VZCZCXRO2050
PP RUEHAG RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLZ RUEHROV
DE RUEHDM #0285/01 0810703
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 220703Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3178
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD 0365
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DAMASCUS 000285 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
PRM/FO, NSC FOR MARCHESE AND BERGNER, NEA/ELA FOR SONTY 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREF PREL PGOV IZ SY
SUBJECT: VISITING A/S SAUERBREY MEETS WITH UN, NGOS IN 
DAMASCUS 
 
REF: DAMASCUS 0258 
 
¶1.  (U) SUMMARY: During her March 11-13 visit to Damascus, 
visiting Assistant Secretary Ellen Sauerbrey attended a UNHCR 
briefing on Iraqi refugees, a UNHCR-sponsored roundtable with 
its four implementing NGO partners in Syria, a briefing 
hosted by Charge for resident Ambassadors 
and visiting UNHCR Director of International Protection 
Services George Okoth-Obbo, and a dinner 
hosted by Charge for representatives from UN agencies and 
other international organizations in Syria.  Conversations 
focused on the vast needs of displaced Iraqis here and 
possible avenues to overcome systemic political and 
bureaucratic obstacles, which hinder the channeling of aid to 
needy Iraqis in Syria.  A/S Sauerbrey,s official meeting is 
reported ref A.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  (U) Assistant Secretary for Population, Refugees and 
Migration Ellen Sauerbrey visited Damascus March 11-13.  Her 
trip to Syria corresponded with that of Geneva-based visiting 
UNHCR Director of International Protection Services George 
Okoth-Obbo, and the two held a number of joint events. 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  UNHCR BRIEFING:  On the morning of March 12, A/S 
Sauerbrey reviewed UNHCR,s strategy to protect and assist 
displaced Iraqis in Syria with Okoth-Obbo and UNHCR Damascus 
office staff.  According to UNHCR Representative Laurens 
Jolles, at least 1 million Iraqis live in Syria, with 
approximately 20,000 to 30,000 arriving each month.  Most of 
the new arrivals are seeking third-country resettlement, he 
said.  UNHCR is increasing its programs 20 times this year, 
opening a new registration center in the Duma neighborhood of 
Damascus, as well as an office in Hassakeh in northeastern 
Syria where more than 10,000 displaced Iraqis now live. 
UNHCR hopes to register 200,000 Iraqis by the end of 2007, or 
more than 140,000 persons this year.  Additionally, it hopes 
to refer 7,500 individuals for resettlement in third 
countries.  At the same time, Jolles stressed, that UNHCR is 
seeking to tone down public statements about resettlement, as 
it is an unlikely option for all but the most vulnerable 
Iraqis. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) The February visit of UN High Commissioner Antonio 
Guterres helped alleviate SARG suspicions about the 
international community's goals in helping displaced Iraqis 
in Syria, Jolles asserted.  Syrian officials continue, 
however, to hold a range of views on whether the SARG should 
permit the provision of assistance, particularly via 
international NGOs and on how to manage that assistance, 
Jolles said.  The Syrian ministries of Education, Health and 
Higher Education have yet to sign up for a total of USD 8 
million in cooperative agreements UNHCR is prepared to 
provide, but Jolles expected that will happen within weeks. 
No international NGOs are officially registered in Syria and 
are unlikely to be registered any time soon, he said. 
Rather, they are slowly being permitted to work in a 
semi-legitimate status, usually associated with church 
organizations and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Okoth-Obbo discussed the lead up to the Geneva 
conference in April, stressing the need to respond 
effectively to the regional crisis of Iraqi refugees, 
including showing international appreciation for SARG 
generosity up until now.  He also explained that a key 
internal question for UNHCR has been whether to attempt to 
formalize what the SARG is already practicing or to "let 
sleeping dogs lie."  The confusion and panic caused by the 
SARG's recent (and now-aborted) efforts to fully enforce its 
immigration policies had convinced UNHCR to attempt to 
formalize SARG policies on admission.  UNHCR continues to 
push the SARG to accede to the 1951 Refugee Convention and, 
as recently as two weeks ago, the SARG had indicated 
accession was near, according to UNHCR officials (ref B). 
However, Jolles said that it seems more likely that the SARG 
will either pass national legislation on refugees or sign an 
MOU with UNHCR to provide a legal framework for the treatment 
of refugees here, postponing accession to the Convention. 
Jolles also asserted that neither the SARG nor the KRG were 
likely to allow entry to Palestinians from Iraq. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) BRIEFING WITH UNHCR PARTNERS:  In the afternoon of 
March 12, A/S Sauerbrey met with members of UNHCR's four 
implementing partners:  Caritas-Syria; the Syrian Arab Red 
 
DAMASCUS 00000285  002 OF 002 
 
 
Crescent; the Christian-based Ibrahim Khalil center, which 
runs a soup kitchen and a medical clinic; and the 
Christian-based Bon Pasteur group, which runs a small shelter 
and does vocational training for vulnerable women.  Officials 
for all four organizations stressed the overwhelming number 
of needs among the Iraqi community, particularly among women 
and children. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) BRIEFING WITH AMBASSADORS:  In the evening, Charge 
hosted a briefing by A/S Sauerbrey and Okoth-Obbo for 
Ambassadors from the countries that provide significant 
assistance and resettlement support to UNHCR.  Okoth-Obbo 
briefly discussed the April 17 Geneva conference, noting that 
Syria planned to participate.  Ambassadors queried the A/S 
about the political significance of her visit here and 
possible next steps.   A/S Sauerbrey responded that she had 
come to Syria to discuss assistance and resettlement issues 
linked to the Iraqi refugees, noting that the next step in 
this regard would likely occur at the Geneva conference. 
Several of the participants reviewed their own countries, 
efforts to assist refugees in Syria.  Two confirmed the SARG 
was totally intransigent on the issue of resettlement for the 
Palestinians trapped in the no-man's land between the Iraqi 
and Syrian border gates at Al Tanf crossing. 
 
¶8.  (SBU) DINNER WITH UN AND INTERNATIONAL AGENCIES:  The 
night of March 12, Charge hosted a dinner, attended by UN 
heads of mission and representatives from international and 
local organizations such as the International Office for 
Migration, the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, and the Aga Khan 
Development Network.  The Director of the MFA's Department of 
International Organizations Muhammed Faysal al-Hamwi also 
attended the dinner. 
 
¶9.  (U) A/S Sauerbrey's delegation cleared this cable. 
CORBIN