VZCZCXRO9478
PP RUEHROV
DE RUEHKH #0954/01 1101433
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 201433Z APR 06 ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2437
INFO RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 000954 
 
SIPDIS 
 
AIDAC 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR AF/SPG, PRM, AND ALSO PASS USAID/W 
USAID FOR DCHA SUDAN TEAM, AF/EA, DCHA 
NAIROBI FOR USAID/DCHA/OFDA, USAID/REDSO, AND FAS 
USMISSION UN ROME 
GENEVA FOR NKYLOH 
NAIROBI FOR SFO 
NSC FOR JMELINE, TSHORTLEY 
USUN FOR TMALY 
BRUSSELS FOR PLERNER 
ABUJA PLEASE PASS C. HUME 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: EAID PREF PGOV PHUM SOCI KAWC SU
SUBJECT: SUDAN: IDP RETURNS IN NORTHERN BAHR EL GHAZAL 
 
 
KHARTOUM 00000954  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
------------------- 
Summary and Comment 
------------------- 
 
¶1.  From April 10 to 12, a USAID representative visited 
Aweil town and Malualkon, located in Aweil East County in 
Northern Bahr el Ghazal State, to assess the status of 
IDP returns.  Overall, the U.N. is doing a good job 
coordinating the humanitarian response, monitoring sector 
coverage, and identifying gaps.  Humanitarian agencies 
expect an estimated 35,000 to 40,000 returnees to arrive 
in Northern Bahr el Ghazal in 2006, which would result in 
a 3.6 percent increase in the state's population.  Both 
spontaneous and organized returns are taking place from 
Khartoum and South Darfur.  The International 
Organization for Migration (IOM), the U.N. World Food 
Program (WFP), and other international agencies hope to 
pre-position key structures and assistance before the 
rains begin in May or June.  End summary and comment. 
 
------------------------------ 
Partners Working Well Together 
------------------------------ 
 
¶2.  From April 10 to 12, a USAID representative visited 
Aweil East County in Northern Bahr el Ghazal to attend 
the State Coordination Meeting in Aweil town and the 
State Contingency Planning Meeting in Malualkon.  The 
U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 
(OCHA) and the Sudan Relief and Rehabilitation Commission 
(SRRC) hosted the meetings.  The USAID representative 
held additional individual meetings in each location with 
State Ministry of Health, USAID partners, and 
representatives of the humanitarian community, including 
OCHA, IOM, the U.N. Children's Fund, the U.N. Development 
Program, International Rescue Committee, Pact Inc., 
Tearfund, Concern, Cordaid, and Medecins Sans 
Frontieres/France. 
 
¶3.  OCHA is coordinating the humanitarian response to 
IDPs and returnees in Northern Bahr el Ghazal.  OCHA 
assesses sector coverage and attempts to plug gaps 
through solicitation of donor funds and direction of 
implementing partners.  OCHA has developed a useful 
"who's doing what where" activities matrix for Northern 
Bahr el Ghazal. OCHA is also strongly encouraging NGOs to 
apply for funding through the U.N. Central Emergency 
Response Fund and the U.N. Common Humanitarian Fund. 
 
¶4.  OCHA estimates the current Northern Bahr el Ghazal 
population to be approximately 1.1 million.  The 
estimates of the total number of returnees expected to 
arrive in the state this year range from 20,000 to 
70,000.  The most likely figure is around 35,000 to 
40,000, with approximately 10,000 settling in and around 
urban areas. The arrival of 40,000 returnees this year 
would result in a 3.6 percent increase in the population. 
 
------------------------------------------ 
Returns: Spontaneous, Organized, and Mixed 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶5.  IOM is assisting the spontaneous return of an 
estimated 4,500 returnees from the Khartoum area.  These 
returnees have temporarily settled in and around the 
areas of Kalama and Kiir Galama.  In the first two days 
of this operation, which began on April 10, IOM assisted 
with the transport of more than 700 returnees to Jaac, 
from which point returnees can proceed to outlying areas 
on their own.  WFP is providing 15-day full rations to 
these returnees.  IOM is registering the returnees by 
intended destination and plans to continue the operation 
until all who have been registered have been transported 
to their home areas within the state. 
 
¶6.  Northern Bahr el Ghazal State has organized returns 
from the Khartoum area in conjunction with the GNU, 
without consulting the U.N.  The U.N. is providing 
limited assistance, as U.N. policy is not to become 
involved with organized returns unless the U.N. has 
participated in planning the returns process from the 
 
KHARTOUM 00000954  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
onset.  To date, an estimated 4,000 IDPs from the 
Khartoum area have returned to Aweil town, even though 
the majority is not from Aweil town.  Field sources 
reported that transporters claimed that returns 
organizers made no distinction between Aweil East, Aweil 
North, Aweil West, Aweil South, and Aweil Central 
Counties.  As a result, this group of returnees was 
transported to Aweil town.  A tense situation followed 
the delivery of the returnees to Aweil town without any 
preparation to assist them; however, tensions have abated 
and most returnees have decided to continue to their home 
areas with some assistance from humanitarian agencies. 
 
¶7.  Separate efforts are underway to facilitate the 
return of IDPs currently South Darfur back to Northern 
Bahr el Ghazal.  Humanitarian agencies estimate that as 
many as 10,000 IDPs from Northern Bahr el Ghazal 
currently in South Darfur will be registered.  Agencies 
will help as many of these IDPs as possible return prior 
to the onset of the rainy season.  This is the only 
organized return to Northern Bahr el Ghazal that the U.N. 
will fully support prior to the May and June rains. 
Registration of an initial group of 3,000 started in mid- 
April.  USAID partner Concern will provide boats to 
assist with river crossings in and near Nyamlel, in Aweil 
West County. 
 
¶8.  Another large returnee group, as large as 2,000 
according to SRRC estimates (NGOs from Aweil North and 
West say this estimate is high), that has settled in the 
Gok Machar area of Aweil North.  The Gok Machar group 
appears to include those who returned spontaneously as 
well as via organized efforts.  NGOs and the U.N. are 
assessing the situation and will respond as appropriate. 
WFP claims to have enough food for this group.  Shelter 
seems to be the biggest immediate need as most of the 
group is camping under trees. 
 
------------------------- 
Humanitarian Preparedness 
------------------------- 
 
¶9.  U.N. agencies and NGOs are working together to 
accomplish critical tasks in the coming weeks before the 
rains.  IOM plans to complete the way station in Warawar, 
near Malualkon, by April 21.  WFP has pre-positioned 16 
rubhalls in Northern Bahr el Ghazal.  WFP is satisfied 
that it will have enough food pre-positioned prior to the 
onset of the rainy season to meet the emergency food 
needs in the state for both residents and returnees.  The 
NGO Cordaid will distribute WFP rations in Aweil West and 
Aweil North Counties, and World Vision will distribute 
WFP rations in Aweil South and Aweil East Counties. 
 
STEINFELD