Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05COLOMBO16
2005-01-03 11:55:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Colombo
Cable title:  

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

Tags:  AEMR CASC EAID PGOV CE MV 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
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
------------

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