VZCZCXRO2297
OO RUEHLH RUEHPW
DE RUEHIL #1026 1321546
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 121546Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2693
INFO RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 0253
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 4873
RUEHKP/AMCONSUL KARACHI 1606
RUEHLH/AMCONSUL LAHORE 7209
RUEHPW/AMCONSUL PESHAWAR 6150
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 3924
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK NY
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0313
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUMICEA/USCENTCOM INTEL CEN MACDILL AFB FL
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS ISLAMABAD 001026 
 
STATE PLEASE PASS TO USAID 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: PHUM PGOV PREF PK AF EAID CASC PREL PINR PTER ECON
SUBJECT:  PAKISTAN IDP CRISIS 
 
REF:  A) Islamabad 1007 B) Islamabad 996 
C) Islamabad 967 D) Islamabad 940 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary:  The UN High Commissioner for Refugees will be in 
Pakistan May 14-17.  The overall IDP number is now well above 1 
million, and the new caseload is above 485,000.  UNHCR has a plane 
arriving today from Dubai with non-food items which cannot be 
procured locally.  Embassy Islamabad's Consular Section has received 
a few calls from American citizens concerned about IDP relatives, 
some of whom may be Amcits themselves.  Embassy is pursuing tracing 
through International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).  ODRP is 
working with CENTCOM to identify options to support the Pakistan 
government and military in IDP assistance. 
 
¶2. (SBU) The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 
(OCHA) hosted May 12 in Islamabad an IDP coordination meeting which 
was addressed by General Nadeem, the newly appointed Pakistan IDP 
emergency assistance coordinator, and OCHA also provide an update on 
revision of the UN's Pakistan Humanitarian Response Plan (septel). 
End Summary. 
¶3. (SBU) UNHCR told Embassy on May 12 that the UN High Commissioner 
for Refugees will be in Pakistan Thursday through Sunday of this 
week (May 14-17).  The UN is eager to use this visit to demonstrate 
clear world and UN engagement in the IDP crisis.  We are urging that 
the High Commissioner meet with donors, and we will meet with him 
separately. 
 
¶4. (U) UNHCR reported that, as of the morning of May 11, new 
caseload IDPs registered since May 2, 2009 now number above 493,000 
(37,429 in camps and 456,031 outside).  This new caseload in 
combination with the old caseload of 5556,000 and an additional 
40,000 IDPs in Punjab, puts the overall IDP count well above 1 
million.  (Note:  later in the day OCHA put the nes caseload number 
at 485,000 to reflect UNHCR's recent re-verification efforts with 
provincial authorities.) 
 
¶5. (U) UNHCR's planeload of non-food items arrived in Pakistan today 
from Dubai.  The airlift delivered non-food items which cannot be 
procured locally including plastic sheeting, emergency storage halls 
(Wiik halls, which are smaller than Rubb halls), mosquito nets and 
jerry cans. 
 
¶6. (SBU) Embassy Islamabad's Consular Section has received a few 
calls from American citizens concerned about IDP relatives, some of 
whom may be Amcits themselves.  The ICRC has not set up a formal 
tracing process for IDPs from this crisis but does rely on a network 
of volunteers from the Pakistani Red Crescent Society to trace 
throughout Pakistan, including in Swat, and will work with us to 
respond to Amcit requests.  UNHCR is in the process of entering 
registered IDPs into a database that will over the next few weeks 
also facilitate tracing. 
 
¶7. (SBU) OCHA hosted May 12 in Islamabad a General Coordination 
Meeting on the IDP crisis.  General Nadeem, the newly appointed 
Pakistan Government lead on IDP emergency assistance coordination, 
briefed the meeting.  OCHA updated on revision of the UN's Pakistan 
Humanitarian Response Plan. (septel) 
 
¶8. (SBU) ODRP is working closely with CENTCOM to identify a full 
range of options to support the Government of Pakistan and the 
Pakistani military in IDP assistance.  The Director General of 
Military Operations and the Director General of the Inter-Services 
Intelligence were contacted to let them know that the U.S. military 
is standing ready to support. 
 
 
PATTERSON