VZCZCXRO2461
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHKH #1248/01 2301505
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 171505Z AUG 08
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1640
INFO RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0096
RUEHRN/USMISSION UN ROME
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0282
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS 0102
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC 0265

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KHARTOUM 001248 
 
AIDAC 
 
DEPT FOR AF/SPG, S/CRS, PRM, AF SE WILLIAMSON 
NSC FOR PMARCHAM, MMAGAN, BPITTMAN, CHUDSON 
ADDIS ABABA ALSO FOR USAU 
DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SP, USAID/W DCHA SUDAN 
NAIROBI FOR USAID/DCHA/OFDA, USAID/REDSO, AND FAS 
GENEVA FOR NKYLOH 
NAIROBI FOR SFO 
NEW YORK FOR FSHANKS 
BRUSSELS FOR PBROWN 
USMISSION UN ROME FOR RNEWBERG 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID PREF PGOV PHUM SOCI UN SU
SUBJECT: SE WILLIAMSON'S MEETING WITH OCHA 
 
KHARTOUM 00001248  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
------- 
Summary 
------- 
 
¶1. (SBU) BEGIN SUMMARY. On August 14, UN Office for the Coordination 
of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Chief, Mike McDonagh, briefed Special 
Envoy Williamson on the current state of affairs in Darfur and 
Abyei.  Regarding Abyei, McDonagh noted progress with the pullout of 
the SPLM and SAF and the deployment of the JIU.  McDonagh's take on 
Darfur was mixed, as he noted that while security incidents in the 
first 6 months of 2008 are higher than the last 12 months combined, 
the overall humanitarian situation in Darfur is under control with 
health and nutrition indicators remaining steady.  END SUMMARY. 
 
------------------------ 
Positive Marks for Abyei 
------------------------ 
 
¶2. (SBU) Overall, McDonagh felt that Abyei is on track with both 
sides withdrawing, a JIU in place, and an Administrator and Deputy 
Administrator named.  Regarding the newly-created Administration, 
McDonagh noted it was a positive sign that Edward Lino was not 
appointed Abyei Administrator, echoing a sentiment heard earlier in 
the week from NGOs working in and around Abyei (septel).  McDonagh 
noted that IDPs would most likely start returning to Abyei in 
December or January, once infrastructure is in place. Currently, 
"people are better off where they are", McDonagh said, stating that 
it will take some time for resettlement programs to be implemented 
as such programs tend to be complicated to arrange.  McDonagh 
indicated that relief agencies are providing humanitarian assistance 
for the IDPs in Agok and overall, the humanitarian operations are 
going well.  On the issue of rebuilding Abyei, McDonagh stressed the 
importance of holding the parties responsible for the destruction of 
Abyei accountable for its rebuilding.  In terms of longer term 
planning for Abyei, McDonagh highlighted the importance of 
supporting programs at the local level that will facilitate 
community-building and ensure Missiriya populations have access when 
they start to return to the area in November. 
 
---------------------------------------- 
Security Incidents on the Rise in Darfur 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) McDonagh highlighted security as a major concern in Darfur: 
"We have seen more security incidents in the first 6 months of this 
year than we saw in the last 12 months combined", McDonagh said. 
Additionally, inter Arab and inter-opposition group fighting has led 
to new displacements and secondary displacements resulting in 1,000 
displacements a day in Darfur.  Although expats are very exposed in 
Darfur, humanitarian aid workers continue to operate there under 
what McDonagh called an "acceptable level of violence," highlighting 
the fact that despite the fact security conditions are bad, 
insecurity is not so severe as to cause NGOs to pull out of Darfur 
completely.  Expats are targets due to having lucrative assets not 
because they are expats, McDonagh said, highlighting the fact that 
only two expats have been killed to date in Darfur. One staff member 
was killed in a landmine accident, and the second from an allergic 
reaction to bee stings.  Currently there are 1,000 expats and 16,000 
national staff working in Darfur.  In light of the contentious 
relationship that the international community has with the 
government, McDonagh noted that the high numbers of relief staff are 
a surprising fact.  The fact humanitarian aid workers are still 
receiving visas for Sudan is something to note. 
 
---------------------- 
Access Still a Problem 
---------------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU)  McDonagh stated that overall access within Darfur is still 
a problem, with the humanitarian community relying increasingly on 
air transport to travel throughout Darfur.  He added this limited 
 
KHARTOUM 00001248  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
access has led to a decline in the quality of humanitarian 
programming, especially in the health and nutrition sectors where 
frequent and consistent oversight and monitoring of a program are 
critical to a program's success.  "This is a massive operation" 
McDonagh said, "but inputs are decreasing due to lack of access". 
In spite of all the constraints, McDonagh noted that nutrition 
indicators are holding steady.  "You are not going to find large 
pockets of malnutrition in Darfur" McDonagh said.  He attributes 
this to the fact that populations still have the ability to move to 
areas where they can get help.  Borders are open and people are able 
to cross.   As such, in McDonagh's words, we are not seeing 
"Ethiopian scale deaths" in Darfur. 
 
--------------------- 
Empty Bowls in Darfur 
--------------------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) According to McDonagh, providing food assistance is the 
most troubling aspect of the humanitarian response in Darfur.  "It 
is the most important thing we do", McDonagh said, stating that the 
current food situation is tenuous, but for the time being, under 
control. The Government of Sudan (GoS) needs to do more, McDonagh 
said, adding that between 2004 and 2008, the UN World Food Program 
(WFP) provided 2 million metric tons (MT) of food for Darfur, 
whereas the GoS contributed 20,000 MT of food and WFP paid the 
transport costs for the GoS food.  Whereas the total humanitarian 
aid donation has totaled approximately 4 billion USD, the GoS 
donation is a mere 4 million USD, which is only one tenth of one 
percent of the total food aid given to the hungry people in Darfur. 
 
 
------------------------ 
Decentralized Harassment 
------------------------ 
 
¶6. (SBU) Despite some positive steps forward, the NGO community 
continues to encounter government-initiated stumbling blocks. 
McDonagh sited harassment of the NGOs as still being a huge problem 
in Darfur.  There continues to be a troubling disconnect between the 
federal and state levels regarding rules and regulations for the 
NGOs.  Even though the General Directory of Procedures (GDP) is in 
place, state governments continue to create new requirements and put 
new restrictions in place for Darfur operations that are not 
addressed in the GDP.  According to McDonagh, this problem is most 
evident in South Darfur.  McDonagh attributes the increased 
harassment in South Darfur to Hassabo, the HAC Commissioner, who is 
from South Darfur.  McDonagh characterized Hassabo as a 
troublemaker.  This lack of government coordination leaves 
humanitarian organizations spending time on trying to meet HAC 
requirements instead of on program implementation. 
 
-------- 
Comment 
-------- 
 
¶7. (SBU) Although the recent successes in Abyei should be cautiously 
lauded (and monitored closely,) the ongoing humanitarian situation 
in Darfur is troubling.  According to McDonagh, the situation in the 
IDP camps in Darfur could not get much worse. Referring to the 
overall humanitarian situation in Darfur, McDonagh's sense was that 
the current status quo could continue forever.  While the GOS has 
taken some positive steps, and the problems of banditry are more 
often than not linked to undisciplined rebel groups, the problems of 
access and security will continue to plague humanitarian relief 
efforts.  The international community must continue to press the GOS 
on reducing bureaucratic impediments.  However, as McDonagh noted, 
relief workers are able to get visas despite the delays, and there 
are currently 1000 INGO expatriate staff in Darfur.  On the 
political front, every effort should be made to attempt to broker a 
new comprehensive ceasefire, which should include security 
guarantees for humanitarian access.  The new Chief Mediator should 
 
KHARTOUM 00001248  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
engage as soon as possible in this process. 
 
¶8. (U) SE Williamson did not clear this cable prior to his 
departure. 
 
ASQUINO