VZCZCXRO6440
PP RUEHGI RUEHMA RUEHROV
DE RUEHKH #1600/01 2840649
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 110649Z OCT 07
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8816
INFO RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHRN/USMISSION UN ROME

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KHARTOUM 001600 
 
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 
GENEVA FOR NKYLOH 
NAIROBI FOR SFO 
NSC FOR PMARCHAM, MMAGAN, AND TSHORTLEY 
ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU 
USUN FOR TMALY 
BRUSSELS FOR PBROWN 
USMISSION UN ROME FOR HSPANOS 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: EAID PREF PGOV PHUM SOCI UN SU
SUBJECT:  SUDAN - DISASTER REDECLARATION 
 
 
KHARTOUM 00001600  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
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Summary 
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¶1.  The humanitarian situation in Sudan continues to warrant U.S. 
Government (USG) assistance to meet the emergency requirements of 
conflict-affected civilian populations throughout the country.  USG 
humanitarian assistance in Sudan saves lives, mitigates the economic 
impact of conflict on livelihoods, and fosters economic recovery. 
The provision of humanitarian and transitional assistance is in the 
foreign policy interest of the USG, and the Sudanese government will 
continue to accept USG assistance as the humanitarian situation is 
beyond local capacity to manage.  Charge d'Affaires Fernandez 
therefore redeclares a disaster due to the ongoing complex emergency 
in Sudan.  End Summary. 
 
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Darfur 
------ 
 
¶2.  In Fiscal Year (FY) 2007, interethnic clashes, fighting between 
armed opposition groups and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), Arab 
militia attacks, aerial bombardments, and inter-factional fighting 
among the non-signatories to the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA) 
displaced more than a quarter of a million people.  As of September 
2007, nearly 2.2 million people resided in internally displaced 
person (IDP) camps and settlements throughout Darfur and an 
additional 2 million people are affected by the ongoing conflict. 
In FY 2007, South Darfur experienced the highest levels of new 
internal displacement. 
 
¶3. Despite the signing of the DPA in May 2006, insecurity increased 
throughout Darfur in 2006 and 2007, while humanitarian access to 
vulnerable populations sharply declined.  According to the UN, 
humanitarian organizations were only able to access 73 percent of 
the affected population in July 2007.  From January to June 2007, 
humanitarian agencies had the lowest levels of access to 
conflict-affected populations in Darfur since July 2004. 
 
¶4. A major factor that inhibited delivery of humanitarian assistance 
was the frequent and dangerous attacks on aid agencies that 
persisted all year.  According to UN reports, attacks against aid 
workers increased by 150 percent from June 2006 to June 2007.   From 
January to September 2007, 97 vehicles were carjacked, 105 staff 
were temporarily taken hostage, 66 humanitarian personnel were 
physically or sexually assaulted, and 61 convoys were ambushed and 
looted. 
 
¶5. In addition to the challenges of new displacement, violence 
against humanitarian agencies, and decreased humanitarian access, 
many camps have reached maximum capacity and new camps have not yet 
been established.  Further, underground water reservoirs, trees, and 
other natural resources are rapidly being depleted to meet the 
growing needs of IDPs and relief organizations.  In FY 2007, the UN 
reported the first increase in malnutrition levels across Darfur 
since 2004.  Nutrition experts have attributed the rise in 
malnutrition to a variety of causal factors, including reduced 
access to services due to insecurity and inconsistent humanitarian 
access to many areas outside of the state capitals. 
 
¶6. The conflict in Darfur has become protracted, reducing the 
likelihood that displaced populations will return to their areas of 
origin in the near future and necessitating a sustained relief 
operation to support more than 2.2 million people with food, health 
care, protection, and water, sanitation, and hygiene services in the 
coming months.  USG humanitarian assistance provides life-saving 
services to millions of IDPs and conflict-affected populations in 
Darfur. 
 
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Southern Sudan 
-------------- 
 
¶7.  The signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) on 
January 9, 2005, between the Government of Sudan and the Sudan 
People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) began a new era of transition 
and recovery in Southern Sudan.  In FY 2007, it is evident that 
security has greatly improved since the signing of the CPA and 
people and goods are moving freely.  However, the Government of 
Southern Sudan (GOSS) has limited capacity to respond to 
 
KHARTOUM 00001600  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
humanitarian needs.  Neither GOSS nor new long-term funding 
mechanisms have been able to provide adequate new resource flows to 
expand basic social services, such as health care and water, 
sanitation, and hygiene.  In 2008, half a million people displaced 
by the long civil war are expected to return to their homes 
throughout Southern Sudan, taxing scarce resources and further 
stressing services and infrastructure that are already inadequate 
for the current population.  Expectations are high among Southern 
Sudanese that peace will bring improved services and economic 
recovery.  The reality is that improvements are happening slowly 
outside of the major towns, threatening stability and support for 
the CPA. 
 
¶8. In FY 2008, in keeping with its mandate to save lives and reduce 
suffering, USAID's Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance 
(USAID/OFDA) will focus on providing assistance in areas with 
highest IDP returns and with the greatest risk of returning to 
conflict.  USAID/OFDA anticipates the largest program sector will 
continue to be emergency primary health care.  Food security is 
expected to be the second major program sector, aiming to promote 
production and livelihoods, stimulate local markets, and reduce the 
need for external aid.  Other major program areas for USAID/OFDA are 
likely to be the expansion of water and sanitation facilities in 
rural areas and direct assistance to returning IDPs. 
 
-------------------------------------------- 
The Three Areas, Northern, and Eastern Sudan 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶9. The CPA has had a less visible impact in the Three Areas of 
Abyei, Southern Kordofan, and Blue Nile.  Although security has 
greatly improved and people now enjoy freedom of movement, major 
problems persist.  In Abyei, lack of political agreement has 
prevented the formation of a local authority and the demarcation of 
the north-south border, which would determine oil revenue sharing 
and who would vote in the 2011 referendum.  Tensions in Abyei are 
high due to both ethnic and political divisions.  In Southern 
Kordofan and Blue Nile, joint state governments have been formed by 
the two main political parties.  However, the imbalance in 
infrastructure and services between former government-controlled and 
opposition-controlled areas remains stark.  Many underlying causes 
of the civil war are still unresolved.  All three areas have a high 
number of returning IDPs and refugees, particularly in the former 
opposition areas, where heavy fighting occurred during the war and 
where services are poorest. 
 
¶10. In FY 2008, USAID/OFDA will continue to prioritize humanitarian 
programs in the Three Areas, focusing on primary health care, water 
and sanitation, and food security and livelihoods. 
 
---------------------------------- 
USAID/OFDA Humanitarian Assistance 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶11.  In FY 2007, USAID/OFDA helped meet immediate humanitarian needs 
in Sudan while transitioning to longer-term development activities 
where appropriate.  USAID/OFDA responded robustly to the intense 
humanitarian emergency in Darfur and provided basic humanitarian 
services in areas of Sudan recovering from conflict, particularly 
for returning IDPs.  In FY 2007, USAID/OFDA provided more than USD 
104 million to 28 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and UN 
partners working in Darfur for multi-sector interventions to assist 
IDPs and vulnerable populations.  In the rest of Sudan, USAID/OFDA 
awarded more than USD 60 million to 29 NGO and UN partners for 
emergency programs in the sectors of health, food security and 
agriculture, income generation, nutrition, protection, capacity 
building, coordination, and water, sanitation, and hygiene.  USAID's 
overall package of emergency assistance included contributions from 
USAID/OFDA, USAID's Office of Food For Peace (USAID/FFP), and 
USAID's Office of Transition Initiatives (USAID/OTI). 
 
¶12. In addition to the ongoing complex emergency in Sudan, flooding 
that began in late June 2007 affected more than 500,000 people in 
northern, eastern, and southern states.  Above average rainfall and 
rising water levels along the Nile, Gash, and Atbara rivers affected 
communities in Southern Kordofan, Gezira, Sinnar, Kassala, Upper 
Nile, Jonglei, and Unity states.  On July 19, the Charge d'Affaires 
declared a disaster due to the effects of flooding in Sudan.  In 
response, USAID/OFDA airlifted relief supplies, including 1,300 
rolls of plastic sheeting, and provided nearly USD 1.6 million to 
 
KHARTOUM 00001600  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
support the flood response activities of NGOs and UN agencies. 
 
---------------------- 
Disaster Redeclaration 
---------------------- 
 
¶13. In light of the above, Charge d'Affaires Fernandez redeclares a 
humanitarian disaster caused by the complex emergency in Sudan and 
requests continued support from USAID/OFDA. 
 
POWERS