Cablegate: Unhcr Djibouti Recieves Official Visit From Geneva

VZCZCXRO7557
PP RUEHDE RUEHROV RUEHTRO
DE RUEHDJ #1042/01 3660416
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 310416Z DEC 08
FM AMEMBASSY DJIBOUTI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9861
INFO RUCNSOM/SOMALIA COLLECTIVE
RHMFIUU/CJTF HOA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DJIBOUTI 001042

STATE FOR AF/E, PRM/AFR, S/CRS AND USAID
ADDIS ABABA FOR REFCOORD
NAIROBI FOR RDRAPCHO AND REFCOORD
GENEVA FOR KPERKINS
CJTF-HOA FOR POLAD

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREF SMIG EAID SO ET DJ XA
SUBJECT: UNHCR DJIBOUTI RECIEVES OFFICIAL VISIT FROM GENEVA
HEADQUARTERS

REF: DJIBOUTI 632 (AND PREVIOUS)

1. SUMMARY: Mr. Mengesha Kebede, UNHCR's Deputy Director of the
Bureau for Africa in Geneva visited Djibouti. He emphasized the
need for closer coordination among UN agencies, donors, host
governments, and regional actors to prepare for possible large scale
migrations resulting from conflict and food insecurity. UNHCR has
contingency plans for up to 50,000 refugees in Djibouti. UNHCR has
completed evaluation of 73 Eritrean defectors' cases, and is looking
for a country where they can be resettled as a group. END SUMMARY.

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PARTNERSHIP AND COORDINATION
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2. On December 7, Mr. Mengesha Kebede, UNHCR's Deputy Director of
the Bureau for Africa in Geneva, along with Ann Encontre, UNHCR
Representative in Djibouti, met with the Ambassador and post's
Consular Officer. During the meeting, Mr. Kebede provided a brief
overview of his meetings with the UN country team in Djibouti, where
he expressed the need for all UN agencies to work in partnership and
coordination with the GoDJ, donors, and implementing partners for
future planning in Djibouti. He expressed concern over possible
additional flows of Somali refugees into Djibouti due to continued
insecurity in Somalia, but said he expected most to head for Kenya.
Asked about contingency planning in Djibouti; Kebede said UNHCR has
adequate plans in place for up to 50,000 refuges. The response
would involve rapid mobilization of UNHCR supplies already
pre-positioned in Denmark and Dubai and reopening former refugee
camps in Djibouti.

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COMPLEX MIGRATION CALLS FOR IOM
-------------------------------
3. Mr. Kebede informed post of the presence of the International
Organization for Migration (IOM) who are setting up office in
Djibouti. He referred to elements such as the current bad economic
climate, ongoing conflicts, drought that is straddling borders - all
leading to complex mixed migration movements in the region. There
are more reports of trafficking and smuggling of persons, migration
movements from the Dankali region, also known as the Afar region, as
well as Somalis from the Ogaden region to Djibouti. Mr. Kebede
believes that IOM can play a helpful role here because these
migrations are more complex than traditional refugee movements.

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DEPUTY DIRECTOR CALLS FOR IMPROVEMENT
-------------------------------------
4. The Deputy Director's visit included a tour of the refugee camp
in Ali Addeh, which hosts approximately 9000 refugees, mostly
Somalis. Upon arrival at the refugee camp, Mr. Kebede and the
UNHCR country Representative found that medical care had not been
available to refugees for three weeks because the Association of
Medical Doctors of Asia, and non-governmental organization who
supply the refugee camp with medical services, had suspended medical
services, after refugees, angry with the doctor because of the death
of a baby at child birth, had attacked the doctor - blaming him for
the death.

5. The Ethiopian refugees reported to Mr. Kebede that the security
situation at the camp had worsened since the arrival of thousands
of south Somalis who blame the Ethiopian troops in their country
(and by extension, the Ethiopian refugees) for making war in their
country, forcing them to leave their homes. The refugees also
reported that, for over two years, the UNHCR Senior Protection
Officer has failed to hold meetings with them. Last but not least,
Mr. Kebede witnessed the dilapidated food distribution center.

6. After the camp visit, Mr. Kebede met with Mr. Hassan Omar, also
attended by post Consular Officer, to de-brief on three major issues
he found lacking at the camp: health, security, and food
distribution. He highlighted the aforementioned concerns to Mr.
Hassan and made some suggestions for improvement. In addition he
strongly suggested that a Transit / Reception center be built to
accommodate the refugees for a few days when they newly arrive at
the camp.

7. Kebede confirmed that UNHCR is also receiving reports of an
undetermined number of unregistered refugees who have recently
arrived in Djibouti city from Ethiopia. For now, they are staying
with local families and seeking no assistance. But, this group is
likely to become a burden in the food insecure environment if their
presences persist.

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DJIBOUTI 00001042 002 OF 002

ERITREAN DEFECTORS
------------------
8. Meanwhile, UNHCR completed the evaluation of the Eritrean
deserters' cases, and found all 73 individuals qualified for
resettlement.

9. COMMENTS: Post agrees with Mr. Kebede's statement of the
necessity to coordinate between working entities in Djibouti, in an
effort to design and implement successful projects. Such
coordination should send a positive and strong message to the GoDJ
and possibly avert negative Government action on implementing
partners. Even though significant progress has been achieved at the
refugee camp, considerable work remains to bring the camp up to
international standards. Hopefully, Mr. Kebede's visit will trigger
the necessary actions toward improvement. Post will continue to
follow and report on the Eritrean defectors resettlement process.
Post looks forward to the January visit of PRM Program officer and
the Regional Refugee Coordinator to discuss these concerns in
further detail. END COMMENT.

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