SRI LANKA - EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMIS:

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 COLOMBO 000039

SIPDIS

USEU BRUSSELS FOR USEC
HQS USPACOM HONOLULU HI
DIA WASHDC
JOINT STAFF WASHDC
CG III MEF CAMP COUTNEY JA
NSC WASHDC
SECDEF WASHDC
JCS WASHDC

AIDAC

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

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: CASC EAID AEMR PREL PGOV
SUBJECT: SRI LANKA - EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMIS:
USAID/DART SITREP #2

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SUMMARY
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1. As of January 4, according to the Center for
National Operations (CNO),the death toll in Sri Lanka
due to the earthquake and tsunamis is 30,190. The
U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian
Affairs (OCHA) reports that the immediate priority
areas in Sri Lanka are water (including cleaning up
and restoring water wells),sanitation, health,
shelter, food and essential non-food items, and
transportation means. OCHA also reported that the
secondary threat of water and vector borne diseases is
the greatest concern. While in many places the
inundation from the tsunamis has receded, further
flooding caused by heavy rains in some areas is
hampering the relief efforts and exacerbating poor
sanitary conditions of those displaced. According to
the U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF),water and
sanitation remains a top priority in all districts.
Although some districts have adequate water supplies,
the provision of temporary latrines and waste disposal
remains a serious challenge. End summary.

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DEATH TOLLS
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2. The CNO, which is responsible for the overall
coordination of the relief effort in Sri Lanka,
reports that as of January 4, the earthquake and
tsunamis killed 30,196 people, injured 15,683

SIPDIS
residents, displaced 834,849 persons, completely
damaged 88,022 houses, and partially damaged 25,731
houses. There are currently 789 camps housing
displaced persons.

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Visit of USAID/OFDA Director
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3. On January 5, the USAID/Office of U.S. Foreign
Disaster Assistance (OFDA) Director arrived in Sri
Lanka for a three day visit. The Director and
USAID/Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) Leader
met with the Sri Lankan Minister of Education who is
overseeing operations at the CNO. The Director and
Minister of Education discussed placing a USAID
liaison officer at the CNO as well as a USAID Officer
in the CNO's reconstruction committee to assist with
the planning of reconstruction efforts. The Director
and the USAID/DART Team Leader also met with Brigadier
General Panter who is in charge of the U.S. military
support group in Sri Lanka. The Director and Brigadier
SUBJECT: SRI LANKA - EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMIS:
USAID/DART SITREP #2

General Panter discussed embedding a USAID officer
with the U.S. military and how the U.S. military can
support non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in
relief efforts. The Director will travel to Galle
with Senator Frist and the USAID/DART Team Leader on
January 6 and Maldives on January 7.

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Water and Sanitation
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4. On January 4, the USAID/DART Water and Sanitation
Officer (WSO) attended a weekly coordination meeting
at the Ministry of Urban Development and Water Supply
(MUDWS). The MUDWS is providing guidelines for water
and sanitation facilities at the camps that have been
set up. These guidelines include estimates for the
number of toilets, costs of construction, costs for
hygiene education programs, and costs for soap. The
MUDWS also provided guidelines for septic tanks and
for the construction of toilets and pit latrines.


5. The MUDWS also identified the following items as
necessary to restore the water supply facilities
damaged by the earthquake and tsunamis: water meters,
alum, water purification plants and generators,
bladders, and tankering trucks. The MUDWS also stated
that after compiling information from all districts in
Sri Lanka, the MUDWS estimates that the cost to
rehabilitate approximately 12,130 wells that were
damaged by the tsunami will be USD 73,000.


6. According to the MUDWS, the cost for immediate
rehabilitation projects is estimated at USD 63.88
million, and the cost for long-term rehabilitation
projects is estimated to be USD 173.89 million. Long-
term rehabilitation projects include the completion of
existing projects and the rehabilitation and
augmentation of existing systems.


7. According to UNICEF, water and sanitation remains
a top priority in all districts. Although some
districts have adequate water supplies, the provision
of temporary latrines and waste disposal remains a
serious challenge.


8. OCHA reports that the secondary threat of water
and vector borne diseases is the greatest concern.
While in many places the inundation from the tsunamis
has receded, further flooding caused by heavy rains in
some areas is hampering the relief effort and
exacerbating poor sanitary conditions of those displaced.

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Health
SUBJECT: SRI LANKA - EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMIS:
USAID/DART SITREP #2

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9. At a daily meeting at the CNO, the Ministry of
Health (MOH) reported that the earthquake and tsunamis
damaged 22 hospitals, including 3 in southern Sri
Lanka and 19 in northern and eastern Sri Lanka. The
earthquake and tsunamis damaged approximately 70 field
health centers and 68 small clinics in neighborhoods
and rural areas. The MOH reported that 400 medical
personnel from 45 countries are currently providing
humanitarian assistance in Sri Lanka.


10. According to UNICEF, there have been no reports
of any major outbreaks of diseases in the temporary
camps. UNICEF, in conjunction with the MOH, is
disseminating health promotion messages on hygiene,
waste disposal, and breast-feeding. Fifteen emergency
medical kits containing essential drugs and medical
supplies to address basic health requirement needs for
150,000 people for 3 months were dispatched to the
districts on December 31, along with additional oral
rehydration salts and sodium lactate infusions.


11. On January 5, the USAID/DART WSO met with the MOH
Assistant Epidemiologist with the Committee on
Communicable Diseases to discuss the sentinel
surveillance system. According to the USAID/DART WSO,
health data arrives from districts daily, and public
health inspectors are currently visiting camps on a
daily basis. However, due to the large number of
camps, the system is currently overwhelmed. [Comment:
The USAID/DART WSO noted that the Epidemiology Unit is
willing to accept assistance. End Comment.]


12. The Epidemiology Unit would like to establish a
separate hotline for disaster management and medical
issues and would also like to have additional
personnel. The Epidemiology Unit expects that they
will need additional staff for another three months
and would like financial assistance to transport
specimens and to purchase laboratory supplies. The
USAID/DART discussed providing support to the health
surveillance system with the Minister of Education at
the CNO, and the USAID/DART is currently evaluating
formulating an appropriate intervention to support the
health surveillance system.

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Protection
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13. According to the CNO, registration of children
who have lost one or more parents has begun. The
Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) is currently reviewing
options regarding the long-term care of these
SUBJECT: SRI LANKA - EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMIS:
USAID/DART SITREP #2

children, and the Ministry of Justice, specifically,
is assisting with legal issues in this area. UNICEF
has started to collect information on the total number
of unaccompanied and separated children. Coordination
meetings between UNICEF, the Department of Probation
and Child Care (DPCC),the National Child Protection
Authority (NCPA),and Save the Children have begun.


14. UNICEF reported that the first reports of
incidents of sexual and gender based violence and
abuse in displaced camps have been received.

LUNSTEAD