VZCZCXRO5015
RR RUEHDBU RUEHPW RUEHSL
DE RUEHBUL #1835/01 1930639
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 120639Z JUL 09
FM AMEMBASSY KABUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0102
INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KABUL 001835 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR SRAP, SCA/FO, SCA/A, SCA/P, EUR/RPM, PRM/ECA 
STATE PASS TO AID FOR ASIA/SCAA 
USFOR-A FOR POLAD 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KDEM PGOV PREF AF PK
SUBJECT:  Paktika Prepares for Returnees and Refugees from 
Waziristan 
 
This cable has been coordinated with and cleared by Embassy 
Islamabad. 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
¶1.  Paktika provincial government and international organizations 
(IOs) discussed humanitarian assistance to possibly hundreds of 
families fleeing from military operations in North and South 
Waziristan, Pakistan.  IOs have delivered supplies to the provincial 
capital Sharana, but transport to the affected areas is challenging. 
  IOs and NGOs involved in preliminary needs assessments were 
cautious in responding to requests from provincial officials to 
pre-position more assistance. 
 
Local Government, IOs and NGOs Discuss 
Refugees/Returnees from Waziristan 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  On July 7 Paktika Governor Katawazay, line directors for the 
Departments of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (DRRD) and 
Refugee Affairs, Paktika's clinic contractor International Medical 
Corps (IMC), the Paktika Red Crescent Society, BRAC, and visiting 
representatives from UNAMA, UNHCR, and WFP met to discuss provision 
of emergency humanitarian assistance for persons who have crossed 
the border from Pakistan into Paktika as a result of Pakistani 
military operations in Waziristan.  The meeting followed a June 23 
UNHCR visit and a June 24 Provincial Disaster Management Committee 
(PDMC) meeting on the same topic. 
 
¶3.  Based on the number of families already present, the donor 
agencies and PDMC agreed they should prepare for 1,000 families that 
may require assistance.  Since the July 24 PDMC, provincial 
officials had not been able to travel to the affected areas in 
Paktika's border districts, and thus the discussion was based on 
earlier estimates of 337 families present in Paktika (90 in Bermel, 
30 in Ziruk, 20 in Naka, 48 in Wor Mamay, 80 in Gayan, and 69 in 
Gomal).  Most of the families are believed to be staying with 
relatives, although a small number of families are reportedly living 
in tents.  Governor Katawazay said that thousands more Afghans 
residing in Wana are likely to come to Paktika in the coming weeks 
if Pakistani military operations intensify significantly.  Some 
families had already come as far as the provincial capital Sharana. 
(Consulate Peshawar Comment:  At present, South Waziristan's Mehsud 
area rather than Wana/Wazir territory is the focal point of 
Pakistani military operations.  Numbers of Afghans residing in the 
Waziristans are difficult to estimate because of severely restricted 
access to the area.  Humanitarian outflow patterns from the Bajaur 
operations in 2008 indicate that populations in Pakistan's Federally 
Administered Tribal Areas are likely to choose a location where 
there are family ties or property.  Afghans who had settled in 
Bajaur post-1979 moved west to Kunar while native Bajauris went east 
into the Northwest Frontier Province.) 
 
Actual Needs Uncertain 
---------------------- 
 
¶4.  UNHCR said it had delivered non-food kits for 1,000 families to 
Sharana, totaling 2,000 plastic sheets, 6,000 blankets, and 2,000 
jerry cans.  These items could be distributed immediately to those 
in need as humanitarian assistance.  DRRD also noted that the 
provincial government received 500 USG-funded non-food item kits 
from IOM, but these are supplies previously requested for 
distribution to Paktika's neediest residents. 
 
¶5.  For greater support, UNHCR must determine the status of each 
family (Pakistani refugee/asylum seeker, Afghan returnee with 
refugee status in Pakistan, economic migrant returning to 
Afghanistan, or internally displaced Afghan).  UNHCR is not mandated 
to support returning economic migrants who do not have refugee 
status in Pakistan (usually verified by Proof of Registration cards 
issued by Pakistani authorities).  Those present at the meeting 
continued to believe that most of the families are Afghan returnees 
with refugee status in Pakistan, with a smaller number of Pakistanis 
seeking refuge in Afghanistan. 
 
¶6.  The WFP representative was not able to commit the organization 
to deliver food assistance for 1,000 families, but added that WFP 
generally avoids prepositioning large amounts of food during the 
summer months to prevent spoilage.  She said she would report to her 
management that 337  families require immediate food assistance and 
convey the request to preposition food for 1,000 families. 
 
¶7.  Paktika's DRRD representative said tents are needed for 
Pakistani families who would be directed to specified locations for 
camps; however, UNHCR requires a determination of refugee status 
before assistance to establish refugee camps could be considered. 
 
 
KABUL 00001835  002 OF 002 
 
 
¶8.  The provincial government agreed to provide cost estimates to 
UNHCR and WFP, who said their organizations could fund reasonable 
costs for renting trucks to transport items from Sharana to the 
districts for the earlier estimate of 337 families.  Governor 
Katawazay said ANSF could escort convoys to several of the affected 
districts, working with truckers who know little-used routes to 
deliver supplies surreptitiously to Gayan.  Supplies should be 
delivered to the district centers where they can be picked up by 
recipients, but not to Naka district until it is retaken from the 
Taliban.  (Note: The Naka district center fell to enemy forces in 
early July, and Governor Katawazay has requested Coalition Forces' 
(CF) assistance to retake it.)  PRT Commander noted that CF would 
have limited ability to assist with transportation of supplies. 
 
¶9.  International organizations cannot deploy personnel to the 
affected areas due to poor security and will rely on information 
collected by the provincial government.  UNHCR, WFP, and UNAMA 
agreed to work together to provide guidance to the provincial 
government on what information must be obtained about the 
returnees/refugees in the districts to determine next steps for 
humanitarian assistance response. 
 
EIKENBERRY