TFXO01: SRI LANKA AND MALDIVES, SITREP NO. 7,

UNCLAS COLOMBO 000016 SIPDIS SENSITIVE STATE FOR SA/INS AND CA/OCS STATE PLEASE ALSO PASS USAID/DCHA/OFDA - THAYER, FLEMING, GARVELINK BANGKOK FOR USAID/OFDA - TOM DOLAN DELHI FOR FAS GENEVA FOR NANCY KYLOW E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: AEMR CASC EAID PGOV CE MV SUBJECT: TFXO01: SRI LANKA AND MALDIVES, SITREP NO. 7, JANUARY 3 REF: A. COLOMBO 0008 AND PREVIOUS ¶B. STATE 275844 -------------- SRI LANKA -------------- ¶1. (SBU) Sri Lankan Needs/Requests: It is becoming increasingly clear that Sri Lanka has an urgent need for engineering expertise, construction equipment and heavy-lift capability to move that equipment for a national reconstruction effort of staggering proportions. On January 3 Margareta Wahlstrom, Assistant Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs at the United Nations who is visiting Sri Lanka, telephoned the Ambassador to underscore this point for both Maldives and Sri Lanka. The U.S., alone among the bilateral and multilateral donors on the ground here, has the unique capability to provide these assets. ¶2. (SBU) Agreement on Status of DOD Personnel: On January 3 Ministry of Foreign Affairs Additional Secretary Pamela Deen advised emboff by telephone that her government concurs with the U.S. position that the 1995 Agreement covers DOD personnel in Sri Lanka on official duty in connection with tsunami disaster relief (Ref B). SIPDIS ¶3. (U) Casualty Figures: According to the most recent Government statistics, 30,196 people died in the December 26 tsunami; 3,792 remain missing; 850,201 are displaced; 792 SIPDIS "camps" for displaced persons are operating nationwide. According to Government sources, these statistics include casualties/displaced data reported from Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) territory. ¶4. (SBU) U.S. Assistance: USAID/OFDA in Colombo has received a fund cite for an additional USD 10 million for livelihood restoration, cash-for-work programs and water/sanitation activities. A second planeload of OFDA emergency relief supplies is expected to arrive early January ¶4. ¶5. (U) American Citizens: 7 Americans are confirmed killed. The Consular section has fielded over 1,000 inquiries, and consular officers have traveled to Galle, Matara, Hambantota and Ampara Districts, as well as to the Central Province, in an effort to make contact with American citizens. -------------- MALDIVES -------------- ¶6. (SBU) Maldives Needs/Requests: As in the case of Sri Lanka, Maldives will need engineering expertise, construction equipment and heavy-lift capability to move that equipment. A combined U.S. assessment team (see para 8 below) reports that on some islands, all the buildings have been completely destroyed and entire populations have had to relocate to other islands. A representative of the Maldivian High Commission telephoned the Embassy on January 3 to request U.S. assistance in obtaining body bags. ¶8. (U) U.S. Assistance: A five-person combined team (Embassy, DART, DRAT, DAO) is expected to return from Maldives early January 4. The first planeload of OFDA emergency relief supplies and the first planeload of military relief supplies were expected to arrive in Maldives January 3. ¶9. (U) Casualties: According to the Maldivian state-owned media, a total of 82 have been killed; 26 remain missing; and an estimated 12,000 are homeless. ¶10. (U) American Citizens: No Americans have been confirmed killed in the tsunami, and no Americans remain unaccounted for. LUNSTEAD