Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05COLOMBO125
2005-01-17 04:07:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Colombo
Cable title:  

SRI LANKA AND MALDIVES - EARTHQUAKE AND

Tags:  EAID AEMR PREL PGOV CE 
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 07 COLOMBO 000125 

SIPDIS


STATE ALSO PASS TO USAID
STATE FOR TSUNAMI TASK FORCE 1
USAID/W FOR A/AID ANDREW NATSIOS, JBRAUSE
DCHA/OFDA GGOTTLIEB, MMARX, RTHAYER, BDEEMER
AID/W FOR DCHA/OFDA
TSUNAMI RESPONSE MANAGEMENT TEAM

SIPDIS
DCHA/FFP FOR LAUREN LANDIS
DCHA BUREAU FOR ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR ROGER WINTER
ANE DEPUTY ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR MARK WARD
BANGKOK FOR OFDA SENIOR REGIONAL ADVISOR TOM DOLAN
KATHMANDU FOR OFDA REGIONAL ADVISOR WILLIAM BERGER
GENEVA FOR USAID KYLOH
ROME PASS FODAG
NSC FOR MELINE
CDR USPACOM FO J3/J4/POLAD
USEU PASS USEC

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID AEMR PREL PGOV CE
SUBJECT: SRI LANKA AND MALDIVES - EARTHQUAKE AND
TSUNAMIS: USAID/DART SITREP #6

SIPDIS

-------
SUMMARY
-------

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 07 COLOMBO 000125

SIPDIS


STATE ALSO PASS TO USAID
STATE FOR TSUNAMI TASK FORCE 1
USAID/W FOR A/AID ANDREW NATSIOS, JBRAUSE
DCHA/OFDA GGOTTLIEB, MMARX, RTHAYER, BDEEMER
AID/W FOR DCHA/OFDA
TSUNAMI RESPONSE MANAGEMENT TEAM

SIPDIS
DCHA/FFP FOR LAUREN LANDIS
DCHA BUREAU FOR ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR ROGER WINTER
ANE DEPUTY ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR MARK WARD
BANGKOK FOR OFDA SENIOR REGIONAL ADVISOR TOM DOLAN
KATHMANDU FOR OFDA REGIONAL ADVISOR WILLIAM BERGER
GENEVA FOR USAID KYLOH
ROME PASS FODAG
NSC FOR MELINE
CDR USPACOM FO J3/J4/POLAD
USEU PASS USEC

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID AEMR PREL PGOV CE
SUBJECT: SRI LANKA AND MALDIVES - EARTHQUAKE AND
TSUNAMIS: USAID/DART SITREP #6

SIPDIS

--------------
SUMMARY
--------------


1. As of January 13, according to the Center for
National Operations (CNO),the earthquake and tsunamis
had killed 30,899 people in Sri Lanka. The
USAID/Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART)
conducted assessments in Ampara District and
Trincomolee to view the damage caused by the
earthquake and tsunamis and meet with USAID/Office of
U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) implementing
partners. The USAID/DART continues to coordinate the
transport of relief supplies and work closely with the
U.S. Military in Colombo and Galle. The USAID/DART is
moving forward with a transitional shelter program.
End summary.

--------------
Death Tolls
--------------


2. The CNO, which is responsible for the overall
coordination of the relief effort in Sri Lanka,
reports that as of January 13 at 1700 hours local
time, the earthquake and tsunamis had killed 30,899
people, injured 15,256 residents, displaced 425,620
persons, completely damaged 90,143 houses, and
partially damaged 41,622 houses. Currently there are
6,034 persons missing. According to the CNO, there
are 444 camps housing displaced persons.

--------------
Current Situation in Galle
--------------


3. A USAID/DART Logistics Officer (LO) is located in
Galle in southern Sri Lanka to coordinate logistical
planning with the U.S. Military, non-governmental
organizations (NGOs),and Government of Sri Lanka
(GOSL). According to the LO, on January 11, the U.S.
Military started general debris removal at the schools

in Galle. The U.S. Military's debris removal efforts
will be confined to public use areas such as schools,
hospitals, roads, bridges, and wells etc. If private
citizens and NGOs clear debris from private lands to
the roadways, the U.S. Military can then remove the
debris to a pre-established and approved dump site.
The U.S. Military is also working with the Coastal
Authority to replace rocks and boulders onto sea
walls.


4. According to the USAID/DART, the U.S. Military is
off-loading 26 pallets of supplies from one of its
ships and transporting the supplies to a warehouse in
Koggala south of Galle. The U.S. Military is also
going to start water purification in Galle and will
offer water distribution if necessary.

5. The USAID/DART LO reported that the Central
Environmental Authority designated a location for
dumping at the Naval base north of Galle and is
investigating a location for dumping south of Galle.


6. The USAID/DART LO stated that the U.S. Military,
Sri Lankan Military, and railway engineers will
conduct an assessment on January 14 to assess repairs
and the clearing of the railway. The U.S. Military is
also considering the use of helicopters to move boats
that are stranded on land. If a stranded boat has
been declared seaworthy, the U.S. Military will
transport it to water. If the boat is not seaworthy,
it will be loaded onto a truck and transported to the
boat yard.


7. The USAID/DART LO attended a NGO meeting on
January 13 and reported that a Sri Lankan Military
Representative stated that the GOSL would like to
decrease the number of internally displaced person
(IDP) camps in Galle to two or three semi-permanent
camps. At this same meeting, the Education Authority
and the U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF) advised that all
schools are in need of latrines, and UNICEF is
attempting to resolve this problem. The Education
Authority is also considering the possibility of
providing Emergency and Disaster Management Training
to school children, and they are trying to see how
feasible it would be to provide this type of training.


8. According to the USAID/DART LO, UNICEF and the Sri
Lankan Ministry of Health (MOH) identified an
immediate need for water tanks and water delivery to
tanks at all schools, as they have been without
potable water. UNICEF is reviewing the availability
of tanks. The USAID/DART reported that NGOs and the
MOH are also concerned about the canals in Galle that
have not been cleared and are in disrepair.

--------------
USAID/DART Trip to Ampara District
--------------


9. On January 13, two USAID/DART Program Officers
(POs) traveled to Ampara District in southeastern Sri
Lanka to assess the damage caused by the earthquake
and tsunamis and to visit USAID/OFDA implementing
partners and their programs. Christian Children's
Fund (CCF) and UNICEF both have programs operating in
Ampara District. The USAID/DART POs visited two camps
located in schools. CCF has already started school-
based programs, and USAID/DART POs observed classroom
situations where children (ages 6 to 8) were playing,
drawing, singing etc.
--------------
USAID/DART Assessment trip to Trincomalee
--------------


10. On January 13, the USAID/DART
Transition/Reconstruction Officer and a Military
Liaison Officer (MLO) visited Trincomalee in
northeastern Sri Lanka. The USAID/DART team met with
the representatives of the U.N. High Commissioner for
Refugees (UNHCR) and USAID/Office of Transitional
Initiatives (OTI) and toured the Kinniya District, one
of those most heavily affected by the earthquake and
tsunamis. According to the UNHCR representative,

SIPDIS
there are 122,000 affected victims in Trincomalee or
approximately one-third of the population. The
earthquake and tsunamis affected approximately 16,000
homes, of which 6,000 were destroyed, the remainder
were damaged. The number of homeless people has been
decreasing as victims move in with relatives or out of
the area.


11. The UNHCR representative reported that the most
immediate relief needs are being met; however, the
representative expressed a number of concerns.
Trincomalee is one of Sri Lanka's most ethnically
diverse and poorest districts. Ethnic tensions were
an issue before the tsunami, and the representative
feared that relief distributions and recovery efforts
may exacerbate the situation unless handled carefully.
Prior to the tsunami, UNHCR was handling a caseload of
20,000 conflict IDPs (only a few of the conflict IDPs
overlap with the tsunami victims) who will be watching
closely for inequities in the provision of assistance.
In addition since most people in Trincomalee, with the
exception of lower paid government workers, are
unemployed, any employment activities that target only
tsunami victims (many who are Muslim) could be viewed

SIPDIS
as inequitable.


12. Tsunami victims are already seeing inequities
even where they do not exist. The UNHCR cited cases
of victims in Trincomalee believing that the southern
and western areas of Sri Lanka were receiving more
favorable treatment even while they were in the midst
of receiving relief supplies. One factor that
apparently contributed to this sense of inequity was
the recent receipt of U.N. World Food Program (WFP)
dry rations which reportedly contained rice (short
grain) from Japan. Trincomalee residents were
reportedly unable to prepare rice in their normal
fashion leading them to conclude that the rice was
inferior and quote old end quote.


13. The USAID/DART also visited Kinniya District
where the team witnessed the signing of an OTI grant
for USD 54,401 which will support the clean up of ten
districts that were severely affected by the tsunami.
Four hundred Muslim and Tamil youth, organized by four
local NGOs under the auspices of the local government
officials, will be involved in cleaning activities.
OTI will provide the materials and equipment, and the
grantee will provide the management and organization
of the effort. Labor will be donated by the youth.


14. In Trincomalee, the USAID/DART witnessed severe
damage to homes and infrastructure up to one km from
the sea; however, the team also viewed the clearing of
roads, opening of shops, and conditions appeared to be
under control.

--------------
Coordination with U.S. Military
--------------


15. The USAID/DART has a Field Officer (FO) posted to
the CNO to coordinate with the U.S. Military, GOSL,
and NGOs to ensure the successful transport of relief
supplies. For example, local growers in the Dambulla
area of Matale District in central Sri Lanka have
donated and offered produce at cost and organized the
donations through the Food Processors Association, a
group within the National Agrobusiness Council. The
U.S. Military is assisting in air operations to
distribute these goods. The produce is located in
Dambulla in central Sri Lanka, and the U.S. Military
will transport the produce from Dambulla to central
distribution points in the provinces, and the produce
will then be transported to camps. According to the
USAID/DART, the U.S. Military will transport 3 metric
tons (MT),6 MT, and 10 MT to Ampara on January 13,
14, and 15, respectively.


16. According to the USAID/DART, there is a
significant need for air support in MALDIVES, and the
USAID/DART is discussing this need with the U.S.
Military, which will be providing ground support in
MALDIVES.

--------------
Shelter
--------------


17. Following a series of coordination meetings over
the last ten days, UNHCR, the GOSL, and all of the
major shelter relief organizations operating in Sri
Lanka have come to a consensus regarding
specifications for design of transitional housing.
All USAID/OFDA implementing partners who will be
funded in the shelter response were actively involved
in working to bring about this outcome. With this
decision, these organizations can move forward to
build at least 10,000 transitional shelters, with
latrines, over the next six months.


18. On January 13, the USAID/DART Team Leader in Sri
Lanka attended a shelter meeting hosted by UNHCR that
included all international personnel working in the
shelter sector.
The purpose of the shelter meeting was to endorse this
set of standards and proposals to ensure that all
shelter projects meet specific quality standards so
the GOSL can maintain a consistent approach to shelter
projects. According to the USAID/DART, a team of
international shelter experts has been working closely
with the GOSL on this issue. This team recommended to
the GOSL that tents should not be used as an option
for shelter; however, due to the pressure to reopen
schools by January 25 and relocate those IDPs located
in school, tents will be required by the GOSL. The
team of experts is currently trying to assess the
number of tents that are already in-country. The GOSL
is requesting 50,000 tents from the international
community. [Note: Anecdotal evidence suggests that
there are already a significant number of tents in-
country. End Note.]


19. The USAID/DART has been working with the team of
shelter experts and agrees with their conclusion that
transitional shelter is the most appropriate response.
The GOSL has now sanctioned the use of transitional
shelter. The USAID/DART is moving forward with a
transitional shelter program that will provide the
GOSL with time and flexibility while it resolves land
tenure issues and its long-term strategy on relocation
and housing. With transitional shelters, the material
that is used to construct these shelters can then be
reused in permanent housing once the GOSL has
developed a housing plan.

--------------
Water and Sanitation
--------------


20. On January 11, the USAID/DART Water and
Sanitation Officer (WSO) attended a water/sanitation
meeting at the Ministry of Urban Development and Water
Supply. The USAID/DART WSO reported that immediate
water supply and sanitation needs in the camps are
being addressed with available resources in
coordination with the District Secretaries/Government
Agents. Drinking water needs are being met through
water tankers and service connections in the camps,
and temporary toilets are used to meet sanitation
needs. Based on assessments, water tankers are being
used in areas until new service connections can be
established, urgent repairs were completed to pipe
borne water systems, and affected wells are being
cleaned.


21. According to the USAID/DART WSO, priority is
being placed on the disinfection of open dug wells.
The water boards are reportedly distributing chlorine
in all districts, and technicians are available to
provide technical assistance with well cleaning and
disinfection.


22. The USAID/DART WSO noted that a task force has
been formed to discuss long-term development plans,
and the task force is preparing a preliminary report
on long-term needs.
According to the USAID/DART WSO, 3,000 squatting
plates have arrived in Sri Lanka, and 500 toilets had
already been constructed. UNICEF and the MOH are
developing leaflets for health education that will be
available at the health bureau offices and UNICEF.
The U.N. World Health Organization (WHO) is the lead
agency for health coordination, and the WHO
representative reported that not all affected people
are in the habit of using toilets; as a result, health
education is especially important in this area. The
WHO representative also reported that there have been
no epidemics observed to date. The USAID/DART has
funded partners to address health education and
sanitation (latrine construction) and will continue to
monitor these efforts.

23. The USAID/DART WSO reported that the World Bank
has made approximately 10 million USD available to the
GOSL. Money will be taken from current projects in
health, community water supply and sanitation, and the
North East Emergency Recovery Program to enable the
GOSL to purchase emergency medicines, undertake
epidemic prevention measures, provide cash to district
offices, and supply water tanks, generators, pumps and
other necessary equipment.
--------------
Food
--------------


24. As of January 11, the GOSL has provided 7,393 MT
of food, including rice, sugar, dhal, and wheat flour,
throughout the country. Of this amount, approximately
6,400 MT was distributed in the north and eastern
provinces.


25. According to WFP, the current issues of concern
are fresh produce and feeding affected people outside
of camps. From January 11 to June 30, the total food
requirements for one million affected residents will
be 85,000 MT, and WFP will donate 64,600 MT.
--------------
Protection
--------------


26. The National Child Protection Agency (NCPA) and
UNICEF have conducted a survey to determine the
numbers of children who have lost one parent,
separated from parents, and unaccompanied children.
According to the results of the study, 3,202 children
lost one parent, 858 children were separated from
their parents, and there are 38 unaccompanied
children. The NCPA is currently attempting to
register children, and their priorities regarding
unaccompanied children are to reunite children with
their families, place children in foster homes, or
adoption.

--------------
Coordination
--------------


27. On January 12, the USAID/DART attended a donor's
meeting where it was reported that district level
coordination efforts on relief efforts between the
GOSL and the LTTE were occurring quite well. A U.N.
Development Program (UNDP) representative seconded to
the CNO reported that the most immediate relief
efforts were being met now that the CNO was
regularizing procedures.

--------------
USAID/DART Staffing
--------------


28. As of January 14, there are 15 members of the
USAID/DART in Sri Lanka, including two Foreign Service
Nationals from USAID/Kathmandu. Of the 15 USAID/DART
members, one individual is in Galle and another team
member is in Male, MALDIVES.

LUNSTEAD