VZCZCXRO7185
OO RUEHGI RUEHMA RUEHROV
DE RUEHKH #1385/01 2470841
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 040841Z SEP 07
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8389
INFO RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHRN/USMISSION UN ROME

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 001385 
 
SIPDIS 
 
AIDAC 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR AF/SPG, PRM, AND ALSO PASS USAID/W 
USAID FOR DCHA SUDAN TEAM, DCHA/OFDA, AND AFR/SP 
NAIROBI FOR USAID/DCHA/OFDA, USAID/REDSO, USAID/SFO AND FAS 
GENEVA FOR NKYLOH 
NSC FOR PMARCHAM AND MMAGAN 
ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU 
USUN FOR TMALY 
BRUSSELS FOR PBROWN 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: EAID PREF PGOV PHUM SOCI UN SU
 
SUBJECT: SUDAN - FLOOD RESPONSE IN SOUTHERN SUDAN 
 
REF:  Khartoum 1271 
 
KHARTOUM 00001385  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1.  Summary.  Since June, flooding has affected more than 91,000 
people in Lakes, Warrab, Unity, Upper Nile, Northern Bahr el Ghazal, 
and Jonglei states in Southern Sudan, according to the U.N.  It is 
unclear whether the floods are worse than in previous years; 
however, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) report that more 
people are affected this year due to the influx of returnees. 
Poorly constructed roads appear to have caused flooding in Northern 
Bahr el Ghazal and Unity states.  The U.N. has been slow to 
coordinate assistance in Southern Sudan, and many information gaps 
remain.  USAID plans to provide USD 600,000 to the U.N. Office for 
the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Emergency Response 
Fund and USD 745,000 to Norwegian People's Aid (NPA) to airlift food 
and supplies to remote areas.  End summary. 
 
------------------------------------- 
POORLY CONSTRUCTED ROADS CAUSE FLOODS 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  In some areas of Northern Bahr el Ghazal and Unity states, 
poorly engineered roads appear to have caused flooding, rather than 
excessive rainfall.  For example, in Aweil East County, which 
received more than 20,000 returnees in 2007, the new road 
constructed by the Eyat Road Construction Company crossing the 
Wakabil River has caused flooding 8 km from Aweil town.  A USAID 
field monitor participated in an assessment of the area and reported 
that the road's culverts are insufficient, causing flooding on the 
western side of the road.  As a result, an estimated 8,000 people 
have been displaced. 
 
¶3.  While humanitarian agencies are responding in Aweil, the Eyat 
Road Construction Company has also donated 4.5 metric tons of 
sorghum and is drilling one borehole on the eastern side of the 
road, where the government plans to accommodate flood-affected 
families.  The company has used its machinery to clear the ground 
for settlement at the new site.  In private conversations with USAID 
staff, government officials reported that they are registering 
affected populations and assessing damage to request additional 
compensation from the company. 
 
¶4.  In Unity State, as reported reftel, humanitarian staff and 
government officials have not yet decided how to address the issue 
with private companies.  However, U.N. staff report that they are 
determining how to best use this year's flooding as an example to 
advocate for better road construction as Southern Sudan develops. 
 
----------------------------------------- 
FLOODING AFFECTS RETURNEES, FOOD SECURITY 
----------------------------------------- 
 
¶5.  Flooding has especially affected returnees, according to 
humanitarian agencies.  Many returnees were unable to plant until 
late in the planting season, as their first priority upon return had 
been constructing shelter.  Heavy early rains reportedly destroyed 
the nascent crops of many returnees.  While the particulars vary by 
situation, returnees are generally eligible to receive an initial 
three-month food ration and limited subsequent rations if needed. 
In Pagak, eastern Upper Nile State, USAID staff observed returnees, 
including visibly malnourished children, who had walked 200 km from 
Longechuk County after their initial three-month ration had run out. 
 Flooding had prevented relief agencies from delivering a second 
installment of food aid to Longechuk County, so the returnees walked 
to the Pagak way station, which they had passed through during their 
return journey.  Approximately 1,000 returnees have come back to 
Pagak to request second rations, according to Adventist Development 
and Relief Agency, which is distributing food at the way station. 
 
¶6.  The U.N. was unable to deliver food aid to 42 percent of 
intended beneficiaries in July, and a reduced harvest for this 
planting season appears likely at a time when Southern Sudan's 
population is rapidly increasing.  On August 28, the USAID-funded 
Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) reported that 
flooding has destroyed crops in areas of Upper Nile, Unity, Jonglei, 
and Lakes states, potentially extending the hunger period through 
December.  During a recent USAID visit to Jonglei State, the 
governor reported that flooding has destroyed more than 85 percent 
of crops in at least five counties:  Pochalla, Akobo, Nyriol, 
Fangak, and Bor. 
 
 
KHARTOUM 00001385  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶7.  However, FEWS NET reported that as flood waters recede in 
November and December, an increase in the availability of fish, 
water plants, and milk is likely to improve conditions.  FEWS NET 
and Jonglei officials reported that in some pockets, it may be 
possible to plant specific crops such as sorghum in November, 
mitigating some of the effects of the flood damage. 
 
---------------------------- 
U.N. COORDINATION LACKLUSTER 
---------------------------- 
 
¶8.  The U.N. has been slow to coordinate assistance at the state and 
county level due to staff shortages.  Because of internal 
transition, the U.N. Resident Coordinator's Office (RCO) lacks 
permanent officers in two of the most affected states, Unity and 
Jonglei, and the lead RCO officer in Upper Nile was on vacation 
during the flooding.  OCHA's Southern Sudan director recently 
departed post, further straining limited human resources.  U.N. 
agencies have not stepped in to play an effective role in 
sector-level coordination, although the U.N. Joint Logistics Center 
has produced useful maps and attemQed to extract information on 
non-food item stocks from NGOs. 
 
¶9.  U.N. leadership is particularly needed to gather and analyze 
information.  Many flood-affected areas in Southern Sudan remain 
completely inaccessible, making donors and program staff even more 
reliant on the limited available information to make program 
decisions.  While the U.N. is now hosting weekly coordination 
meetings in Juba and has assembled comprehensive reports in each 
state, the absence of this coordination in July and early August 
complicated USAID's efforts to provide immediate assistance. 
 
¶10.  The planning process for the countrywide U.N. Flash Appeal in 
August was a much-needed catalyst to promote information sharing and 
response planning in the south.  Through the Flash Appeal, the U.N. 
and partners have requested more than USD 20 million to provide 
relief and recovery assistance throughout Sudan, including the 
north.  It is not yet clear whether donors will provide substantial 
funding toward this appeal. 
 
¶11.  The U.N. Mission in Sudan (UNMIS), which has a fleet of 
helicopters, has played only a small role in relief efforts.  The 
Jonglei State Governor told USAID that UNMIS denied his request to 
transport supplies to flood-affected areas; a Moldovan oil company 
provided the assistance instead.  OCHA staff noted that, after much 
negotiation, UNMIS agreed to provide eight single flight legs for 
flood assistance.  It remains to be seen whether UNMIS fulfills this 
minimal pledge. 
 
-------------- 
USAID RESPONSE 
-------------- 
 
¶12.  The USAID offices of Food for Peace and U.S. Foreign Disaster 
Assistance plan to provide more than USD 1.3 million in assistance 
for flood-affected communities in Southern Sudan.  USAID plans to 
provide USD 745,600 to NPA to fly food and relief supplies to remote 
areas of Unity, Upper Nile, and Jonglei states.  The supplies 
include household items and fishing kits, which will help address 
food security issues.  In addition, USAID plans to provide USD 
600,000 to OCHA's Emergency Response Fund.  Through this mechanism, 
NGOs can obtain small grants for localized response efforts.  Other 
current USAID partners are responding through existing programs in 
flood-affected areas.  USAID will continue to monitor the situation 
and provide additional reporting as needed. 
FERNANDEZ