VZCZCXRO5298
PP RUEHROV
DE RUEHDJ #1176/01 2701538
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P R 271536Z SEP 09
FM AMEMBASSY DJIBOUTI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0820
INFO IGAD COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA
RHMFISS/DJIBOUTI LCC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DJIBOUTI 001176 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
STATE FOR PRM/AFR 
ADDIS ABABA FOR REFCOORD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREF PREL SMIG KTIP DJ ET ER SO
SUBJECT: UNHCR REPORTS RISING NUMBER OF REFUGEES IN DJIBOUTI 
 
REF: 09 DJIBOUTI 283; 07 DJIBOUTI 1004 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY:  UNHCR Country Representative Ann 
Encontre and UNHCR Senior Protection Officer Periklis 
Kortsaris met with Ambassador, DCM, and ConOff on 
September 9 to discuss the current situation of refugees 
in Djibouti.  In addition to the more than 10,000 
refugees now at Djibouti's sole refugee camp at Ali Adde, 
more than 1,000 urban refugees have registered in the 
capital -- 40 per cent of whom have registered since 
August.  The majority hail from Somalia, as the GODJ has 
suspended registration of non-Somali refugees since early 
August.  Eritreans continue to be a group of special 
concern: UNHCR has registered several hundred Eritrean 
refugee cases, and continues to work on resettlement of 
177 Eritrean military deserters.  Encontre reported that 
the last 33 of 52 Somali migrants rescued at sea by the 
U.S. Navy in May had returned voluntarily to Somalia; the 
remaining 19 are asylum-seekers in Djibouti.  She also 
reported several supply chain difficulties for UNHCR and 
WFP.  END SUMMARY. 
 
--------------------------------------------- 
Gulf of Aden: Somalis Rescued at Sea Returned 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) Encontre reported that the last of the 52 Somali 
migrants (rescued by the U.S. Navy at sea on their way to 
Yemen, and subsequently brought to Djibouti on May 31) 
had now finally returned to Somalia.  Some 19 were now 
asylum-seekers in Djibouti (primarily women and children) 
and the remaining 33 were returned to Bossaso, Somalia. 
There are two suspected traffickers related to this case, 
one of which was reportedly prosecuted; the other was 
released. 
 
------------------------------------------- 
Supply Chain Difficulties for UNHCR and WFP 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (U) UNHCR informed Ambassador that WFP faced problems 
with its food supply pipeline for refugees in the Horn of 
Africa, and anticipated a "break" in this pipeline in 
October, due to the "constant influx of refugees."  UNHCR 
was therefore supplementing WFP's budget, and had 
appealed to the New York-based Central Emergency Fund for 
$150,000 in additional assistance:  $50,000 each for 
health, water, and sanitation.  Ambassador highlighted 
that PRM had recently provided a $100,000 contribution to 
WFP for refugees in Djibouti. 
 
¶4. (U) Encontre appealed for assistance in identifying a 
fuel truck to transport kerosene for cooking from the 
Horizon Fuel Terminal at the Port of Djibouti to the 
approximately 10,000 refugees at Djibouti's sole refugee 
camp at Ali Addeh.  Finding a fuel truck to make the 
monthly delivery is the issue, not availability of funds. 
Due to the poor condition of the road to the refugee 
camp, the limited number of transporters in Djibouti were 
reluctant to traverse it.  Alternately, Encontre sought 
assistance to improve the 22km road from Ali Sabieh to 
Ali Adde, noting it had last been graded in 2005.  (NOTE. 
Encontre subsequently informed Ambassador on September 22 
that UNHCR had decided to ship fuel in oil drums using a 
GODJ refugee agency flatbed truck, thus eliminating the 
need to contract a tanker truck.  END NOTE.) 
 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
Rising Urban Refugee Population and Employment Issues 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
¶5. (U) The number of urban refugees in Djibouti City was 
rising, Encontre said.  At present, over 1,000 refugees 
had registered with the Government of Djibouti (GODJ), 
423 of whom had registered in August alone.  Those over 
age 18 obtained identification cards.  Kortsaris noted 
that since early August, the GODJ had halted the 
registration of non-Somali refugees--a concern to UNHCR, 
as without registration, refugees had no access to 
medical care or work permits.  (NOTE.  The NGO AMDA, 
supported by the Government of Japan, provides medical 
services in the capital only to refugees who are either 
registered or referred to AMDA by the Ali Adde camp.  END 
 
DJIBOUTI 00001176  002 OF 002 
 
 
NOTE.)  Of particular concern were Eritreans, whom UNHCR 
considered especially vulnerable in Djibouti.  As for 
Somali refugees, the GODJ continued to register them 
twice a week at Loyada, the primary border crossing 
between Djibouti City and Somaliland. 
 
¶6. (U) The right to work in Djibouti continued to be a 
problem for refugees.  Expensive work permits and high 
unemployment made it difficult to obtain work. 
Consequently, refugees could only access the informal 
labor market, Encontre said.  She advocated vocational 
training, especially for women refugees in the poorer 
Balbala district of the capital.  Encontre also noted the 
need to establish a high school at Ali Adde camp in 2010, 
to provide secondary education to an estimated 800-1,000 
refugee children.  Currently, camp children had access 
only to a primary school at Ali Adde. 
 
-------------------------------------- 
Eritrean Refugees Require Resettlement 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶7. (SBU) UNHCR officials said the number of Eritrean 
refugees in Djibouti had increased since the June 2008 
border skirmish to an estimated total of 200-300.  More 
than 100 Eritrean cases had been registered by UNHCR in 
Djibouti City; another 100-200 Eritrean cases had been 
registered in Ali Adde camp.  (NOTE:  As a case could 
signify a family of 3-4 people, not individuals, the 
total number of Eritrean refugees could be significantly 
higher.  END NOTE.)  Jehovah's Witnesses, students, draft 
evaders, and other Eritrean civilians comprised this 
population.  According to Kortsaris, "Eritrean agents" 
operating in Djibouti made such refugees especially 
vulnerable.  Since April 2009, the Eritrean government 
punished those who had attempted illegal exit from 
Eritrea with torture.  Even within Djibouti, Eritreans 
faced discrimination; Encontre reported that at least one 
Eritrean family had asked to be transferred from Djibouti 
City to Ali Adde camp for their personal safety, citing 
persecution and physical torture. 
 
¶8. (SBU) UNHCR officials highlighted the need for a 
"durable solution" to resettle Eritrean refugees, noting 
that -- unlike for Somali cases -- Eritreans posed "no 
major fraud concerns."  Encontre noted that the Joint 
Voluntary Agency (JVA) had already screened 64 of 177 
Eritrean military deserters primarily being held at a 
GODJ detention facility at Nagad.  UNHCR believes there 
may be more, but only has access to 177; UNHCR was also 
aware of 19 Eritreans being held separately as POWs by 
the GODJ.  UNHCR had denied a request from the GODJ to 
obtain transcripts of JVA interviews with the deserters, 
but would provide a spreadsheet providing limited 
information, Encontre said. 
 
¶9. (SBU) A total of 110 of the 177 Eritrean military 
deserters had submitted applications for resettlement in 
the United States.  Fifty had been previously detained in 
Eritrea; one-third had been subject to multiple 
detentions (e.g., in Sudan or Egypt, as well).  According 
to Encontre, such multiple detentions had led to at least 
one refugee suffering muteness, due to trauma.  UNHCR was 
therefore working with the International Committee of the 
Red Cross (ICRC) to provide counseling and communications 
with family members.  Encontre highlighted the need to 
confirm that JVA's second circuit ride would occur by the 
end of the year. 
 
¶10. (SBU) COMMENT.  Although the total number of refugees 
in Djibouti remains small by regional standards, the 
relative increase is significant:  Encontre anticipates 
the total reaching 12,000 by the end of 2009 - nearly 
double the 6,458 registered in April 2007 (ref B). 
Continued instability in neighboring Ethiopia, Eritrea, 
and Somalia will likely contribute to increased refugee 
flows to Djibouti.  Earlier this year, in April 2009, 
UNHCR prepared contingency plans for up to 30,000 
additional refugees, most of whom it anticipated coming 
from Somalia.  Post will continue to work with UNHCR 
contacts to monitor the situation and host country 
responses.  END COMMENT. 
SWAN