VZCZCXRO9785
OO RUEHGI RUEHMA RUEHROV RUEHTRO
DE RUEHKH #0927/01 2231614
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 111614Z AUG 09
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4229
INFO RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA
RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS 0104
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0341
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0155
RUEHSUN/USUN ROME IT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KHARTOUM 000927 
 
DEPT FOR SE GRATION, S/USSES, AF A/S CARSON, AF/C 
NSC FOR MGAVIN, LETIM 
DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SUDAN 
ADDIS ABABA ALSO FOR USAU 
BRUSSELS FOR PBROWN 
GENEVA FOR NKYLOH 
UN ROME FOR HSPANOS 
NEW YORK FOR DMERCADO 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID PGOV PREL SOCI UN SU
SUBJECT: HAC OFFERS JOINT VERIFICATION MECHANISM TO HIGH-LEVEL 
COMMITTEE 
 
REF: KHARTOUM 908 
 
¶1.  (U) SUMMARY: On August 5, the High-Level Committee (HLC) met in 
Khartoum, the third such meeting since the U.S. Special Envoy and 
the Government of National Unity (GNU) agreed to empower the HLC to 
focus on urgent humanitarian issues in Darfur, and to expand it to 
include important GNU line ministries.  GNU Humanitarian Affairs 
Commission (HAC) Chief Hassabo proposed a joint verification 
committee to include IOM and UNHCR, as well as WHO, UNICEF, WFP and 
other NGOs.  The offer appears to mark a significant step forward in 
cooperation.  Inclusion of line ministries in the HLC meeting led to 
more robust discussion of needs and how to meet them than had 
occurred in the past.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (U) On August 5, the HLC met in Khartoum, the third such meeting 
pursuant to the April agreement between the U.S. Special Envoy and 
the GNU to empower the HLC to focus on urgent humanitarian issues in 
Darfur, and to expand it to include important GNU ministries.  The 
GNU Minister for Humanitarian Affairs, Haroun Lual Ruun, and Acting 
UN Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator (HC), Kenro Oshidari, co-chaired 
the meeting, with participation of GNU ministries, the United States 
Government (USG), the United Kingdom (UK), the European Commission 
(EC), China, Russia, the African Union (AU), the League of Arab 
States (LAS), non-governmental organization (NGO) representatives, 
and UN sector leads.  Charge d'Affaires and USAID Mission Director 
represented the USG. 
 
¶3. (U) Acting UN Deputy HC noted progress since the June HLC 
meeting, including three international NGOs commencing work in Kalma 
Internally Displaced Person (IDP) camp, and thanked the South Darfur 
Wali for hosting the HLC delegation visit to South Darfur (Ref). 
Participants offered the following sector updates: 
 
-- Food Assistance:  Food assistance partners reported that between 
January and June 2009, food aid beneficiaries increased from 
2,207,000 to 2,398,000; areas covered increased from 201 to 251; and 
quantity provided increased from 25,665 metric tons (MTs) to 30,352 
MTs.  In addition, the UN World Food Program (WFP) has secured and 
pre-positioned adequate food stocks to ensure timely distribution 
through December 2009.  Gaps are currently filled, but existing NGO 
capacity is strained and there is a need for more information 
sharing between WFP and the GNU Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC) to 
allow food to reach returnees. 
 
-- Health and Nutrition:  The GNU Ministry of Health (MoH) reported 
that the health service coverage gap decreased from 78,000 to 33,500 
individuals and health centers in Labado, Kalma, and Kubum resumed 
operations as of mid-July.  In addition, health partners conducted 
vaccination campaigns serving nearly 75,000 individuals in West 
Darfur and 284,000 individuals in North Darfur.  The GNU has 
provided health funds through August 2009; however, there is a need 
to ensure adequate funding for the remainder of the year as well as 
for flood-related diseases, environmental health services and 
community health services in several areas of Darfur, including El 
Fasher, Feina, Kebkabiya, Tawang, Gabyei, Gemaiza, and Hagar Bagar. 
 
 
-- According to the MoH, nutrition partners have re-established 34 
of 35 outpatient therapeutic feeding centers and 15 of 15 
supplementary feeding centers, and the centers have supplies to 
operate through October 2009.  Since June, NGOs and the MoH have 
commenced acute malnutrition trainings.  Key remaining gaps and 
issues include Hissa Hissa IDP camp in Zeleingei area of West 
Darfur, which remains without nutrition services; long-term 
strategic efforts; technical support; increased community outreach; 
and a financial shortage of USD 250,000 per month to provide 
services. 
 
-- Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH):  The UN Children's Fund 
(UNICEF) reported progress in the WASH sector, including regular 
water service, water monitoring, and soap distributions to all 38 
gap locations.  In addition, all motorized water pumps throughout 
Darfur remain chlorinated, and partners have established monitoring 
tools.  Although the GNU has contributed USD 2.86 million and UNICEF 
has provided USD 1.97 million to support WASH programs, the 
 
KHARTOUM 00000927  002 OF 003 
 
 
long-term strategy remains absent and partners experience challenges 
concerning the access to expelled NGO supplies, as well as 
inadequate NGO capacity. 
 
-- Monitoring and Evaluation:  The UN World Health Organization 
(WHO) told the group that, despite improvements in coverage, 
significant gaps remain in monitoring and evaluation. 
 
¶5.  (U) GNU HAC Commissioner Hassabo noted displeasure with the 
health statistics.  With adequate staff, funds, and supplies, 
Hassabo said he believed that the problem must lie with the 
management of the programs.  In response to a question from the 
Department for International Development (DFID), Hassabo said the 
GNU will support all sectors beyond August 31, but will make an 
additional request for assistance from international donors. 
 
 
 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
Updates on New Sectors:  Education, Livelihoods 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
¶6.  (U) In June, the HLC agreed to expand monitoring to include the 
education, and food security and livelihoods sectors, for which 
updates were also provided.  The GNU asked that presentation of a 
third sector, the protection sector, be delayed until the next HLC 
meeting to allow relevant GNU ministries to participate in a joint 
assessment. 
 
-- Education:  UNICEF said that a shortage of more than 9,000 
teachers is exacerbated by a Ministry of Finance embargo against 
employing new teachers.  Other problems include lack of a system for 
integrating into the government system volunteer teachers trained by 
NGOs; poor conditions of 70 percent of classrooms; and 122 schools 
and 87,386 students that remain affected by lost services from the 
six expelled NGOs.  Additional gaps include 27 localities with 
partial or no education services; a funding shortfall of USD 9.5 
million to fill the gap left by the expelled NGOs; low levels of 
government funding for education; and limited capacity for 
monitoring and coordination. 
 
-- Food Security and Livelihoods:  Based on a limited assessment, 
the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reported that 600,000 
vulnerable households were present in Darfur, with between 50 to 65 
percent of the households targeted to receive production support and 
assistance.  Since March, the GNU, FAO, and NGOs have provided 
coverage for 35 to 50 percent of the gap left by expelled NGOs.  Key 
priorities include efforts to increase local production of seeds; 
combat pests; increase winter crop production and off-season 
income-generating activities; ensure animal vaccination coverage; 
and enhance natural resources protection. 
 
------------------------------------- 
Joint Verification Mechanism Proposed 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶7.  (U) The EC representative noted that, while in Darfur, the 
delegation witnessed several types of population movements, 
including seasonal returns and possible permanent returns.  The GNU 
HAC invited the establishment of a joint verification mechanism on 
returns in South Darfur, to include the GNU, IOM, and UNHCR. (NOTE: 
The IOM has been prohibited from traveling to South Darfur since 
February 2009. END NOTE.)  This mechanism would provide the basis 
for a dialogue between the Government, UN, and donor partners on the 
appropriate balance of support between emergency humanitarian 
assistance and transitional support to returnees, and was welcomed 
by participants at the HLC meeting.  Participants stressed that they 
are unable to provide assistance unless international organizations 
confirm that the returns are voluntary; the IOM and UNHCR have the 
expertise to make such determinations.  In addition, security for 
aid workers is a prerequisite for the international community to 
support returns.  The kidnapping of international staff and the more 
than 100 break-ins of NGO facilities since January 2009 have not yet 
been resolved. 
 
¶8. (U) Hassabo proposed; however, that the joint verification 
 
KHARTOUM 00000927  003 OF 003 
 
 
committee also include representatives from WHO, UNICEF, WFP, the 
GNU, and NGOs, noting that IOM and UNHCR do not have technical 
expertise to determine humanitarian needs including food and health, 
and, therefore, should not be solely responsible to verify returns. 
He noted that 46 villages are currently sheltering 22,651 returned 
households in South Darfur, and asked the international community to 
speed up response to their needs. 
 
¶9. (SBU) COMMENT. With the participation of several new line 
ministries, such as Health and Water/Sanitation, in the meeting, the 
representative of GNU HAC had confirmation from the government's own 
officials of facts that he might otherwise have been able to 
dismiss.  This led to a more robust discussion of needs and how to 
meet them than had been possible in the past.  In light of the 
urgent need to verify the volunteer status of returnees as a 
prerequisite to providing assistance, the HAC's offer to organize a 
joint verification committee that includes IOM and UNHCR is a 
significant step forward in cooperation.  END COMMENT. 
 
WHITEHEAD