JORDAN: APPEAL FOR EARTHQUAKE DEMARCHE DELIVERED

UNCLAS AMMAN 008982

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

CENTCOM FOR J-5

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PREL SENV EAID JO PAK
SUBJECT: JORDAN: APPEAL FOR EARTHQUAKE DEMARCHE DELIVERED

REF: A. STATE 208903


B. AMMAN 8610

C. AMMAN 8781

D. AMMAN 8431


1. (U) Poloff delivered ref A demarche November 17 to
Ambassador Mohammed Siraj, Chief of the Foreign Ministry's
Asian Affairs Department. Siraj said that he would forward
our request to the appropriate Jordanian relief
organizations, as well as to Jordanian representatives
attending the November 19 reconstruction conference in
Islamabad.


2. (U) Jordan has already contributed five planeloads of
tents, medicines, food items, blankets, and heaters to
earthquake victims; deployed a civil defense rescue team to
search for survivors; and dispatched a 42-man medical team
that has treated over 3,500 and conducted more than 400
surgical operations (ref C,D). A television appeal launched
by Queen Rania and a Jordan TV telethon raised USD 588,000,
while other appeals have brought in an additional 30 tons of
food, clothes, and bedding (ref C).


3. (SBU) Post's civil affairs liaison team is working with
the Jordanian Armed Forces' Crisis Management Center (CMC) to
determine if U.S. military assets will be needed to airlift
additional Jordanian humanitarian assistance (tents,
medicine, food) to areas affected by the earthquake. The CMC
is currently waiting for the Jordanian Hashemite Charitable
Organization, the umbrella organization under which all
Jordanian charities operate, to provide a list of
humanitarian supplies that will require transportation to
Pakistan. Once received the CMC will pass this information
to the USAF Superintendent at the Joint Military Coordination
Center.
HALE