VZCZCXRO9476
OO RUEHGI RUEHMA RUEHROV RUEHTRO
DE RUEHKH #0421/01 0841412
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 251412Z MAR 09
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3359
INFO RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 KHARTOUM 000421 
 
DEPT FOR AF A A/S CARTER, SE GRATION, AF/SPG, AF/C, IO, PRM 
NSC FOR MGAVIN AND CHUDSON 
DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SUDAN, USAID/W DCHA SUDAN 
ADDIS ABABA ALSO FOR USAU 
 
SENSITIVE 
AIDAC 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID ASEC PGOV PREL PREF KPKO SOCI AU UNSC SU
SUBJECT: THE UN UNVEILS THE RESULTS OF THE JOINT UN-GNU ASSESSMENT 
 
REF: A) KHARTOUM 405 
     B) KHARTOUM 318 
     C) KHARTOUM 313 
     D) KHARTOUM 311 
     E) KHARTOUM 306 
     F) KHARTOUM 299 
 
--- --- 
SUMMARY 
--- --- 
 
¶1. (SBU) BEGIN SUMMARY.  On March 24, the UN released a statement on 
the joint UN-Government of National Unity (GNU) assessment of 
humanitarian needs in Darfur following the early March expulsions of 
non-governmental organizations (NGO).  According to the UN, the 
expulsions resulted in significant short- and long-term gaps in the 
provision of food, safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene, 
shelter, health care, and nutrition assistance. Despite considerable 
media spin in Sudan on how the joint assessment shows there is no 
hunger in Darfur, the GOS formally initialed the document, accepting 
in writing the results of the assessment and committed itself to 
filling major gaps through the end of the year. The assessment also 
identified gaps in managerial and technical capacity, program design 
and implementation, and monitoring and evaluation.  Following the 
statement on the assessment, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for 
Sudan commented that as a result of the expulsions "the humanitarian 
architecture is broken, and the atmosphere of trust in Darfur is 
gone," and briefed principal donors on the situation and steps 
forward.   END SUMMARY. 
 
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- 
THE LONG-AWAITED ASSESSMENT RESULTS 
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- 
 
¶2. (SBU) On March 24, CDA Fernandez attended a last minute briefing 
chaired by the UN Deputy Special Representative for the Secretary 
General (DSRSG) for Humanitarian Affairs, Ameerah Haq.  The 
late-night meeting was called so Haq could immediately brief donors 
on the findings of the joint March 11-19 UN-Government of Sudan 
(GoS) Darfur assessment.  Earlier in the day, Haq released a 
statement on the joint UN-GNU assessment of humanitarian needs in 
Darfur resulting from the March NGO expulsions.  According to the 
UN, the expulsions will cause significant short- and long-term gaps 
in the provision of food, safe drinking water, sanitation and 
hygiene, shelter, health care, and nutrition assistance.  The 
assessment also identified gaps in managerial and technical 
capacity, program design and implementation, and monitoring and 
evaluation.  While UN staff noted cooperation between the GNU and UN 
during the assessment, UN officials reported considerable 
disagreements between the GNU and UN regarding the content of the 
assessment results which resulted in two days of bickering with 
regime officials. At the end, Haq gave the regime an March 24 noon 
ultimatum to either accept the results and sign off on them or the 
UN would issue them independent of the GOS. The Sudanese reluctantly 
agreed. UN staff also reported excessive pressure from the GNU to 
include information in the assessment report on why the GNU expelled 
certain NGOs and planned UN actions to fill the resulting 
humanitarian gaps. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) The assessment determined that gaps in sanitation and 
hygiene pose a significant, immediate threat to populations in 
Darfur, while the lack of safe drinking water is expected to 
constitute a challenge in the coming months.  Currently, the GNU, 
the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), and NGOs are providing more than 
850,000 individuals with potable water.  However, the assessment 
team anticipates water shortages in the majority of Darfur 
internally displaced person (IDP) camps in the next two to four 
weeks if mechanisms to provide adequate fuel and spare parts to run 
water pumps are not put in place.  The expulsions completely 
disrupted sanitation and hygiene activities, leaving 989,000 IDPs 
without vital waste disposal, latrine maintenance, soap 
distribution, and hygiene education.  Without immediate assistance, 
rates of acute watery diarrhea and other diseases are expected to 
increase in Darfur IDP camps in the coming months, particularly 
during the June to September rainy season. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Up to 650,000 people in Darfur currently lack access to 
adequate health care, according to the assessment.  Although the UN 
World Health Organization and the GNU Ministry of Health (MOH) are 
working to address health gaps, the assessment team noted that 
government health staff are unable to access all affected areas. 
Moreover, medical supplies, staff retention, and salary payment 
mechanisms are only in place until the end of April.  The assessment 
team further noted that the expulsions significantly reduced the 
 
KHARTOUM 00000421  002 OF 004 
 
 
number of health staff in Darfur-from 444 to 192 medical staff in 
West Darfur-and lowered the level of services available, as doctors 
comprised a significant proportion of the staff reductions. 
 
¶5. (SBU) According to the assessment, the expulsions suspended 
relief supply and shelter distributions for more than 115,000 
households, or 692,000 people, in Darfur, a gap that will become 
more acute as the rainy season approaches.  The UN noted that 
humanitarian organizations must complete relief supply and shelter 
needs assessments by late April in order for organizations to 
conduct distributions in May.  However, Haq reported that the NGO 
expulsions significantly hindered transport, logistics, assessments, 
and distributions systems. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Although the UN World Food Program (WFP) is conducting a 
one-time, two-month food distribution to approximately 1.1 million 
individuals previously supported by expelled NGOs, the assessment 
team noted gaps in program sustainability, livelihood and 
malnutrition support, and food distribution management and 
coordination.  Comparing the one-off food distribution to a 
"Band-Aid" placed over a serious wound, Haq said that the NGO 
expulsions affected the treatment of 30 percent of severe acute 
malnutrition cases and 18 percent of moderate acute malnutrition 
cases.  As of March 13, UNICEF reported that approximately 2,379 
severely malnourished children and 4,900 moderately malnourished 
children were at risk of not receiving nutrition treatment due to 
the closure and reduced operation of nutrition programs in Darfur 
and northern Sudan.  Currently, WFP is conducting only general food 
distributions and is unable to provide specialized support to 
malnourished children admitted to the expelled NGOs' feeding centers 
throughout Darfur.  The current WFP distribution may be adequate 
until early May; however, the assessment concluded that as the 
hunger gap develops in May and June, WFP will need new and 
experienced partners to carry out food distributions for more than 1 
million people in Darfur and these are not in place.  The assessment 
team further reported gaps in livelihood support, noting that 
humanitarian agencies would need to resume livelihood interventions 
prior to the upcoming planting season. 
 
--- --- --- --- --- - 
DISPUTING THE RESULTS 
--- --- --- --- --- - 
 
¶7. (SBU) While UN staff noted cordial cooperation between the GNU 
and UN during the assessment, UN officials reported considerable 
disagreements between the two regarding the content of the 
assessment results.  Following heated discussions on March 23, the 
GNU agreed to a compromise with UN officials on the text of the 
executive summary.  Both parties agreed to compromises regarding the 
language in the summary in order to formalize and sign the document. 
 However, shortly thereafter, the GNU officials reversed the 
approval and requested additional changes to the document. (NOTE: 
According to USAID, on March 24, the UN released the original 
executive summary, after notifying the GNU, not wanting the results 
to languish any longer.  The UN reports that the GNU continues to 
drag its feet on addressing the situation, although both the GNU and 
UN representatives who participated in the assessment agreed 
unanimously regarding the loss of capacity and humanitarian gaps 
created by the expulsions.  END NOTE.) 
 
¶8. (U) According to local pro-regime media reports, GNU Humanitarian 
Aid Commission (HAC) Commissioner Hassabo Abderahman announced on 
March 23 that separate preliminary briefings by sub-committees of 
the joint Sudan, UN and African Union (AU) needs assessment mission 
to Darfur show that Darfur would not be affected by the absence of 
the 13 expelled international NGOs, and that the field survey has 
shown no humanitarian gap in the areas of health, food, water, and 
non-food items.  Al-Ayaam daily also quotes the Commissioner as 
saying that the Sudanese government has called on all parties 
currently operating in Darfur to continue operations through short- 
and long-term plans to ensure the flow of services to affected 
populations.  Hassabo also stated that the people of Darfur have 
adequate food stocks to last until May.  Additionally, Al-Ahdath 
daily reported that Commissioner Hassabo announced that the Ministry 
of Humanitarian Affairs and OCHA have agreed to review the agreement 
on humanitarian work signed earlier between Sudan, UN agencies and 
humanitarian NGOs.  Hassabo also noted that the GNU HAC held a 
separate meeting with the Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF, Hilde 
Johnson, and emphasized that NGOs should reduce overhead expenses to 
allow more funds to be used to assist the needy.  According to the 
media reports, the MOH also agreed that the preliminary results 
discredit fears of a looming humanitarian crisis.  (NOTE: The media 
accounts are yet another example of GNU officials contradicting 
those (even from their own government) on the ground in Darfur. END 
 
KHARTOUM 00000421  003 OF 004 
 
 
NOTE.) 
 
--------------------------- 
DONORS BRIEFING WITH THE UN 
--------------------------- 
 
¶9.  (SBU) On March 24, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator Ameerah Haq 
provided principal donors, including the U.S., with an update on the 
assessment and announced results.  Haq underscored the temporary 
measures taken by UN agencies and remaining NGOs, including the 
one-time food distribution, but highlighted UN concerns about the 
long-term sustainability of the measures and an impending 
humanitarian crisis. Noting that the GNU wanted to focus attention 
on the fact that food is currently available, Haq repeated UN 
caveats to the GNU that food is not just about  distribution, but 
the holistic design of a system from the planning to the delivery. 
Prior to the expulsions, four key NGO partners delivered life-saving 
food to 1.1 million people in Darfur. 
 
¶10.  (SBU) Despite the best, temporary measures and completed 
assessment, humanitarian agencies are unsure who will meet the 
essential humanitarian gaps after April.  In the coming days and 
weeks, nearly 700,000 people will not receive non-food items (NFIs) 
unless the UN Joint Logistics Center finds a new implementing 
partner to replace CARE; 650,000 individuals do not have full access 
to health services; nearly 1 million people will lack any waste 
disposal; and as the rainy season arrives, IDP and host populations 
will have continued and increased vulnerability to water and 
sanitation problems, leading some humanitarians to fear a return to 
the record-high malnutrition levels seen in 2006 throughout Darfur. 
 
 
¶11.  (SBU) Haq and UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Darfur Toby 
Lanzer stressed that the assessment made painfully clear that 
technical capacity and expertise in program design, management, and 
monitoring were lost with the expelled partners.  This is a 
significant gap that will take a very long time to replace no matter 
how it is done.  Some of the expelled organizations worked in Sudan 
for 20 to 30 years, and such experience cannot be replaced overnight 
by new actors or inexperienced staff.  Another significant gap is 
accurate and detailed monitoring of humanitarian programs and 
projects.  According to UN staff, the report includes key baseline 
indicators and a section on monitoring in an attempt to establish 
monitoring mechanisms to ensure people receive assistance. In order 
to facilitate collection of health data, the GNU has committed to 
pay the salaries of health workers and sanitation staff; however, 
the UN emphasized to need to confirm that doctors and nurses were 
placed in clinics for the longer term, not just on a rotation basis. 
 
 
¶12. (SBU) Appealing for fast and focused action, Haq repeated UN 
requests for the GNU to release project assets to sector leads, 
facilitate fast-tracked technical agreements, travel permits, and 
visas.  Charge Fernandez thanked the UN for tremendous work, noted 
deep disappointment that none of the expelled NGOs will be permitted 
to work in Sudan, and that the international community may ask 
whether it received anything but more empty assurances from the 
regime for its longtime dedication and deep coffers.  Donors also 
asked about the plan to nationalize Sudan's aid system, one that UN 
staff noted was long-term and would require significant building of 
capacity.  According to the UN, the expulsion left 6,500 Sudanese 
staff unemployed and the ten NGOs working in Darfur lost 3,142 
technical staff.  In coming days, some of the staff will be absorbed 
into other projects and programs.  During the assessment, the teams 
noted that some of the staff continue to report to work; however, 
the loss of management, guidance, and support is plainly apparent. 
Despite promising to assist Sudanese actors with building capacity, 
UN staff also noted that IDP leaders in camps continue to insist on 
the return of the expelled NGOs and refuse to take any assistance 
from other organizations.  Local government officials in Darfur 
offered claims that the GOS is providing funds to fill the gaps. 
However, they confided to humanitarian actors that local authorities 
have no such funds.  Without money, they admitted the humanitarian 
situation in Darfur may get increasingly dire in days to come. 
 
¶13.  (SBU) During the briefing, the UN also noted that, despite 
public pledges to the contrary, the Sudanese government continues to 
hold passports of international staff participating in the close-out 
of the humanitarian programs.  (Note: At least three of these 
international staff are U.S. citizens.  End Note.)  In coming days, 
the UN plans to solicit a list of the affected employees and look 
into efforts to facilitate the release of their documentation. 
Staff in Khartoum remain traumatized, and fearful of the 
government's next steps.  Haq summed up the expulsions by explaining 
 
KHARTOUM 00000421  004 OF 004 
 
 
forcefully, "The humanitarian architecture is broken, and the 
atmosphere of trust in Darfur is gone." 
 
¶14. (SBU) After the briefing, Haq told CDA that the UN had done the 
best it could and the fact that the regime had now formally 
initialed (albeit reluctantly) the findings meant that it was "on 
the hook in the coming weeks and months" if concerns about 
deteriorating health conditions in IDP camps begin to surface. The 
important thing will be to have "aggressive and frequent monitoring" 
by the UN and international community. CDA agreed but expressed 
fears that the regime will chip away at the ability to monitor in 
order to achieve "a slow and unobserved death" for Darfur's teeming 
IDP camps over the next months. Ameerah that monitoring the signing 
of technical agreements between remaining NGOS and the regime (none 
of the remaining NGOs has such an agreement which means they are 
technically unable to work in Sudan and function under a constant 
dangling regime "sword of Damocles) is one way to monitor the 
regime's intentions in the next two weeks, as they have agreed to do 
so now. She also noted that she had inserted language "helpful to 
the U.S." referring to equipment "used by the NGOs" being returned 
to their "rightful owners" since much of the expelled NGO equipment 
is actually USG property now stolen by the regime. 
 
--- --- 
COMMENT 
--- --- 
 
¶15.  (SBU) We agree that Ameerah Haq and company probably did 
accomplish as much as can be expected from this process. They 
established that real gaps exist in Darfur, that the problems will 
worsen over time if not treated, and they got a brutal and paranoid 
regime to sign off on that alarming analysis. That is something but 
it is not enough. To date, the ad-hoc, one-off measures, 
particularly WFP's two-month food distribution, have prevented a 
major humanitarian catastrophe in Darfur.  However, humanitarian 
agencies and international donors remain extremely concerned that 
the region will face major food, health, sanitation, and water 
crises within a month or two unless the Sudanese government, UN 
agencies, and remaining NGOs urgently establish longer-term and 
sustainable systems to continue the level of assistance provided by 
the NGOs until March 4.  Although the Sudanese government claims 
that all gaps are covered, the results of the assessment include 
data regarding hundreds of thousands of individuals without health 
care, thousands without supplemental feeding, and the one-off nature 
of the current support especially food aid. 
 
¶16.  (SBU) The successes of the joint assessment are two-fold: 
first, the UN has exhaustively catalogued the needs that must be 
answered; and second, with the signature of HAC Commissioner 
Hassabo, Sudanese authorities are now on the hook should there be a 
humanitarian crisis in Darfur.  Although the GNU has committed 
itself to provide full support for remaining NGOs including 
fast-tracking technical agreements and establishing local, state, 
and federal monitoring to assure that appropriate levels of support 
continue, adequate follow-through is now spelled out in the document 
as the GNU's responsibility.  In order to prevent a public health 
crisis, the GNU has also committed to providing salaries, staff, and 
health supplies through the end of 2009.  The UN and international 
donors applaud these gestures and hope they will come to fruition 
and not become yet another unfulfilled or redirected promise. Aside 
from not reversing the fateful decision to expel the NGOs, the 
assessment suffers from another fatal flaw: in the end, it relies on 
the same regime which created these deteriorating conditions to 
prevent them in the future.  The UN did a credible job standing up 
to pressure and establishing the truth, but the Sudanese regime 
often does its worst after it signs an agreement and can begin to 
slowly empty it over time of any meaning or substance while the 
world's attention is distracted with the next crisis.  All donors, 
including the U.S., will need to do our own monitoring, as well as 
support expanded UN monitoring of the humanitarian needs to confirm 
that GNU promises are kept. 
 
FERNANDEZ