Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05COLOMBO338
2005-02-14 06:19:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Colombo
Cable title:  

SRI LANKA - EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMIS:

Tags:  EAID AEMR PREL PGOV CE 
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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 SECTION 01 OF 07 COLOMBO 000338 

SIPDIS

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

SIPDIS
DCHA/FFP FOR LAUREN LANDIS
DCHA DEPUTY ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR WILLIAM
GARVELINK
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 FOR J3/J4/POLAD
USEU PASS USEC

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID AEMR PREL PGOV CE
SUBJECT: SRI LANKA - EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMIS:
USAID/DART SITREP #15

-------
Summary
-------

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 07 COLOMBO 000338

SIPDIS

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

SIPDIS
DCHA/FFP FOR LAUREN LANDIS
DCHA DEPUTY ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR WILLIAM
GARVELINK
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 FOR J3/J4/POLAD
USEU PASS USEC

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID AEMR PREL PGOV CE
SUBJECT: SRI LANKA - EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMIS:
USAID/DART SITREP #15

--------------
Summary
--------------


1. On February 4, the Government of Sri Lanka
(GOSL) closed the Center for National Operations
(CNO) and transferred its functions to the
recently established Task Force for Relief
(TAFOR). USAID Disaster Assistance Response
Team (USAID/DART) assessments indicate that
emergency needs for food, shelter, water, and
clothing are being met, although with difficulty
in some areas due primarily to lack of
coordination and logistical constraints.
According to the USAID/DART Logistics Officer
(LO) in Galle District, the lack of governmental
coordination and communication at the district
and sub-districts levels remains the main
concern in the southern districts, hindering the
provision of humanitarian assistance. According
to a donor fact finding mission to Jaffna
District, the focus on provision of large
amounts of assistance to tsunami-affected
populations might present problems of disparity
not only between conflict- and tsunami-affected
internally displaced persons (IDPs),but also
among the general population in the district.
End summary.

--------------
Status of CNO
--------------


2. On February 4, the GOSL closed the CNO
citing the end of emergency relief operations.
The functions of the CNO have been transferred
to the recently established TAFOR, headed by
Commissioner General of Essential Services Tilak
Ranaviraja, in partnership with the various
government ministries. TAFOR will handle issues
related to IDPs and their needs, including food
assistance, temporary shelter, and payments, and

will coordinate with non-governmental
organizations (NGOs) and U.N. agencies. Another
newly-formed entity, the Task Force to Rebuild
the Nation (TAFREN),will handle issues
pertaining to permanent housing and
infrastructure rehabilitation.


3. With the closure of the CNO, no updated
information on the numbers of displaced persons,
IDP camps, and damaged houses is available.

--------------
GOSL Assistance
--------------


4. According to local media reports, on
February 8, the Commissioner General of
Essential Services refuted reports quoting him
as stating on February 2 that only 30 percent of
those affected by the tsunami had received
relief assistance from the GOSL. In a letter to
Ministers and members of Parliament, the
Commissioner indicated that his statements
referred to food commodities that were
dispatched to the districts, but had adequately
reached only 30 percent of targeted
beneficiaries. The Commissioner stated that 75
percent of beneficiaries had received GOSL
assistance as of 1200 on February 7.


5. USAID/DART assessment teams deployed to all
nine tsunami-affected districts in Sri Lanka
have met with GOSL officials, implementing
partners, and IDPs in camps. The USAID/DART
reports that in general all affected people are
receiving assistance from at least one
humanitarian organization. USAID/DART
assessments indicate that emergency needs for
food, shelter, water, and clothing are being
met, although with difficulty in some areas due
primarily to lack of coordination and logistical
constraints. There has been, however, no
official information campaign by local
authorities to inform people of their
entitlements or the GOSL transitional shelter
and reconstruction policy. Nonetheless, the
robust response to this disaster by the
international community suggests that no
affected community will be excluded from
support.

--------------
Situation in Galle District
--------------


6. The USAID/DART LO posted to Galle departed
for Colombo on February 8. According to the
USAID/DART LO, the lack of governmental
coordination and communication at the district
and sub-districts levels remains the main
concern in the southern districts of Galle,
Hambantota, and Matara, hindering the provision
of humanitarian assistance. In addition, lack
of a clear GOSL policy regarding resettlement in
coastal areas, or buffer zones, are hampering
relief agencies' ability to provide shelter.
Some officials insist that no one can return to
within 100 meters of the coast, while others
only insist that no permanent structures be
erected within that zone.


7. According to the USAID/DART LO, water
delivery in Galle is ongoing and meeting basic
needs, but inefficient. The Indian Military has
completed repairs of the main water line running
north from Galle town, but the Water Board has
yet to run water through the system stating that
there are still leaks. The Water Board has not
begun to repair those leaks or to work with the
Indian Military to repair them. The Water Board
continues to request additional water trucks
despite not having developed a water
distribution plan that would highlight gaps and
needs. The situation in Matara and Hambantota
is reported to be similar, with basic needs
being met but not in a systematic manner.

--------------
Donor Fact Finding Mission to Jaffna District
--------------


8. From February 2 to 4, representatives from
the USAID/DART and the United Kingdom's
Department for International Development (DFID)
conducted a fact finding mission to Jaffna
District in northern Sri Lanka. The team
reported that Jaffna was not hit as badly by the
tsunami as other districts. Approximately 20 of

SIPDIS
the district's 400 Grama Sevaka (GS),or
villages, were affected by the tsunami, with the
impact most profound in the northeastern tip in
Point Pedro. The tsunami also reached islands
off the northwestern coast, mainly impacting
livelihoods and infrastructure. Some of the
hardest hit regions of Jaffna are in territory
controlled by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil
Eelam (LTTE). According to the November 2004
U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
Statistical Summary for Jaffna District,
approximately 63,810 residents are displaced
from their homes, with nearly 8,954 living in
camps, due to the conflict between the GOSL and
the LTTE.


9. According to the fact finding team, as a
result of the conflict, inter-agency
coordination mechanisms existed pre-tsunami and
were well placed to respond. Prior to the
tsunami, 23 NGOs worked in the district on

SIPDIS
conflict-related issues; now there are
approximately 30. UNHCR is the designated lead
agency on information for the tsunami, and
sectoral working groups are functioning and
coordinating well; each sector has an NGO or
U.N. agency as the lead coordinator. However,
the fact finding team noted the need to
strengthen coordination and decision-making in
the livelihood restoration sector. In addition,
closer coordination between the water and
sanitation and shelter working groups is
critical for appropriate decision-making both
for transitional and long-term housing
solutions.


10. The fact finding team reported that damage
assessments and registration of affected
populations by both the GOSL and LTTE started
quickly after the tsunami, with records largely
coinciding. U.N. agencies described this,
combined with the unification of coordination,
as a significant achievement in the response in
Jaffna. However, the team noted a lack of
coordination between the central and district
governmental authorities. The district's
Government Agent (GA) does not receive enough
information on GOSL policy from central levels
or from the various ministries. This is
particularly important in the area of shelter
strategies.


11. In Jaffna, 6,084 houses were fully damaged
and 1,114 were partially damaged. According to
the fact finding team, the lack of clarity on
whether the ban on construction within 100 or
200 meters of the coast will be enforced is
hindering forward movement in the shelter
sector. The issue is compounded by the lack of
state land in Jaffna, due to the designation of
large areas as quote high security zones end
quote, and the fact that much land is privately
owned. The GA noted that acquisition of private
land was notoriously difficult. The fact
finding team reported that there is no
discussion as yet of permanent housing options.
UNHCR stated that it will not be involved in
permanent shelter activities. The Sri Lanka Red
Cross Society (SLRC) noted that there was a
difference in policy on a permanent housing plan
between the GOSL and the LTTE and that
negotiations would have to be held to come to a
consensus.


12. The team observed that despite the lack of
disquiet to date, the focus on provision of
large amounts of assistance to tsunami-affected
populations might present problems of disparity
not only between conflict- and tsunami-affected
IDPs, but also among the general population.
The overall picture presented by Jaffna is that
of an underdeveloped and conflict damaged region
with little or no infrastructure, no investment,
high unemployment, and dual government control.
The team recommended a holistic approach to
ensure equity among activities directed toward
conflict- and tsunami-affected populations, and
the general population.


13. According to the team, the GA described
livelihoods as a top priority and noted that he
will chair the sectoral working group dealing
with issue. According to the International
Organization for Migration (IOM),of the tsunami-
affected population, 80 to 85 percent were
dependent on fishing. The U.N. expects that
those working in the fishery sector will be
without income for at least two months.


14. In the water and sanitation sector, the
team noted that sector coordination should be
strengthened to ensure proper consideration of
water and sanitation issues in shelter decision-
making and to guarantee active involvement of
the Water Board in relevant activities. Gaps in
coordination between state actors and NGOs
remain, and the U.N. World Health Organization
(WHO) stated that five different ministries are
involved in water supply, compounding service
delivery problems.

--------------
USAID/OFDA Programs in Jaffna District
--------------


15. Implementing partner IOM is primarily
focusing on psychological and social assistance
and livelihood restoration programs. IOM plans
to include the tsunami-affected population in
its ongoing livelihood and reintegration program
for Sri Lankans returning from Europe to Jaffna
begun in February 2003. For tsunami-affected
beneficiaries, IOM will provide support for
fishermen to purchase fishing nets and replace
their boats and for widows to purchase sewing
machines.


16. Action Contre la Faim (ACF)'s activities in
Jaffna include the installation of approximately
100 semi-permanent latrines in IDP camps, well-
cleaning, and the distribution of 1,000 sets of
tools to clear debris. ACF plans to collaborate
with the International Committee of the Red
Cross (ICRC),UNHCR, CARE, and Movimundo to
create and distribute kitchen sets to resettled
populations. ACF also plans to focus on
livelihood rehabilitation through the
distribution of small boats to fishermen and
support for the repair of damaged boats.


17. The U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF) is the
sector leader for education and health in
Jaffna. UNICEF has constructed temporary
classrooms in damaged schools and has
distributed 122 school-in-a-box kits, each kit
serves 80 students and two teachers. In the
water and sanitation sector, UNICEF has granted
two 4,000-liter water trucks to the Water Board,
has provided 53 1,000-liter water tanks for
schools, cleaned and rehabilitated latrines in
38 schools, and distributed buckets and cups to
all schools in the district. In the area of
protection, UNICEF has continued its pre-tsunami
work of monitoring the situation of
unaccompanied children, with particular emphasis
on the vulnerability of these children to
recruitment by the LTTE. For psychological and
social activities, UNICEF is working with the
Jaffna Social Action Center (JSAC) on providing
recreation kits. At JSAC's centers, children
from conflict IDP, tsunami IDP, and host
population families are brought together for
recreational programs. UNICEF has also
supported training and provision of supplies to
local NGOs Ahavoli and World Holistic Center, as
well as the Jaffna hospital-based Mental Health
Society, to carry out group and individual
therapy for affected people.

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


18. As of February 11, there are five members
of the USAID/DART in Sri Lanka.

LUNSTEAD