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| 19.519 OVERSEAS REFUGEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FOR NEAR EAST AND SOUTH ASIA |
| FEDERAL AGENCY |
| BUREAU OF POPULATION, REFUGEES, AND MIGRATION, DEPARTMENT OF STATE |
| AUTHORIZATION |
| The Migration and Refugee Assistance Act of 1962, as amended (MRA), 22 U.S.C. 2601 et seq. |
| OBJECTIVES |
| In the Near East: Return and reintegration assistance of up to two million Iraqi refugees, recent returnees, and internally displaced persons (IDPs) is a high priority to the Bureau. Programs will support return and reintegration activities for voluntary returnees, as well as assist existing populations in neighboring countries until refugees elect for voluntary return. Programs inside Iraq will also help strengthen local structures so that Iraqi government policies and programs will be responsive to refugees and other victims of conflict. The Bureau supports UN programs that provide some stability in the lives of the 4.3 million Palestinian refugee population in an increasingly difficult environment and contributes to building a climate conducive to a peaceful resolution of regional problems. In South Asia: The Bureau will continue support for the unprecedented, large-scale return and reintegration programs for Afghan refugees and IDPs, although at reduced financial levels. The Bureau will also continue supporting protection and assistance activities for many of the 3.5 million refugees who remain in Pakistan and Iran and who may not repatriate in 2006 due to the security situation, persecution of certain ethnic groups, and Afghanistan's limited capacity to absorb additional returnees. India is host to over 130,000 Tibetan refugees. Congressionally earmarked funds administered by PRM supports the Tibet Fund's assistance of approximately 2,500 new Tibetan refugees who arrive in India each year. PRM's regional contribution to UNHCR also supports protection, care and maintenance for 106,000 Bhutanese refugees in southeastern Nepal. |
| TYPES OF ASSISTANCE |
| Project Grants (Cooperative Agreements). |
| USES AND USE RESTRICTIONS |
| The cooperative agreement, grant or contribution provides funds to meet the organization's objectives as approved by the Bureau. Funding documents authorize funds based on the organization's budget submission after Bureau approval. |
| Applicant Eligibility |
| United Nations, international and non- governmental organizations. MRA designates primary UN or IO recipient organizations. NGO activities must be complementary to, and coordinated with, UN programs. |
| Beneficiary Eligibility |
| Refugees and victims of conflict requiring assistance. |
| Credentials/Documentation |
| None. |
| Preapplication Coordination |
| None. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372. |
| Application Procedure |
| Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) must submit proposals for the Bureau's consideration (international organizations submit appeals to the Bureau). NGOs may submit proposals any time throughout the year to fill a need as it arises, with Bureau consideration granted shortly thereafter. Where there is a specific or immediate priority or need, the Bureau will issue policy and program guidelines and will invite NGOs to submit proposals by a specific deadline for Bureau review. NGO representatives are also encouraged to communicate directly with Bureau program officers regarding priorities and funding timelines. NGOs that have never received PRM funding must be prepared to demonstrate that their organizations meet the financial and accounting requirements of the U.S. Government before they can be eligible to receive Bureau funding. |
| Award Procedure |
| The Assistant Secretary of the Bureau makes funding decisions based on recommendations from the Bureau's Office of Policy and Resource Planning and the Comptroller or Deputy Comptroller of the Bureau signs the cooperative agreement. |
| Deadlines |
| Deadlines vary according to the type of proposal being submitted. For new proposals, the deadline is no later than June 30 of the current fiscal year (unless an unforeseen emergency occurs that would necessitate additional funding beyond the stated deadline.) Proposals for follow-on programs are due 90-days before expiration of the current agreement. Proposals tied to specific program guidelines are due per the deadline of the program-issued guidelines. |
| Range of Approval/Disapproval Time |
| None. |
| Appeals |
| None. |
| Renewals |
| Renewals or extensions require additional approval. |
| Formula and Matching Requirements |
| Bureau's funds are intended to partially cover an organization's budget request with remaining funds expected from other resources. |
| Length and Time Phasing of Assistance |
| Generally, funds are awarded for a 12-month period. Shorter time periods may also be authorized. |
| Reports |
| Quarterly financial reports are due forty-five days after the close of a calendar year quarter. A preliminary final financial report is due 90 days after the expiration of an agreement with a final financial due upon issuance of final indirect cost rates. The Bureau program office may require additional reporting; the organization will be notified of any additional reporting requirements informally. |
| Audits |
| The Bureau's funds must be included in an appropriate audit or audits performed by independent public accountants in accordance with U.S. Government Auditing Standards established by the Comptroller General of the United States covering financial audits. The audit must be performed to meet the provisions of OMB Circular A-133- Revised, Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations. The audit report is due 30 days after issuance or nine months after the end of the audit period. |
| Records |
| The grantee shall maintain files for a three-year period after submission of final financial report. |
| Account Identification |
| 19-1143-0-1-151. |
| Obligations |
| FY 07 not available; FY 08 est not available; FY 09 est not reported. |
| Range and Average of Financial Assistance |
| For FY 05, assistance for the Near East and South Asia was given to four IO's totaling $142.8 million. Assistance for 16 NGO's ranged from $55,481 to $2 million, with an average of $938,861. |
| PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS |
| In FY 05, more than $608 million was provided by the Bureau multilaterally through the United Nations and international organizations and bilaterally to NGOs that fill gaps in the international community's multilateral response. . Bureau funding was focused on three priority areas: (1) promoting access to effective protection and first asylum for refugees and conflict victims, with protection of women and children as a priority; (2) providing humanitarian assistance across geographic regions and according to internationally accepted standards; and (3) supporting voluntary repatriation, including sustainable reintegration of refugees in countries of origin. |
| REGULATIONS, GUIDELINES, AND LITERATURE |
| All inquiries should be directed to the information contacts listed below. |
| Regional or Local Office |
| None. |
| Headquarters Office |
| Programmatic: Richard Albright, Office Director, (202) 663-1063; Larry Bartlett, Deputy Director (202) 663-1065Afghan Team: Dan Kronenfeld, , (202) 663-3717 and Martha Amlin, (202) 663-1037; elsewhere in South Asia and Northeast Asia; Melissa Pitotti, , (202) 663-1950; Near East/UNRWA: George Aldridge (202) 663-1531; Iraq Team: Bill Lehmberg, (202) 663-3442 and Liana Brooks-Rubin (202) 663-1012; Southeast Asia and Tibet: Eileen Kelley, (202) 663-3715. U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, SA-1, Suite L505, Washington, DC 20522-010. Financial: U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, Office of the Comptroller, SA-1, Suite L505, Washington, DC 20522-0105, Telephone: 202/663-1022. |
| Web Site Address |
| www.state.gov/g/prm |
| RELATED PROGRAMS |
| None. |
| EXAMPLES OF FUNDED PROJECTS |
| None. |
| CRITERIA FOR SELECTING PROPOSALS |
| The Bureau's main objective is to help ensure that refugees and victims of conflict have access to basic life-sustaining resources in ways that meet internationally accepted standards of care in shelter, food supply, nutrition, water supply, sanitation, and public health. NGO proposals should clearly use SPHERE standards as the basis for design, implementation, and evaluation, including proposed objectives and indicators. Underlying PRM's support for humanitarian assistance is a commitment to protection, targeted support to women, vulnerable individuals, coordination with relevant UN agencies and other NGOs, sustainability of programming, security, and capacity building. NGOs in search of Bureau funding would do well to address these specific areas in any proposals sent for funding. |
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General Services Administration Office of Chief Acquisition Officer Regulatory and Federal Assistance Division (VIR) |
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