VZCZCXRO0534
PP RUEHGI RUEHMA RUEHROV
DE RUEHKH #1988/01 3470639
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 130639Z DEC 07
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9540
INFO RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHRN/USMISSION UN ROME

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KHARTOUM 001988 
 
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 BPITTMAN 
ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU 
USUN FOR TMALY 
BRUSSELS FOR PBROWN 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: EAID PREF PGOV PHUM SOCI UN SU
SUBJECT:  DARFUR - WATER, SANITATION, AND HYGIENE UPDATE 
 
 
KHARTOUM 00001988  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
------- 
Summary 
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¶1. From November 11 to 24, a water, sanitation, and hygiene 
specialist from USAID's Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance 
(USAID/OFDA) traveled to North and South Darfur to evaluate the 
effectiveness of ongoing USAID-funded programs and make 
recommendations for future interventions.  The USAID/OFDA specialist 
reported that all non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are 
implementing water and sanitation interventions in a satisfactory 
manner.  Major challenges face implementing agencies in Darfur, 
including insecurity and the increasing water, sanitation, and 
hygiene needs resulting from continued and new population 
displacements.  Sectoral coordination and interventions have 
improved in the past year, despite the limitations created by 
insecurity.  The USAID/OFDA specialist reported that agencies are 
rapidly assessing the needs of displaced populations and 
implementing effective activities.  The primary focus for the water, 
sanitation, and hygiene sector continues to be delivery of 
comprehensive, well coordinated interventions to internally 
displaced person (IDP) populations in camps and large host 
communities.  The major challenges facing the sector in 2008 will be 
increased needs from newly displaced populations and aging camp 
infrastructure. End Summary. 
 
---------- 
Background 
---------- 
 
¶2. The USAID/OFDA specialist met in Khartoum with representatives 
from the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), UN Educational, Scientific, 
and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and the UN Environment Program 
(UNEP).  In Darfur, the USAID/OFDA specialist met with 
representatives from UNICEF, the UN World Health Organization (WHO), 
and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 
(OCHA), as well as USAID implementing partners International Rescue 
Committee (IRC), CARE, Action Contre la Faim (ACF), American Refugee 
Committee (ARC), World Relief, GOAL, Mercy Corps, and World Vision. 
In addition, the specialist met with three other NGOs not funded by 
USAID: Medecins Sans Frontieres/Holland (MSF/H), Oxfam, and 
Triangle. 
 
¶3. The USAID/OFDA specialist visited several IDP camps, including As 
Salaam and Abu Shouk in North Darfur and Otash, Derieg, and Sakali 
Old Camp in South Darfur.  Security issues in Darfur limited access 
to rural project sites and prevented a more comprehensive assessment 
of USAID-funded activities.  The specialist previously traveled to 
Darfur to conduct similar humanitarian assessments for USAID in June 
2004, May 2005, and May 2006. 
 
¶4. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2007, USAID/OFDA provided USD 24.2 million to 
support water, sanitation, and hygiene activities in Darfur. 
Funding in this sector represents approximately 24 percent of 
USAID/OFDA's total budget for non-food humanitarian assistance in 
Darfur. 
 
-------- 
Findings 
-------- 
 
¶5. According to the specialist's assessment, all USAID-funded 
organizations visited in Darfur are implementing effective water, 
sanitation, and hygiene interventions, despite the chronic 
challenges of insecurity, logistics, and bureaucratic impediments. 
However, recent increases in IDP populations resulting from 
relocation and new displacement have created an increased need for 
water, sanitation, and hygiene interventions.  Meeting these 
unforeseen needs has budget implications that may limit the 
successful delivery of services for additional influxes of IDPs. 
Replacing aging camp infrastructure is also an increasing financial 
burden for organizations. 
 
¶6. COORDINATION:  All NGOs interviewed stated they deliver a 
standardized comprehensive water, sanitation, and hygiene program 
either independently or in conjunction with other NGOs.  This 
coordination has resulted in a significant improvement in services 
since 2006.  UNICEF's leadership in the sector is satisfactory, 
according to the specialist.  Agencies use sector coordination 
meetings and related workgroups, which were formed to address 
critical issues, to effectively solve water and sanitation problems 
 
KHARTOUM 00001988  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
throughout the region.  The presence of UNICEF and WHO technical 
staff are instrumental in improving sectoral coordination. 
 
¶7. TECHNICAL CAPACITY:  The technical staff of UNICEF and WHO offer 
expert advice to the NGO community, facilitate meetings, and lead 
work sessions that address critical water and sanitation needs. 
Their knowledge and experience has assisted in implementation of 
comprehensive NGO programs.  In 2007, UNICEF and Oxfam developed 14 
technical guidance manuals on water, sanitation, and hygiene that 
are now undergoing final NGO review.  The manuals will be adopted as 
best practice guidance for water, sanitation, and hygiene in Darfur 
and will help to standardize and improve interventions. 
 
¶8. HEALTH AND HYGIENE PROMOTION:  In 2007, the water, sanitation, 
and hygiene sector improved the delivery of health and hygiene 
services.  NGOs promote hygiene in concert with other interventions, 
not as separate programs as in the past.  The health and hygiene 
programs include strong tools -- such as knowledge, attitudes, and 
practice (KAP) surveys -- that NGOs use to evaluate the 
effectiveness of their interventions.  Camp hygiene promoters 
partner closely with water program staff to ensure maximum impact. 
Water and hygiene staff work together to conduct household water 
sampling and initiate campaigns to clean water containers and 
disinfect water. 
 
¶9. CHOLERA OUTBREAK AVOIDED:  During the 2006 Darfur cholera 
outbreak, WHO recorded 2,768 cases of acute watery diarrhea.  This 
was avoided in 2007 through an aggressive hygiene promotion and 
water disinfection campaign prior to the rainy season that monitored 
water supplies daily and chlorinated all water supplies. 
Chlorination monitors were stationed at hand pumps to educate the 
public and disinfect water in household containers.  Hygiene 
promoters visited homes to test water supplies and educate residents 
on cholera prevention.  The campaign was implemented by UNICEF, the 
Government of National Unity's Office of Water and Environmental 
Sanitation (WES), and other organizations and was co-funded by 
USAID/OFDA.  To date in 2007, WHO has not reported any cases of 
acute watery diarrhea or cholera throughout Darfur, indicating a 
significant achievement for the humanitarian community. 
 
¶10. DRINKING WATER:  NGOs are meeting Sphere standards for water 
quality and quantity in all stable camp environments.  Large 
influxes of IDPs due to insecurity temporarily overburden water 
supplies, but relief agencies rapidly expand services to meet the 
changing needs.  In 2008, improving water quality at the household 
level is a critical objective for the sector.  In 2007, the sector 
discovered that water samples taken at homes were contaminated 
despite chlorination at watering points, which dispensed 
decontaminated water.  In some camps in North Darfur, more than 90 
percent of water tested at households was found to have bacterial 
contamination.  The sector is addressing this with large-scale 
household water sampling, hygiene education, and jerry can cleaning 
and exchange campaigns.  These efforts have decreased the rate of 
contaminated household water supplies dramatically, to as low as 5 
percent in some camps. 
 
¶11. GROUNDWATER MONITORING:  In June, with support from USAID/OFDA, 
UNICEF implemented a water well monitoring program to evaluate water 
extraction rates and sustainability of groundwater resources. 
UNICEF is providing ground water measuring equipment and training to 
NGOs.  UNICEF hopes to gather enough data in 2008 to develop camp 
water resource management guidance and develop water shortage 
contingency plans. (Note: In FY 2007, USAID/OFDA began requiring all 
partners in the water, sanitation, and hygiene sector to monitor 
wells. End Note.) 
 
¶12. SANITATION: NGOs are meeting Sphere standards for latrine usage 
in all stable camp environments.  As with water resources, large 
influxes of IDPs due to insecurity temporarily overburden camp 
sanitation services, but relief organizations rapidly take action to 
meet the changing needs.  Latrine construction is costly and 
unforeseen increases in camp population impact NGOs' budgets. 
 
¶13. SOLID WASTE COLLECTION: Solid waste collection involves either 
removing the solid waste from camp or burning the waste in the camp 
at designated sites.  NGO staff interviewed stated that their 
organizations all implement solid waste activities as part of the 
comprehensive water, sanitation, and hygiene program, but the 
USAID/OFDA specialist noted that some improvements were needed in 
this area. 
 
 
KHARTOUM 00001988  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
¶14. SUSTAINABILITY: In 2007, UNICEF and some USAID-funded NGOs have 
piloted programs to transfer the delivery of water, sanitation, and 
hygiene interventions to camp residents through use of water 
committees.  NGOs provide oversight, guidance, evaluation, and 
material support to the committees.  Camp residents have generally 
accepted this, but a few camps have been less enthusiastic.  This 
transfer of service delivery is motivated by the recognition that 
funding and operations are temporary.  The transfer of services 
appears to have increased the sustainability of some water, 
sanitation, and hygiene camp operations.  For example, from the end 
of October to mid-November in Kalma IDP camp, NGOs evacuated the 
camp, but water facilities continued to operate until fuel ran out 
and were protected by water committees during the absence of NGOs. 
 
 
----------- 
Conclusions 
----------- 
 
¶15. In general, the water, sanitation, and hygiene sector is meeting 
international standards for emergency response in Darfur.  While 
insecurity and new displacement continue to present challenges for 
relief operations, agencies working in the water, sanitation, and 
hygiene sector have responded rapidly and effectively in 2007.  In 
Darfur, the sector has high levels of technical capacity and 
agencies have a proactive approach to hygiene promotion, which has 
resulted in preventing a cholera outbreak following the 2007 rainy 
season. 
 
FERNANDEZ