TFXO02 - UPDATE OF ACTIVITIES OF USAID/OFDA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 000009

SIPDIS

AIDAC

STATE FOR SA
BRUSSELS FOR USEC
BANGKOK FOR OFDA TOM DOLAN

GENEVA FOR UNOCHA AND IFRC NANCE KYLOH

ROME PASS FODAG

USAID FOR DCHA GREG GOTTLIEB, DCHA/OFDA MICHAEL MARX
AND ROB THAYER, DCHA/FFP, DCHA/OTI, ANE/AA BERNADETTE
BUNDY AND STATE/SA

E.O.12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID AEMR CE
SUBJECT: TFXO02 - UPDATE OF ACTIVITIES OF USAID/OFDA
DART TEAM FOR SRI LANKA TSUNAMI DISASTER


1. SUMMARY: A USAID AIR SHIPMENT LANDED YESTERDAY IN
SRI LANKA BRINGING URGENTLY NEEDED RELIEF SUPPLIES FOR
TSUNAMI VICTIMS. USAID/DART HAS IDENTIFIED AND

SIPDIS
SUBMITTED FOR RAPID CONTRACTING THE FIRST APPROVED
SELECTION OF NGO IMPLEMENTATION PROPOSALS. OTI IS
DEVELOPING A RESPONSE TO SUPPORT COORDINATION AND
INFORMATION MANAGEMENT AT THE LOCAL LEVEL. CONTRARY TO
RUMORS, THE SRI LANKA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND WHO
REPORT NO CONFIRMED CASES OF CHOLERA. END SUMMARY


2. A CARGO PLANE LOAD OF USAID/OFDA FUNDED RELIEF
SUPPLIES LANDED IN COLOMBO AT 1000 HOURS 1 JANUARY

2005. THE RELIEF SUPPLIES, WHICH WERE DELIVERED TO
THE INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF RED CROSS/RED CRESCENT
SOCIEITIES, INCLUDED 60 ROLLS OF PLASTIC SHEETING FOR
USE AS BASIC SHELTER, ONE 10,000 LITER WATER BLADDER,
AND 4200 20-LITER WATER CONTAINERS. THE VALUE OF THE
RELIEF SUPPLIES IS APPROXIMATELY $25000.


3. THE USAID/OFDA DART TEAM IN COORDINATION WITH THE
USAID/SRI LANKA MISSION HAVE APPROVED THE FIRST
SELECTION OF RELIEF INTERVENTION PROPOSALS FROM
INTERNATIONAL NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS AND SRI
LANKAN RED CROSS. THE DART TEAM IS RECOMMENDING
URGENT CONTRACTING OF FIVE PROPOSALS: WORLD VISION,
SAVE THE CHILDREN UK, CARE, ACTION CONTRE LE FAIM AND
SRI LANKAN RED CROSS, WITH A COMBINED VALUE OF
$2,500,000. FOLLOWING RAPID CONTRACTING, THE
IMPLEMENTING PARTNERS WILL UNDERTAKE USAID FUNDED
ACTIVITIES IMMEDIATELY. THE USAID/OFDA DART TEAM
REQUESTED AND HAS RECEIVED AN ADDITIONAL $10,000,000
IN FUNDING TO PROVIDE TO PARTNERS IN THE COMING DAYS,
WITH A FOCUS THAT COMBINES RELIEF AND INTERMEDIATE
TERM REHABILITATION ACTIVITIES. THESE ACTIVITIES WILL
INCLUDE LIVELIHOOD RESTORATION, CASH FOR WORK PROGRAMS
AND INCOME GENERATION PROJECTS, AS WELL AS MEETING
INTERMEDIATE TERM SHELTERING AND WATER/SANITATION
NEEDS.


4. COORDINATION AND INFORMATION MANAGEMENT AT BOTH THE
NATIONAL AND LOCAL LEVEL HAS HAMPERED EFFICIENT
EMERGENCY RESPONSE. OTI IS WORKING WITH THE UN, LOCAL
GOVERNMENT AUTHORITIES, AND THE PRIVATE AND ACADEMIC
INSTITUTIONS TO STRENGTHEN COORDINATION AND
INFORMATION MANAGEMENT IN AFFECTED DISTRICTS.


5. ACCORDING TO THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND WHO SRI
LANKA, NO CONFIRMED CASES OF CHOLERA HAVE BEEN
REPORTED AS OF 2 JANUARY 2005. REPORTS OF WATERY
DIARRHEA HAVE BEEN REPORTED IN AN UNNAMED TEMPORARY
CAMP IN AMPARA DISTRICT. THEY ARE BEING TREATED AS
CHOLERA AS A WORST CASE SCENARIO. MINISTRY OF HEALTH
EPIDEMIOLOGICAL UNIT IS REPORTEDLY INVESTIGATING.
CENTRE FOR NATIONAL OPERATIONS SRI LANKA REPORTS
APPROXIMATELY 25 FOREIGN MEDICAL TEAMS ARE IN COUNTRY
AND ARE CURRRENTLY OBSERVING MEDICAL CONDITIONS FOR
DISEASE OUTBREAKS. WHO SRI LANKA REPORTS THEY HAVE
CHOLERA KITS AVAILABLE IN COUNTRY FOR TREATING
SYMPTOMS IF NEEDED. A SENTINEL SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM IS
REPORTEDLY IN PLACE, DART HAS OFFERED ASSISTANCE FOR
FURTHER DEVELOPMENT AND STRENGHTENING THE EXISTING
SYSTEM.


6. THE POTENTIAL FOR A CHOLERA OUTBREAK EXISTS BUT
DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE AN IMMEDIATE THREAT. IDPS
LIVING IN CAMPS WITH LIMITED WATER AND SANITATION
FACILTIES ARE AT HIGHER RISK. SEA WATER, WHICH HAS
POTENTIAL TO CARRY CHOLERA BACTERIUM, HAS INNUNDATED
MANY WELLS NEAR THE COAST. TO LIMIT OUTBREAK POTENTIAL
OFDA IS CURRENTLY FUNDING HOUSEHOLD KITS, HYGIENE
KITS, WATER PURIFICATION MATERIALS FOR FAMILIES AND
LATRINE CONSTRUCTION IN CAMPS. SHELTER MATERIALS HAVE
BEEN FUNDED TO ASSIST PEOPLE WITH MOVING FROM CAMPS TO
MAKESHIFT HOMES. DRINKING WATER IS CURRENTLY BEING
DISTRIBUTED FROM UNDAMAGED INLAND WELLS. PUMPING AND
PURIFICATION OF CONTAMINATED WELLS HAS ALSO BEEN
FUNDED BY OFDA.


7. UNICEF STAFF CHAIRED A WATER AND SANITATION
COORDINATION MEETING ON 1 JANUARY IN EFFORTS TO
COORDINATE DISASTER RELIEF. IN ATTENDANCE WERE
REPRESENTATIVES FROM NCA, GOAL, AMERICARES, SAVE THE
CHILDREN, MERLIN, MERCY CORPS AND OTHER NGOS, UNHCR,
UNICEF, OFDA/DART AND THE INTERNATIONAL WATER
MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE. UNICEF HAS OFFERED TO TAKE THE
LEAD ACT AS A DISTRIBUTOR FOR INFORMATION REGARDING
WATER AND SANITATION ACTIVITIES. ATTENDEES WERE ASKED
TO SUBMIT INFORMATION REGARDING THEIR PLANNED
ACTIVITIES FOR INCLUSION IN A WAT/SAN ACTIVITY MATRIX.
INFORMATIONAL MEETINGS HOSTED BY THE MINISTRY OF URBAN
DEVELOPMENT AND WATER SUPPLY WERE SCHEDULED TO
CONTINUE.


8. AT THE UN COORDINATION MEETING ON 1 JANUARY,
INFORMATION ON THE CENTRE FOR NATIONAL OPERATIONS SRI
LANKA WAS GIVEN. DIRECTOR IS DR. TARA DE MEL, CONTACT
PERSONS ARE HAVE BEEN ASSIGNED FOR ALL AREAS COVERED
BY EMERGENCY OPERATIONS. WEBSITE IS
HTTP://WWW.PRIU.GOV.LK.
LUNSTEAD