VZCZCXRO8040
PP RUEHGI RUEHMA RUEHROV
DE RUEHKH #0775/01 1370706
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 170706Z MAY 07
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7236
INFO RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHRN/USMISSION UN ROME

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 000775 
 
SIPDIS 
 
AIDAC 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR AF/SPG, PRM, AND ALSO PASS USAID/W 
USAID FOR DCHA SUDAN TEAM, AFR/SP 
NAIROBI FOR SFO 
NSC FOR PMARCHAM, MMAGAN, AND TSHORTLEY 
ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU 
USUN FOR TMALY 
BRUSSELS FOR PLERNER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID PREF PGOV PHUM SOCI SU
SUBJECT: DARFUR - HUMANITARIAN ACCESS DOWN BY 40 PERCENT IN SOUTH 
DARFUR 
 
 
KHARTOUM 00000775  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
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SUMMARY 
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(U) According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian 
Affairs (OCHA), aid agencies now have 40 percent less access to 
conflict-affected populations, including internally displaced 
persons (IDPs), in South Darfur than they had one year ago.  Relief 
agencies consistently cite limited humanitarian access as one of the 
major obstacles in Darfur.  Insecurity, direct targeting of 
humanitarian agencies, and administrative delays hinder daily 
operations for non-governmental organization (NGO) working in 
Darfur.  In meetings with USAID's Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster 
Assistance (USAID/OFDA) Director Ky Luu, OCHA stated that 
humanitarian agencies access to affected populations in Darfur 
decreases by one area per week and expect that this will very 
quickly begin to impact the health and nutritional status of 
affected populations in the coming months.  Regaining humanitarian 
space largely hinges on a successful political solution to the 
Darfur conflict, according to the humanitarian actors that the 
USAID/OFDA Director met with in the state capitals.  End Summary. 
 
¶1. (U) In all three Darfur states, an estimated 900,000 people out 
of a total affected population of 3.8 million people currently can 
not be accessed by aid agencies.  The inaccessible populations live 
in rural areas outside of towns or IDP settlements with helicopter 
landing sites.  USAID/OFDA is concerned that the humanitarian 
community is losing ground and increasingly unable to provide 
life-saving services to hundreds of thousands of IDPs.  If the 
populations can not access water or health services they may begin 
to migrate to other areas, which would further complicate the 
displacement situation and increase demands on aid agencies.  The 
rainy season is expected to begin in May, which has historically 
decreased fighting and insecurity in Darfur.  However, the rains 
also render roads impassible, which will further limit access to 
rural populations. 
 
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NORTH DARFUR 
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¶2. (U) In North Darfur, humanitarian access is limited by banditry, 
insecurity, fighting, and occasional Sudanese government bombings in 
rural areas.  The International Rescue Committee told the USAID/OFDA 
Director that over the last nine months it had been unable to access 
beneficiaries living along the El Fasher-Kutum road.  While agencies 
are able to fly to Kutum town, providing services outside of town 
has been severely limited.  The same holds true for most of North 
Darfur's other towns, with the town being accessible and the rural 
areas unreachable. 
 
¶3. (U) On April 23, staff from the International Organization for 
Migration (IOM) briefed the USAID/OFDA Director on population 
movements in North Darfur.  IOM reported that unconfirmed displaced 
populations have returned to Dar Zagawa area near Umm Baru, Kutum 
locality.  According to IOM, as camps become more insecure, 
populations are beginning to return to Dar Zagawa.  IOM stated that 
it is a major protection concern to have an unmonitored population 
shifting north to Dar Zagawa area in the dry season.  IOM also 
stated that the OCHA displacement figures are often inaccurate as 
they rely on estimates provided by community leaders and are not 
verified through standardized assessment procedures.  Both OCHA and 
IOM reported that providing assistance in the Kutum locality needs 
to be approached cautiously in order to avoid creating a pull factor 
for the 90,000 Sudanese refugees living in Chad, just across the 
border.  USAID/OFDA is concerned that the current movements of 
displaced populations are unmonitored and that insecurity may 
prevent the humanitarian community from providing services to the 
displaced populations. 
 
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WEST DARFUR 
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¶4. (U) On April 24, the UN Country Team in El Geneina briefed the 
USAID/OFDA Director on the current humanitarian situation.  The UN 
staff stated that the humanitarian community has nearly "lost its 
grip" on the humanitarian situation in the rural areas and that 
relief operations are concentrated in the 15 to 20 
helicopter-accessible locations.  In West Darfur, there are 
approximately 50 IDP settlements, although the number of settlements 
is currently expanding and the new areas require additional 
 
KHARTOUM 00000775  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
assistance.  In addition, the UN team commented that humanitarian 
assistance has adapted to the chronic insecurity by conducting "hit 
and run" operations.  Although less than ideal, these operations 
have been able to stabilize a good portion of the population and 
continue to provide assistance to 800,000 people out of a total 
population of 1.8 million in West Darfur.  The Kulbus corridor has 
been particularly volatile.  Since July 2006, relief agencies have 
been relocated from Kulbus area three times. 
 
¶5. (U) The situation in Zalingei and Jebel Marra localities differs 
from the western part of West Darfur significantly.  In Jebel Marra, 
humanitarian access is limited by ongoing fighting between the 
Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Sudan Liberation Army faction 
led by Abdul Wahid (SLA/Wahid), according to OCHA. 
 
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SOUTH DARFUR 
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¶6. (U) According to the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) staff in Nyala, 
South Darfur is affected less by aerial bombing and fighting between 
SAF and opposition groups than the other states.  However, South 
Darfur is most affected by interethnic fighting and has recorded the 
highest number of newly displaced people since January.  In Kass and 
Buram localities, interethnic fighting has displaced thousands of 
people since December 2006.  In March, aid agencies were able to 
access populations in Kass on a limited basis.  In Buram, access to 
the populations has been more or less cut-off for more than six 
months, many of the people from Buram are arriving in Nyala-area IDP 
camps such as Otash.  OCHA described the humanitarian impact of 
restricted access, conflict, and insecurity as causing displacement 
and dispersement into rural areas, where aid agencies can not reach 
the populations.  In addition, OCHA cautioned that while private 
contractors may be able to deliver aid, the contractors will have to 
pay protection money, which will fuel insecurity. 
 
¶7. (U) The impact of the January 19 incident in Nyala, when 20 aid 
workers were attacked and arrested at a social gathering, has also 
reduced humanitarian space.  The incident has impacted staff morale, 
security, and the organizations' operations.  Aid workers are 
increasingly violently targeted, impacting relief programs, 
particularly in South Darfur. 
 
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COMMENTS 
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¶8. (U) While humanitarian access has been a major concern since May 
2006, USAID/OFDA sees this trend as especially concerning.  As 
access continues to decline, needs are increasing.  Since January, 
OCHA has reported more than 100,000 newly displaced people in 
Darfur, many of whom require food, relief commodities, and shelter 
materials.  Those that arrive in camps or organized IDP settlements 
will receive services, but those that are dispersed into rural areas 
will not receive immediate assistance.  USAID/OFDA staff will 
coordinate with NGO and UN partners to monitor the situation and 
ensure that as much of the conflict-affected population receives 
assistance.  However, a political solution leading to a more stable 
security situation in Darfur is critical to preventing a further 
deterioration of humanitarian space. 
 
POWERS