, though small 
programs in vocational and life-skills training are underway 
in several of the camps. 
 
¶10. It is clear that several of the northern camps are not 
sustainable given the current consumption firewood 
collection.  Satellite imagery and technical analysis show a 
rapid deforestation around the camps.  A recent study of 
Oure Cassoni camp found that refugees were collecting wood 
at three and a half times the rate that it is being 
replenished naturally.  On the ground, this problem 
continues to manifest itself through a high level of 
frustration on the part of host communities and the beating 
of refugee women who are collecting firewood - the pressure 
on resources translates into one of the most significant 
refugee protection issues.  Even with UNHCR's existing 
programs in Oure Cassoni to promote fuel efficient wood 
stoves, use trucking to collect wood from a forty kilometer 
radius and distribute $660,000 of cooking fuel per year, 
refugees will still be forced to collect wood at well above 
the rate of replenishment in order to meet their cooking and 
lighting needs.  Camps at Touloum and Iridimi, as well as 
the new camp at Gaga, face similar challenges. 
 
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Moving Am Nabak a Priority, Contingency Planning Mixed 
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¶11. After two years of debate, it appears that moving Am 
Nabak Camp has finally become a top priority for UNHCR. 
Insecurity has repeatedly limited access to the camp, 
sometimes forcing refugees to travel 40km on foot to receive 
basic medical services at Touloum Camp.  Water shortages at 
the camp have forced UNHCR to spend significant resources 
trucking water from Iriba to Am Nabak.  The local 
authorities are supportive of moving the camp, and the local 
sultan has said that he will personally assist the move as 
necessary.  Refugees at Am Nabak have lessened their 
resistance to the idea after deteriorations in security and 
basic assistance.  Within the next two months, 3,000 
refugees may be moved to Mile Camp, which has excess space 
and water supply.  UNHCR has identified three possible sites 
to the north or Iriba for the balance of the refugees and is 
testing the water potential in the area.  With only three 
months remaining before the rainy season and no final 
decision on a new site location, it is unlikely that Am 
Nabak could be completely moved until late 2006 or early 
¶2007. 
 
¶12. UN agencies and NGOs have invested a considerable amount 
of time in contingency planning for possible disruptions to 
basic assistance for refugees in the event that a breakdown 
in law and order requires evacuation of expat staff.  In 
 
NDJAMENA 00000413  004.2 OF 005 
 
 
reality, the actual response capaciy remains mixed for the 
three focus areas of contingency planning: water provision, 
food and health.  In the event of extended disruptions to 
camp access, water delivery systems will be the key factor 
determining how long refugees will be able to remain in the 
camps.  With the current human and material resources on the 
ground, water delivery would last between one and three 
weeks depending upon the camp.  Contingency fuel stocks for 
water pumps varied between ten and twenty days, with some 
organizations admitting that they sometimes dip into their 
contingency stocks, which then drop to just a few days.  WFP 
is expanding its storage capacity to five months of food for 
the refugee populations.  IFRC is warehousing additional 
food stocks at Hadjer Hadid to support 20,000 people for 
three months.  Health contingency planning varies widely by 
organization.  Many health NGOs boast that they will remain 
in the camps until security would deteriorate to the point 
that even the refugees would leave.  Past experience with Am 
Nabak, however, reveals that this commitment is not tenable. 
UNHCR is encouraging contingency planning to hand over 
activities to either the Chadian MoH or the Chadian National 
Refugee Agency (CNAR), but health NGOs see their capacity as 
being too low and are uninterested in following such a 
strategy. 
 
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The 2006 Outlook: Tightening the Belt 
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¶13. UNHCR expects that its 2006 program budget (the portion 
directly funding refugee activities) will fall from $45 
million in 2005 to $39 million in 2006.  A budget shortfall 
at the end of 2005 forced UNHCR to postpone infrastructure 
activities such as latrine and school construction, which 
places further pressure on the 2006 budget.  As cost cutting 
measures, UNHCR expects to limit significantly the scope of 
programs in support of cooking fuel, income generation and 
infrastructure.  It will also eliminate some expatriate 
staff positions and reduce funding for expatriates of NGO 
partners.  If malnutrition rates remain low into the rainy 
season, UNHCR will revisit its nutritional programs to 
determine if cost-savings can be achieved by reducing 
capacity or consolidating programs. 
 
¶14. In a meeting with Ambassador Wall on March 4, Judy Chang- 
Hopkins, UNHCR's Assistant High Commissioner, stressed the 
importance of finding ways of better addressing firewood 
collection and host community needs in 2006 despite the 
budget cuts.  These two issues are often the greatest source 
of strain between refugees and host communities, and host 
community frustration has already boiled over in 2006.  In 
the village of Moudre, near Am Nabak Camp, UNHCR promised 
the villagers that it would construct schools and water 
points for the village in exchange for allowing UNCHR to 
truck water to the camp.  When these activities were delayed 
because of budget cuts, the villagers beat the drivers of 
the water trucks and shut down UNHCR's activities.  With the 
limited funds targeting host community activities in 2006, 
tensions will likely remain high in 2006. 
 
¶15. International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC), which 
works with the Chadian Red Cross to provide assistance to 
Bredjing and Treguine Camps, faced severe funding shortfalls 
at the end of 2005 and expects that it will scale back its 
operations and phase out by the end of 2006 unless it 
receives major increases in funding commitments.  Support 
from the national societies of the Red Cross has waned 
considerably since 2004.  IFRC plays a unique role because 
of its commitment to operate in insecurity and its material 
response capacity for emergencies, such as the fleet of all- 
wheel drive six ton trucks it maintains in eastern Chad. 
 
¶16. On a positive note, at the end of February the NGO 
InterNews began radio broadcasts in Iriba of BBC news and 
local reports of host communities, refugees and humanitarian 
programs.  This service is funded by a grant from USAID/OTI. 
On March 2, U.S. Ambassador Marc Wall traveled to Iriba to 
inaugurate the station along with the Sultan of Dar Zaghawa 
and the Governor of Biltine.   The programs, which are 
broadcast in French, Arabic and Zaghawa, are intended to 
pass unbiased information to refugees and reduce the impact 
 
NDJAMENA 00000413  005.2 OF 005 
 
 
of local leaders filtering and bending information to their 
gain.  They will reach Iridimi, Touloum, Am Nabak, 
Kounoungou and Mile camps.  A second station in Abeche is 
also ready to begin programs in French, Arabic and Masaalit 
for Bredjing, Treguine, Farchana and Gaga camps. 
 
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Conclusion and Recommendations 
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¶17.  The PRM mission offers the following conclusion and 
recommendations based on its visit to eastern Chad: 
 
(a) Regarding insecurity and the limited humanitarian access 
in eastern Chad, Embassy N'Djamena and PRM should continue 
an open dialogue with UNHCR regarding their security 
strategy and closely review the findings of the UNDSS 
interagency mission.  If UNHCR is unable to negotiate 
improvements in security, a demarche to the GoC on their 
behalf is recommended in conjunction with other donors. 
 
(b) The strong, timely support for WFP programs has played a 
key role in improving the nutritional status of refugees. 
The mission encourages donors in food commodities to 
continue their robust support of this operation, especially 
in light of the limited livelihoods options for refugees in 
most of the camps. 
 
(c) PRM should discuss the 2006 strategy and financial 
situation of the IFRC mission to Chad with their 
headquarters in Geneva and consider increasing the 2006 
contribution.  Beyond providing strong assistance to the 
refugees, IFRC brings an important emergency response 
capacity to an area with rising insecurity. 
 
(d) The relocation of Am Nabak Camp is still the preferred 
option in light of the security, program and protection 
issues associated with the camp.  PRM should continue its 
policy of encouraging and supporting UNHCR to move the camp 
in a timely manner that protects the dignity of the 
refugees. 
 
(e) The overall situation of nutrition programs should be 
revisited in June or July.  If the current drop in 
malnutrition rates is not a seasonal phenomena but a long- 
term structural change, then some form of consolidation or 
program size reduction may be in order. 
 
(f) PRM should consider funding for pilot secondary 
education programs in the 2006-2007 school year.  Based on 
the number of expected graduates from primary school this 
year, Oure Cassoni and Bredjing/Treguine will have a 
sufficient number of incoming secondary students to warrant 
programs.  WALL