VZCZCXRO5716
PP RUEHMA RUEHROV
DE RUEHKH #2486/01 2841333
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 111333Z OCT 06
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4916
INFO RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 002486 
 
SIPDIS 
 
AIDAC 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR AF/SPG, PRM, AND ALSO PASS USAID/W 
USAID FOR DCHA SUDAN TEAM, AFR/SP 
NAIROBI FOR USAID/DCHA/OFDA, USAID/REDSO, AND FAS 
USMISSION UN ROME 
GENEVA FOR NKYLOH 
NAIROBI FOR SFO 
NSC FOR JBRAUSE, NSC/AFRICA FOR TSHORTLEY 
USUN FOR TMALY 
BRUSSELS FOR PLERNER 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: EAID PREF PGOV KWMN PHUM SOCI SU
SUBJECT:  DARFUR - ASSESSMENT OF HUMANITARIAN PROTECTION 
PROGRAMMING 
 
 
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Summary 
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¶1.  In September, USAID staff conducted an assessment of 
non-governmental organizations (NGO) partners' humanitarian 
protection activities in all three Darfur states.  The assessment 
revealed that the majority of partners are successfully protecting 
conflict-affected populations through beneficiary targeting, 
responding to sexual and gender-based violence, and coordinated 
assistance for vulnerable individuals.  Yet further improvements are 
needed, particularly for responding to vulnerable cases and in 
establishing more effective coordination. End Summary. 
 
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Background 
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¶2. In September, USAID's Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance 
(USAID/OFDA) staff undertook an assessment of 15 NGO partners' 
integration of protective strategies within humanitarian assistance 
programs.  USAID concluded that NGOs are protecting populations 
through beneficiary targeting, responding to sexual and gender-based 
violence, and camp coordination activities.  Innovative strategies 
have been a priority for the humanitarian response to the Darfur 
crisis, because the crisis has been characterized by protection 
concerns such as forcible displacement, sexual and gender-based 
violence, family separation, and other issues. 
 
¶3. USAID implements a variety of protection activities in Darfur, 
including human rights and rule of law initiatives, as well as 
humanitarian protection.  The assessment undertaken in September 
evaluated the extent to which protective strategies were integrated 
into USAID/OFDA-funded humanitarian assistance programs in Darfur. 
USAID's Office of Transition Initiatives (USAID/OTI) also supports 
protection monitoring and discrete activities to reduce violence 
against women in Darfur such as strengthening rule of law, human 
rights monitoring, and providing alternatives to firewood 
collection. 
 
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Achievements in Humanitarian Protection 
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¶4. Each NGO assessed described methods for beneficiary targeting 
that rely on community-based committee recommendations combined with 
verification mechanisms to ensure fair and appropriate targeting. 
NGOs were quick to acknowledge the importance of community 
participation in beneficiary selection, as well as the need to 
spread decision-making power beyond the sheikhs and umdas.  NGOs 
employ strategies such as female representation on food distribution 
committees and formation of women-only committees for vegetable seed 
distributions targeting female-headed households to ensure 
appropriate community representation.  In most cases, NGOs also 
independently verify beneficiary lists to ensure that the most 
vulnerable are included. 
 
¶5. Sexual and gender-based violence has been a significant 
protection issue in the Darfur crisis.  NGOs implementing health and 
psychosocial activities have developed case management protocols for 
survivors of sexual and gender-based violence that seek to ensure 
strict confidentiality as well as provide appropriate medical care. 
The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the UN 
Children's Fund (UNICEF), and the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) have 
conducted trainings for health care workers and social workers on 
the clinical management of sexual and gender-based violence.  Each 
of the seven NGOs implementing USAID/OFDA-funded health activities 
have participated in these or other trainings, and report that the 
trainings were useful in increasing staff skills for appropriate 
case management. 
 
¶6. Referral links are another important component of case management 
for sexual and gender-based violence.  Four NGOs implementing 
USAID/OFDA-supported health or psychosocial support activities 
indicated that they provide referral links, either to health 
facilities or to psychosocial support and livelihoods activities for 
survivors of sexual and gender-based violence.  The referral links 
may occur within one agency that implements both types of 
activities, or between different agencies working in the same camp 
or community.  In all cases, confidentiality of the survivor is 
preserved, enabling the survivor to choose whether or not to access 
 
KHARTOUM 00002486  002 OF 002 
 
 
the proffered services.  USAID will encourage all NGO partners to 
strengthen referral links in their programs. 
 
¶7. Camp coordination plays a key function in protective programming. 
 Through community participation mechanisms, consistent presence, 
and knowledge of the camp population and assistance agencies, two 
USAID/OFDA NGO partners are ensuring protective programming within 
the camp in their role as camp coordinator.  The camp coordinator 
function allows for tracking of vulnerable individuals within the 
camp to ensure that they receive general assistance, as described 
above, as well as any additional assistance available.  In 
conjunction with other assistance providers in the camp, camp 
coordinators track vulnerable individuals such as separated or 
unaccompanied children, unaccompanied elders, and persons with 
disabilities. 
 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
Recommendations for Improving Humanitarian Protection 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
¶8. The successes noted in the assessment demonstrate that NGOs can 
improve the protection of beneficiaries through integration of the 
strategies detailed above.  Yet more effort is needed to ensure that 
all humanitarian assistance activities incorporate protective 
strategies to the fullest extent possible.  In particular, the 
strengthening of referral links, case management, and coordination 
mechanisms will improve humanitarian protection in Darfur. 
 
¶9. While some agencies have referral links between health care 
services and psychosocial support services for survivors of sexual 
and gender-based violence, nearly all NGOs assessed noted that the 
referral links could be strengthened.  NGOs noted that staff 
involved in health, income generation, or other programs need to be 
made aware of other nearby complementary activities that are 
accessible to beneficiaries.  Enabling referral links between 
service providers strengthens the overall assistance package, 
particularly for vulnerable individuals. 
 
¶10.  In several locations, camp coordinators are effectively 
managing assistance for vulnerable cases.  However, appropriate case 
management for vulnerable individuals is vital for all camps and 
communities, and camp coordination needs to be strengthened to 
ensure that vulnerable cases are tracked and assisted in areas where 
this is not currently happening. 
 
¶11. USAID staff also note that protection issues and programs are 
not well coordinated in Darfur.  The successful examples of camp 
coordination and referral pathways are entirely dependent on the 
initiative and capacity of the individual NGOs working in the camp. 
Most USAID NGO partners participate in state level protection 
working groups, but in general, NGOs reported that the working group 
leads do not coordinate effectively.  NGOs particularly wished to 
see more leadership from UN agencies in follow-through of individual 
cases and concerns, including advocacy with the Sudanese government 
where needed.  Strengthened coordination on protection in the field 
is necessary to move from ad-hoc cooperation to an effective and 
efficient system. 
 
HUME