VZCZCXRO4109
OO RUEHGI RUEHMA RUEHROV RUEHTRO
DE RUEHKH #0323/01 0681329
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 091329Z MAR 09
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3196
INFO RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 KHARTOUM 000323 
 
AIDAC 
 
DEPT FOR AF A A/S CARTER, AF/SPG, AF/C 
ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU 
DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SUDAN 
DEPT FOR AF/SPG, S/CRS, PRM, AF 
NSC FOR MGAVIN AND CHUDSON 
ADDIS ABABA ALSO FOR USAU 
DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SP, USAID/W DCHA SUDAN 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID ASEC PGOV PREL KPKO SOCI AU UNSC SU
SUBJECT: EXPELLED NGOS MEET WITH USAID AND EMBASSY STAFF 
 
REF: (A) KHARTOUM 319 
 (B) KHARTOUM 313 
 (C) KHARTOUM 311 
     (D) KHARTOUM 306 
     (E) KHARTOUM 299 
 
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SUMMARY 
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¶1.  (SBU) SUMMARY: On March 8, the expatriate staff from several 
non-governmental organizations (NGOs) met with CDA Fernandez, 
Emboffs, and USAID staff in Khartoum.  NGOs provided a summary of 
GOS harassment, program close-out and ongoing bureaucratic issues to 
date following the GOS order for their expulsion from Sudan 
(reftels).  Specific cases of harassment of NGO staff will be 
reported septel.  NGO staff appealed to the USG and UN for their 
advocacy on the current situation and CDA briefed the NGOs on US 
Embassy, donor and UN actions to date.  CDA and emboffs have been in 
daily contact with the UN and government officials.  For now the UN 
has delayed the departure of the NGOs and the UN will attempt 
several stop-gap measures to meet IDP needs while conducting a joint 
assessment in Darfur with the GOS, but soon a more comprehensive 
plan will be required.  The UN Humanitarian Coordinator will likely 
host a donor meeting in Khartoum in the coming days.  Post will 
propose options septel for Washington input and approval.  CDA and 
Emboffs including USAID plan to travel to Darfur in the coming days. 
END SUMMARY. 
 
----------------------------------------- 
EMBASSY KHARTOUM MEETS WITH AFFECTED NGOs 
----------------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU) On March 8 CDA Fernandez, US Embassy staff, and USAID's 
Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA), USAID's 
Office of Food for Peace (USAID/FFP), and USAID's Office of 
Transition Initiatives (USAID/OTI) staff met with expatriate staff 
members from the recently expelled organizations Action Contre la 
Faim (ACF), CHF International, the International Rescue Committee 
(IRC), PADCO-AECOM, and Save the Children/US (SC/US) to discuss 
ongoing program close-out, Government of National Unity (GNU) 
harassment, bureaucratic impediments, and staff morale and overall 
concerns (harassment of NGO employees and embassy actions to 
mitigate this are reported septel). 
 
¶3.  (SBU) The CDA noted ongoing USG efforts to engage the GNU and 
convince the government to reverse, suspend, or delay the 
expulsions.  At the same time the Embassy is conscious of the fact 
that aggressive USG engagement could lead to additional backlash 
from the GNU and escalate the situation.  Although the UN, Embassy, 
international donors and implementing partners continue to request 
that the Government of National Unity (GNU) reconsider the March 4 
and 5 decisions to suspend 13 international and 3 local NGOs, the 
GNU insists that the decision is irreversible, with many within the 
regime saying the expulsions are long overdue and that more 
diplomats and NGOs could be expelled.  The GNU however, is willing 
to consider a modification to the expulsions by agreeing, on a case 
by case basis, to allow some NGOs to delay their departure long 
enough to ensure there is no gaps in service.  Additionally, 
following negotiations with the UN the GNU has agreed to return all 
UN assets that were seized, stop their campaign of intimidation of 
NGOs and further seizure of assets, and allow NGOs to leave the 
country.  (Note: At a UN/NGO/Donor meeting held on March 9, NGOs 
continued to report incidents of (personal)asset seizures, staff 
intimidation and staff being held against their will in Darfur and 
Khartoum.  End Note.) GOS/HAC stressed that the expulsion delay was 
not a blanket approval for all NGOs to stay longer; rather, the 
delay would only be for a few days or weeks and would depend on the 
sector and task following the joint assessment exercise that the UN 
and HAC will conduct in Darfur starting on Wednesday. 
 
------------------------------ 
ASSESSING THE IMPACT IN DARFUR 
------------------------------ 
¶5.  (SBU) According to UN officials, the GNU is challenging the UN's 
statistics on affected population saying the UN is exaggerating the 
situation and painting a picture that is far too grim.  As a result, 
per an agreement with the UN, the HAC is in the process of forming 
four joint technical teams to assess the impact on food, 
water/sanitation, health and shelter sectors.   According to the UN, 
the NGO suspension removes 6,500 humanitarian staff from critical 
 
KHARTOUM 00000323  002 OF 004 
 
 
programs in Darfur.  Although UN agencies affirmed their commitment 
to cover the critical gaps caused by the suspension, the UN has 
highlighted that the remaining humanitarian capacity in Sudan is 
insufficient to meet the significant needs of the affected 
populations. 
¶6.  (SBU) The UN has documented gaps in health, nutrition, shelter, 
non-food item (NFI), water, sanitation, and hygiene services and 
presented the information to the GNU. 
Although only five days old, the decision to expel 40 percent of 
Darfur's humanitarian staff is already having an impact on the 
region.  According to OCHA and USAID staff, the absence of 
humanitarian staff is exacerbating a health crisis in several 
internally displaced person (IDP) camps in South and West Darfur. 
On March 2, the Darfur Ministry of Health declared a meningitis 
outbreak in Kalma camp, near Nyala, South Darfur.  As of March 4, 
Mdecins Sans Frontihres (MSF) had reported 32 meningitis cases in 
Kalma camp, including four fatalities.  Although MSF/Netherlands 
(MSF/H) had planned to conduct a vaccination campaign targeting 
130,000 individuals in and around Nyala town, the expulsion of MSF/H 
staff leaves the IDP and host population vulnerable to meningitis 
and without health care.  Prior to the expulsion, MSF/France (MSF/F) 
had also planned a vaccination campaign for 40,000 individuals in 
Jebel Marra, West Darfur, particularly near Nertiti town and Thur 
camp, where MSF/F staff registered 17 cases of meningitis since 
early February.  Meningitis is highly contagious, particularly in 
overcrowded IDP camps during the January to April dry season. 
However, a meningitis patient receiving rapid and appropriate 
treatment has a mortality rate of 5 to 10 percent, whereas an 
untreated meningitis patient has a 50 percent mortality rate. 
 
¶8.  (SBU) ACF, CARE, IRC, Mercy Corps, Oxfam and Solidarits were 
the main partners in the Water and Sanitation Sector in Darfur and 
North Sudan.  Following their departure, some Darfur camps are at 
risk of being without clean water supplies by March 9.  The largest 
camp without water may be Kalma camp where CARE and Oxfam provided 
the service to the camp's 92,000 residents until the March 4 
expulsions. Although UNICEF continues to support the GNU Office of 
Water and Environmental Sanitation (WES) in Kalma camp, WES is 
beyond its operational capacity and unable to provide enough clean 
water for the IDP camp.  USAID staff also caution that additional 
camps may experience water shortages due to the departure of CARE 
International, the IRC, and Oxfam, which were the most significant, 
and in some cases the only water providers to several South Darfur 
IDP camps, including Al Salam, Bielel, Dereig, El Sereif, Kass, 
Otash, and Sekele camps.  If the gaps in services are not filled in 
a timely manner, the risk of acute water diarrhea and cholera 
outbreak will be high. 
 
¶9.  (SBU) Preliminary analysis by USAID/OFDA indicates that the NGO 
suspension impacts approximately 54 percent of USAID/OFDA's current 
programs and beneficiaries throughout Darfur.  The results vary 
across each of the Darfur states, with the suspension of 36 percent 
of USAID/OFDA's South Darfur programs, 61 percent of USAID/OFDA's 
North Darfur programs, and 73 percent of USAID/OFDA's West Darfur 
programs. 
 
¶10.  (SBU) On March 6, USAID/FFP met with the UN World Food Program 
(WFP) Darfur Coordinator in Khartoum to discuss the impact of the 
NGO expulsions on the massive food aid operation in Darfur.  WFP 
relies heavily on its NGO partners for food aid distribution to two 
and half to more than three million people per month, depending on 
the time of year.  Based on its agreements with the expelled NGOs 
for the six-month period of January-June, WFP estimates that up to 
1.1 million individuals in Darfur are at risk of not receiving their 
monthly general food distribution now that four key partners (CARE, 
SC/US, Solidarites, and ACF) have been expelled. There is no 
question that the NGO expulsions will result in major gaps in the 
delivery of emergency food assistance, particularly in West Darfur. 
WFP highlighted that West Darfur will experience a more severe 
service disruption than either North or South Darfur because 
implementing partners CARE and SC/US delivered food to 70 percent of 
the beneficiaries, approximately 700,000 people, in that state.  In 
addition, approximately 5,000 malnourished children and 
pregnant/lactating women will be without critical supplementary 
feeding programs. 
 
¶11. (SBU) To put the scale of this crisis into perspective, the 
expelled NGOs implemented approximately 40 percent of WFP's monthly 
general food distribution caseload and 50 percent of WFP's 
supplementary feeding programs.  The UN and donors are extremely 
concerned that the inevitable disruption in delivery of food 
 
KHARTOUM 00000323  003 OF 004 
 
 
assistance to the scale that is necessary to support nearly three 
million IDPs as well as other conflict-affected populations, 
coinciding with the loss of water and health services, will result 
in new waves of population displacements.  Of particular concern is 
West Darfur, where the potential is high for movements of large 
numbers of people into West Darfur urban areas or cross-border 
displacement to the eastern Chad refugee camps.  WFP is working on 
options for conducting a one-off emergency food distribution through 
the Food Relief Committees (FRCs) that have been established in 
many, but not all, of the camps.  WFP cautions that this will be 
extremely difficult undertaking with nearly no guarantee of 
accountability given the loss of many of the NGO-managed beneficiary 
lists (which have either been destroyed or seized by the GOS) 
coupled with the low capacity of the FRCs, some of which are newly 
formed.  WFP reiterated that this would be a one-off distribution of 
a two-month general ration and is not/not a longer term solution. 
It is also not a solution for covering the gaps in the emergency 
nutrition programs, which require significant professional oversight 
and accompanying health, water, sanitation, and hygiene activities 
 
¶12. (SBU) Of particular note is the loss of the Non-Food Item (NFI) 
Common Pipeline, previously organized by Care International.  The 
pipeline represents 85 percent of the NFI and emergency shelter 
items distributed in northern Sudan, and populations affected by 
recent conflict will not have access to the resources required. 
After the expulsion of CARE, National Security took control of all 
the NFI warehouses in Darfur, Khartoum and El Obeid.  JLC is 
currently in negotiation with the HAC to have them turnover the 
warehouses to JLC as the manager of the NFI Common Pipeline.  UNJLC 
remains extremely concerned regarding the provision of shelter 
because the expulsion of CHF International reduces the number of 
shelters provided in Darfur during 2009 by more than 44,000.  The 
lack of coverage for conflict-affected populations continues to be 
of high concern, particularly for the populations in Muhajeria and 
Shearia in South Darfur, and the new arrivals to Zam Zam camp in 
North Darfur that are without humanitarian partners to support 
immediate needs. 
 
--------------------------------------- 
NGO CONCERNS OVER WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶13.  (SBU) Overall, NGO staff expressed general dismay and concern 
for the future of humanitarian programs, beneficiaries, and local 
staff in Darfur and in Sudan generally.  The NGO representatives who 
met with the CDA expressed great anxiety regarding future assistance 
measures, access, and GNU machinations.  NGOs expressed great 
concern about IDP camps without water supplies and the potential for 
increased conflict, particularly between the Targem, Zaghawa, and 
Fur ethnic groups currently sheltering in Kass camp in South Darfur. 
NGOs noted that IDPs may react violently to a dearth of assistance 
and the Sudanese government may launch a counter-offensive to put 
down the riled IDPs. Looking beyond Darfur, meeting participants 
highlighted a nearly immediate impact on the Three Areas and 
wondered how long the Comprehensive Peace Agreement would survive 
without the carrots of NGO-delivered peace dividends and development 
assistance. 
 
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COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶14.  (SBU) The immediate challenge of the humanitarian community is 
to try to prevent significant deaths and conflict as a result of a 
decrease in services.  There is significant risk that a lack of 
water, food and shelter will lead to increased insecurity, 
particularly in large and volatile camps such as Kalma (90,000 IDPs) 
and Gereida (130,000 IDPs) and an increased risk of disease, 
malnutrition and deaths.   For the NGOs that are allowed to operate, 
and who may be asked to provide additional support to fill the gaps 
of departing NGOs, there is hesitancy for greater involvement, due 
to a concern that such activities might be interpreted or exploited 
by the GNU as supporting the Sudanese government's decision to expel 
NGOs.  In addition, there are as yet no assurances from the GNU for 
the security of NGO staff, and previous assurances from the GNU have 
meant little. 
 
¶15. (SBU) Therefore, if the remaining NGOs are asked to pick up the 
slack by donors, the UN and donors will need to negotiate with the 
GOS on a comprehensive package of security and operational 
assurances.  According to UNAMID and UN officers, AU Chairman Ping 
 
KHARTOUM 00000323  004 OF 004 
 
 
intends to deliver the message to President Bashir March 9 that the 
expulsions must stop, the departure of the expelled NGOs must be 
delayed, and the GOS must work with the donors and the UN to 
mitigate the effects of a possible disaster.  Arab League SG Amr 
Musa was supposed to have delivered a similar message to President 
Bashir August 7, but President Bashir proceeded to crow about the 
expulsions during a visit to El Fasher August 8.  Musa reportedly 
warned Bashir that he had a potential PR disaster on his hands but 
Bashir apparently is listening only to the elements of his regime 
that choose to minimize the role of NGOs and the UN in Darfur. 
However, quietly behind the scenes the GNU has agreed to allow the 
joint field assessment to proceed while delaying the expulsion of 
the NGOs, so there is still a chance that cooler heads will prevail 
in seeking a solution to the impending humanitarian crisis. 
 
¶16. (SBU) In the coming weeks, the international community could be 
faced with a humanitarian crisis in Darfur that we are currently ill 
equipped to respond to.  Some donors and NGOs are cautioning against 
moving too quickly to attempt to fill the gap, although we must 
weigh this against the humanitarian impact on IDPs.  If a negotiated 
plan with the GOS can be reached in the coming weeks (with a 
combination of UN, NGO, and GOS assistance), it should no longer be 
business as usual in Darfur.  Issues such as security, access, 
bureaucratic impediments, attacks against NGOs, harassment and 
intimidation must be addressed.  Humanitarian agencies in Darfur 
have long been obstructed by government, but the recent expulsions 
demonstrate an unprecedented abuse of power and lack of respect for 
rule of law and humanitarian principles. Combined with increased 
insecurity, carjacking and break-ins, the threshold for Darfur 
becoming inoperable for many agencies is undoubtedly close. 
 
¶17. (SBU) It is also possible that the GOS will not allow a 
sustained role by donor-supported NGOs, even in the face of a 
humanitarian crisis in Darfur.  In such a scenario, the 
international community may need to declare a disaster in Darfur and 
authorize the UN to take over humanitarian assistance.  However we 
are still in the early phases of this political/humanitarian crisis 
and we need to see how the government behaves over the next week 
before taking precipitous action that could escalate the crisis 
unnecessarily.  We have been in daily contact with moderate regime 
officials and will meet again tomorrow with GNU officials to urge 
restraint and a negotiated solution to the crisis that allows for 
continued robust humanitarian assistance.  Post will provide septel 
our consolidated proposals for a way forward out of the current 
crisis, which will address both assistance needs and a political 
response.  It is likely that the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in 
Khartoum will host a donor meeting in the coming days to seek our 
input and we will need input from Washington prior to this meeting. 
 
 
FERNANDEZ