VZCZCXRO4724
RR RUEHDBU RUEHPW
DE RUEHBUL #1000/01 1110600
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 210600Z APR 09
FM AMEMBASSY KABUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8544
RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 5234
RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS 0701
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 4469
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 6751
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC
RUEKJCS/OSD WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 KABUL 001000 
 
USAID FOR ASIA BUREAU,CBREARLEY, NRUZICA 
DCHA/OFDA ACONVERY, CCHAN, PMORRIS, RANDREW 
DCHA/FFP JBORNS, MNIMS, KSCHEIN, KKALUZA 
DCHA/FFP/POD 
 
BRUSSELS FOR USEU PBROWN 
GENEVA FOR NKYLOH 
USUN FOR DMERCADO 
NSC FOR CPRATT; JWOOD 
OSD FOR DSEDNEY 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAGR EAID AF
 
SUBJECT:  PRECARIOUSLY PERCHED BETWEEN CRISIS AND 
RECOVERY, GHOR RESIDENTS HOPE FOR A PLENTIFUL 2009 
WHEAT HARVEST 
 
¶1.  (U) Summary:  Between March 21 and 28, 
representatives from the U.S. Agency for International 
DevelopmentQs Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster 
Assistance (USAID/OFDA) and Office of Food for Peace 
(USAID/FFP) visited AfghanistanQs Ghor province to 
monitor Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and World Vision 
activities.  The province has suffered from extreme 
snow and cold in recent winters and repeated droughts, 
resulting in the failure of 90 percent of the 2007/2008 
wheat crop.  In response, CRS, in partnership with 
Afghanaid, is implementing an emergency response 
program, including cash-for-work (CFW) activities and 
emergency vouchers.  World Vision is in the initial 
phase of a multi-year assistance program (MYAP) to 
decrease food insecurity through nutrition 
supplementation and education, improving health 
practices and sustainable agricultural livelihoods. 
Beneficiaries reported high satisfaction with the 
CRS/Afghanaid cash-for-work and voucher programs, which 
provide a number of valuable side benefits to 
communities.  End summary. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
-- 
GHOR RESIDENTS VULNERABLE AFTER REPEATED SHOCKS 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
-- 
 
¶2.  (U) In addition to Ghor provinceQs chronic poverty, 
the vulnerability of approximately 800,000 residents of 
this mountainous Qforgotten provinceQ has been 
exacerbated by six droughts in the last seven years and 
extreme snow and cold during the 2007/2008 winter. 
Although milder than the previous year, the 2008/2009 
winter produced fifteen major storms, producing 
snowfalls ranging from one to three meters in affected 
areas.  Combined, these natural disasters have resulted 
in losses in livestock, seed stocks, and household 
assets.  Despite generally lower inflation in 
Afghanistan in recent months, continued high food and 
fuel prices in this remote area are compounding the 
effects on local residents. 
 
¶3.  (U) Implementing partners and beneficiaries report 
that local coping strategies during the recent drought 
and winter crises included increased migration to seek 
work opportunities in urban areas and Iran, underage 
marriage for girls in vulnerable households, selling of 
assets, and indebtedness. 
 
¶4.  (U) More recently, CRS reported that program 
beneficiaries almost universally requested basic food 
commodities, indicating that the most vulnerable 
households have exhausted all food stocks prior to the 
August/September harvest and despite food availability, 
cannot afford to purchase food. 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
-- 
MONITORING CRSQ EMERGENCY PROGRAM 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
-- 
 
¶5.  (U) On March 22, a team comprising USAID/OFDAQs 
Senior Humanitarian Advisor in Afghanistan and 
USAID/FFPQs Afghanistan Project Management Specialist, 
accompanied by the Department of StateQs Ghor 
Provincial Reconstruction Team Representative, 
conducted a monitoring visit to three CRS-managed cash- 
for-work road rehabilitation projects in Dahan Denan 
and Puye villages, Chaghcharan district, representing 
two of the 74 villages currently receiving CRS 
 
KABUL 00001000  002 OF 005 
 
 
assistance. 
 
¶6.  (U) Since December 2008, CRS cash-for-work 
activities, including snow clearing and road 
construction or renovation, have injected more than USD 
140,000 (for a total of 35,253 man-days of work) into 
the pockets of 1,251 crisis-affected Ghor residents. 
Ongoing project activities visited by the monitors 
include the construction of 15 km of a new road and 
rehabilitation of 500 meters of a transportation link 
in Chaghcharan district.  Additionally, CRS has 
provided 191 extremely vulnerable households unable to 
participate in cash-for-work activities with vouchers 
for the purchase of essential household commodities, 
including flour, rice, sugar, and tea. 
 
¶7.  (U) Partnered with CRS, Afghanaid is implementing 
cash-for-work and emergency vouchers for approximately 
1,000 households in 27 villages in remote Shahrak 
district.  Due to Sharak DistrictQs remote location, 
USAID/OFDA and USAID/FFP visitors only spoke with 
Chaghcharan-based Afghanaid staff about program 
progress but were not able to visit project sites. CRS 
visits periodically. 
¶8.  (U) In total, CRS and Afghanaid cash-for-work 
activities benefited 5,370 households in 74 villages in 
Chaghcharan, Dulaina and Shahrak districts.  CRS is 
registering an additional 1,300 households from eight 
villages in Dulaina and Chaghcharan districts in their 
emergency program. 
 
 
 
----------------------------- 
PROGRAM IMPACTS 
----------------------------- 
 
¶9. (U) The CRS-managed cash-for-work program appears 
very well-organized and well-run.  USAID/OFDA and 
USAID/FFP staff reported active male participation and 
enthusiasm for the program, as well as appropriate 
monitoring.  Village elders expressed satisfaction with 
the program, including the added benefit of road 
improvement or, in the case of Puye-Rezqan, new road 
construction opening up thoroughfares for vehicle 
traffic in and out of their villages.  One of the few 
downsides to CRSQ emergency intervention was limited 
female participation. 
 
¶10.  (SBU) CRS field teams, beneficiaries, and village 
elders shared with the monitoring team perceptions of 
cash-for-work (CFW) program benefits: 
a) Cash infusions increase the flow of goods and food 
into poorer villages, benefitting all residents. 
b) CFW provides employment and sufficient resources 
to survive the winter and lean season between 
harvests when is food is scarcest.  Additional 
benefits include decreasing the likelihood of 
marrying off young daughters, decreasing 
indebtedness, and increasing borrowing power of 
participants in order to buy seeds for this 
planting season. 
c) CFW enhances security because men and youth are 
gainfully employed and occupied, thereby 
decreasing the likelihood of involvement with 
illegal activities, including poppy production. 
d) The CFW is implemented by CRS and local 
participants, thus it by-passes Afghan Government 
involvement; beneficiaries receive all of the aid, 
avoiding the Qgovernment cutQ. (Note: Villagers 
reported that some officials involved with 
 
KABUL 00001000  003 OF 005 
 
 
government-run programs, such as Directorate of 
Rural Rehabilitation and DevelopmentsQs (DRRD) 
food-for-work activities, diverted commodities to 
their own pockets. It is unclear if this is 
blatant corruption or whether officials felt food 
they took was an expected return for their 
involvement in the organizing the activities. 
VillagersQ impression of this practice, is that 
district officials took a QcutQ of their food and 
it was improper, thus corruption. Monitors were 
not able to verify these claims. USAID/FFP is 
following up on this finding with WFP and FFP in 
Washington, DC to take corrective action where 
USAID funded WPF commodities may be involved. 
Findings have been shared with WFP since they are 
directly partnered with MRRD. WFP has very 
recently increased staff dedicated to monitoring 
and evaluation for all of Afghanistan and intend 
to be more proactive to monitor utilization of 
WFP provided food commodities.)  CRS and Afghanaid 
beneficiaries know their entitlement and trust 
they will receive USD180 upon completion of 45 
days of work. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
-- 
WORLD VISION PROGRAMMING IN GHOR 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
-- 
 
¶11. (U) While in Ghor, USAID/FFP and OFDA visited shura 
members in Dehne Sufak village where World Vision 
recently identified 28 potential MYAP program 
beneficiaries.  USAID/FFP and OFDA also visited World 
Vision staff, Ghor provincial health officials and 
Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance (CHA), a local 
NGO partner in the MYAP program. World Vision is in the 
process of identifying beneficiaries in 145 villages in 
Chaghcharan district for this FFP-supported health and 
livelihoods initiative MYAP. When fully implemented, 
the program will address food insecurity for more than 
380,000 direct and indirect beneficiaries in five 
districts.   In February 2009, a local warlord 
confiscated 9.8 metric tons (MT) of rice imported by 
World Vision for the MYAP program. (Note: In response, 
World Vision reported the theft to Provincial 
authorities including the Deputy and Provincial 
Governor in Ghor, the Herat police department and 
regional police. Police will be advised of future food 
commodity shipping through their area of 
responsibility.) USAID suggested PRT assistance to 
secure the road.  World Vision refused the military 
escort.  USAID/FFP has since intervened with the World 
Food Program to include MYAP food within a WFP convoy. 
At present, critical nutritional supplementation stocks 
for intended beneficiaries remain in Herat as a result 
of the attack and insecurity on the main road.  Local 
police lack the capacity to provide safe passage for 
food stocks, so World Vision is exploring 
transportation options, including convoying with the 
U.N. World Food Program (WFP) or hiring local security 
for the voyage to Chaghcharan, GhorQs provincial 
capital.  Insecure passage is the main obstacle to 
program implementation. 
 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
DRRD ON FOOD AVAILABILITY 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
¶12.  (U) The Directorate of Rural Rehabilitation and 
Development (DRRD) is WFPQs main partner for food 
 
KABUL 00001000  004 OF 005 
 
 
assistance in Ghor.  (Note: In FY09, USAID/FFP 
contributed USD 63.1 million through 62,190 MT of food 
commodities towards the WFP/Afghanistan national 
Protracted Relief and Recovery Operation (PRRO).)  On 
March 26, USAID/FFP and OFDA visited with the DRRD 
Chaghcharan office director.  He reported that in 2008, 
DRRD in Ghor received and distributed 7,357 MT of food 
from WFP.  To date in 2009, WFP has provided 8,285 MT 
of food to DRRD in support of Ghor humanitarian 
programs.  DRRD received an additional 5,100 MT from 
the government over the 2008/2009 winter.  For the 
food-for-work activities, beneficiaries are selected by 
DRRD supervisors together with community development 
councils.  Currently, DRRD has 500 MT, which is enough 
wheat to feed 1,000 households or 6,000 individuals for 
one month, as an emergency contingency stock.  By the 
directorQs own admission, DRRDQs capacity for emergency 
assessments, beneficiary selection, food delivery, and 
monitoring is weak. WFP has a sizeable regional office 
in Herat but is largely absent in Ghor. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
-- 
OTHER COMPLEMENTARY USG ASSISTANCE IN GHOR PROVINCE 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
-- 
 
¶13. (U) In response to last yearQs drought, USAID 
funded International Relief and Development for an 
Afghanistan Vouchers for Increased Production In 
Agriculture (AVIPA).  The AVIPA program provided 800 
metric tons of wheat seed to 16,000 drought-affected 
subsistence farmers.  USAID/Afghanistan also supports a 
watershed development program through CRS in Ghor. 
 
------------------------------------ 
OVERALL TRIP FINDINGS 
------------------------------------ 
¶14.  (U) According to village leaders in Puye, CRS 
assistance through the cash-for-work program, prompted 
some potential migrants to stay home.  However, 
discussions highlighted that migration to urban areas 
or Iran is an entrenched survival strategy which is 
minimally impacted by temporary employment. 
 
¶15.  (U) On a positive note, during travels through 
rural Chaghcharan and Dulaina district villages, 
monitors noticed many local farmers planting for this 
season.  According to the DRRD representative and CRS 
agronomist, rains in the week following USAID/OFDA and 
FFP site visits are considered a new yearQs gift by the 
farmers.  However, adequate rains in April and May will 
ultimately determine this yearQs harvest success. 
 
¶16.  (SBU) Many people voiced two specific frustrations 
during our field visit.  The first issue, which appears 
commonly held among Ghor residents, is the sense that 
Kabul has broken promises to provide roads and other 
support.  The second frustration, which more directly 
affects humanitarian assistance, was local 
beneficiariesQ frustration with local government taking 
a QcutQ from promised assistance when distributed by 
government entities.  They specifically mentioned food 
cuts from recent food for work activities.  (Note: In 
Ghor, the food commodities were GoIRA rather than 
USAID/FFP support to WFP.  However, FFP has discussed 
these issues with DRRD in Chagcharan and raised the 
same concerns with WFP.  In response, WFP has added an 
additional 32 staff to monitor and react to 
misappropriation of food assistance.) 
 
 
KABUL 00001000  005 OF 005 
 
 
¶17.  (U) According to the DRRD director, the provincial 
disaster management commission meets on an as-needed or 
ad hoc basis. As such they react when a disaster occurs 
rather than proactively planning for crises. The 
director noted that provincial government partners lack 
capacity to perform emergency assessments.  Following 
last yearQs drought, collaboration with CRS provided 
critical technical capacity and staff for emergency 
assessment. 
 
--------------------------------- 
RECOMMENDATIONS 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶18.  (U) Based on observations made during the trip, 
the monitoring team recommends: 
 
-- USAID/OFDA and USAID/FFP should continue to monitor 
the situation in Ghor and other drought-affected 
provinces carefully, particularly approaching harvest 
time. 
-- Encourage CRS to find culturally and community- 
acceptable ways to include women in cash-for-work 
programs. 
-- Given that WFP has 116 staff, including six 
expatriates, in the Herat regional office covering 
Ghor, encourage regular WFP monitoring of program 
partners and impacts of food assistance in Ghor 
province. 
-- Discuss options and set a timeline with World Vision 
for secure transport of essential commodities from 
Herat to Ghor. 
 
RICCIARDONE