INDONESIA: JUNE 2 EARTHQUAKE SITREP

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 007010 SIPDIS AIDAC SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: AEMR ASEC CASC ECON EAID PREF PREL PGOV SENV SOCI, ID SUBJECT: INDONESIA: JUNE 2 EARTHQUAKE SITREP REF: A. JAKARTA 6910 (SIREP 4) ¶B. JAKARTA 6813 (SITREP 3) ¶C. JAKARTA 6772 (SITREP 2) ¶D. JAKARTA 6658 (SITREP 1) ¶E. JAKARTA 6653 (EMBASSY MEETING ON EARTHQUAKE) JAKARTA 00007010 001.2 OF 002 SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (U) As of June 2, the GOI continued to report 6,234 dead and 46,148 injured, with no Americans among the dead or injured. NGOs appear primarily concerned about the lack of potable water. As of June 1, USAID's Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance has provided 1,660,682 USD in assistance for the earthquake victims, out of a total pledge of 5 million USD. The U.S. military field hospital continues to treat patients, while U.S. military doctors also assist local medical facilities. End Summary. CASUALTIES -------------- ¶2. (U) The GOI Department of Social Affairs, on June 1, revised its official count of earthquake victims to 6,234 dead, 33,231 seriously injured, and 12,917 lightly injured. The Department of Social Affairs estimated 233,237 homes destroyed by the earthquake. We have seen no June 2 update to those figures. We have no reports of Amcits dead or injured or of unidentified foreigners at any medical facility. We have resolved all w/w inquires concerning Americans reportedly in the Yogyakarta area. CIVILIAN RELIEF EFFORT -------------- ¶3. (U) The full nine-member USAID Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) has arrived in the earthquake area. The DART has noted an absence of large concentrations of internally displaced persons (IDPs). Families remain in the vicinity of their damaged homes or reside elsewhere with relatives and acquaintances. ¶4. (U) The DART notes that NGOs have concerns about the lack of potable water. Affected populations lack kerosene and cooking stoves to boil poor quality water. ¶5. (U) USAID attends donor coordination meetings in Yogyakarta. The meetings will now occur every other day. ¶6. (U) As of June 1, USAID's Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance has provided 1,660,682 USD in assistance for the earthquake victims, out of a total pledge of 5 million USD. ¶7. (U) Many U.S. firms in Indonesia developed close ties with the donor community after the 2004 tsunami and have capitalized on those, moving supplies and aid quickly and efficiently in Central Java. (Additionally, ref A described an Amcham donation to quake victims.) The business community, currently looking at short-term relief efforts, will soon focus on supporting long-term reconstruction efforts. ¶8. (U) The European Commission has committed to providing 3 million Euros through the Commission's aid agency, ECHO, and has dispatched four technical experts to work with the UN and IFRC. Several EU member states have provided material support including tents, blankets, and medical supplies (Austria, Belgium, France, Italy, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Spain). Four EU member states have offered financial support, including 5.5 million USD from the UK, 1.3 million USD from the Netherlands, and smaller commitments from Germany and Ireland. U.S. MILITARY ACTIVITY IN EARTHQUAKE AREA -------------- JAKARTA 00007010 002.2 OF 002 ¶9. (U) We have approximately 110 U.S. military personnel on the ground in the earthquake area, under the command of USMC BGEN Panter. Several KC-130 flights landed on June 1, along with a C-17, which brought 16 pallets of support equipment, including generators and security surveillance equipment. KC-130 flights to date total over a dozen. We have begun receiving additional capabilities, such as x-ray, dental, and lab type equipment as well as bulk water purification and showers (primarily for patients). ¶10. (U) Medical personnel at our treatment facility treated over 100 patients on June 1. They have continued to treat a continuous flow of patients. U.S. military doctors do basic clinic work on an ongoing basis, and perform significant outpatient procedures and surgeries. ¶11. (U) U.S. military doctors have gone to local medical facilities, assisting with treatment at those sites or routing/transporting some patients to our treatment facility. ¶12. (U) The Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) estimate that TNI will run the rescue and relief operations for 10-14 days and then turn it over to civilian organizations. ¶13. (U) U.S. military personnel at the airport assisted the Japanese in offloading their equipment; the Japanese will establish a field hospital and deploy mobile primary care medical teams. The Malaysians also will start operations in the affected area. MEDIA COVERAGE -------------- ¶14. (U) Indonesian papers expressed concern that the "distribution of assistance and supplies is still disorganized" (Koran Tempo) and claim that "survivors go hungry with food scarce" (Jakarta Post). International media continue to hunt for the bad news, with the New York Times reporting "400 quake victims dying each day in overcrowded hospitals." (Given the injury estimates above, this would indicate a fatality rate among the seriously injured of below two percent.) Despite the media's apparent thirst for the bad news, papers also provided positive coverage, including of U.S. assistance. The press widely covered the Ambassador's visit, which helped focus attention on the U.S. A private sector contribution of 2 million USD cooperatively organized by "the Church of Jesus Christ" (sic - we assume this is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) and the U.S. Islamic Relief (Council) received front page coverage in one major paper as well as the national television news station with the following comment: "This assistance shows that the U.S. is concerned about humanitarian issues without distinction of religion, nationality, race or ethnicity. This contribution was made jointly by Muslims and Christians in the U.S. It is a message for us in Indonesian to rethink our sense of solidarity." PASCOE