Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07ISLAMABAD2919
2007-07-05 06:39:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Islamabad
Cable title:
SITUATION REPORT #1 - CYCLONE YEMYIN
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ISLAMABAD 002919
SIPDIS
AID/ANE FOR: NMADHAV, RSTEELMAN
AID/OFDA FOR: RTHAYER, TDOLAN
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID PGOV PK
SUBJECT: SITUATION REPORT #1 - CYCLONE YEMYIN
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ISLAMABAD 002919
SIPDIS
AID/ANE FOR: NMADHAV, RSTEELMAN
AID/OFDA FOR: RTHAYER, TDOLAN
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID PGOV PK
SUBJECT: SITUATION REPORT #1 - CYCLONE YEMYIN
1. (U) On Monday, July 2, 2007 Major General Farooq
Ahmad Khan, Chairman of the Pakistan National Disaster
Management Authority (NDMA) held a meeting with the
donor and diplomatic community to provide a briefing
on the impact of the recent cyclone, what the
Government of PakistanQs (GOP) response is, and
discuss next steps.
2. (U) The NDMA has established a website,
http://www.ndma.gov.pk, which will be the official
source of information to the donor community on the
cyclone and its aftermath. The website will include
MAJ GEN FarooqQs presentation.
3. (U) MAJ GEN Farooq informed the donor and
diplomatic community that the GOP and the NDMA had
done a good job in managing the impact of the cyclone,
but that international support from the Qfriends of
PakistanQ was needed and desired in the form of cash,
medicines, and water purification supplies.
4. (U) The NDMA through its early warning system had
limited the number of people killed in the cyclone.
This included warning people in coastal area of the
incoming storm and in notifying fishermen and
preventing them from going to sea. Given the
magnitude of the storm, only approximately 225 people
died. If the NDMA had not acted decisively the number
of deaths would have been much greater.
5. (U) Since the storm the NDMA has established five
logistical centers that are using military assets to
deliver needed supplies by both air and road. The GOP
has provided 200 million Rupees (approximately USD
3.33 million) to relief operations so far. GOP has
sent two army brigades to Balochistan to supervise the
relief effort and to keep civil order. To date the
Army has provided 41 C-130 sorties delivering 80,000
KG of food to Balochistan and 150,000 KG of food to
Sindh. The Army has also provided 12,000 tents and is
purchasing an additional 100,000.
6. (U) Balochistan suffered significant damage to its
infrastructure. The main highway between Wad and Bela
has been severely damaged. In addition, the Gawadar
and Lasbella highway, known as the coastal highway,
has been breeched at several points, with bridges
being washed away. The Iranian Ambassador in a Q&A
session after the presentation mentioned that roads
have been washed away on both the Iranian and
Balochistan side of the border at four of the five
entry points. The only useable point of entry is at
Tafton. Several water embankments in the Quetta area
failed and these caused major damage. However, MAJ
GEN Farooq mentioned that the Mirani Dam held, which
prevented significant damage. There was no major
infrastructure damage in Sindh and the Army has not
deployed significant numbers there.
7. (U) The GOP intends to establish a Disaster
Management Fund, where donors can contribute cash and
in-kind. (COMMENT: Creation of the fund was a
recommendation made by USAIDQs Office of Foreign
Disaster Assistance (OFDA) based on lessons learned
from previous disaster and emergency relief
ISLAMABAD 00002919 002 OF 002
experience. END COMMENT.) When asked if the United
Nations could receive donor contributions for the
Fund, Farooq replied that the decision to do this had
not yet been made. NDMA intends to undertake damage
assessments and is inviting donor participation in
these assessments. It intends to adapt the UN cluster
approach to identifying damage done to different
sectors, e.g. health and education, in forming its own
clusters. Details of this approach still need to be
worked out. Updates and progress of relief activities
will be posted on NDMAQs website.
8. (U) MAJ GEN Farooq cautioned that another major
weather system is approaching Pakistan this week,
which will also have a potentially serious impact on
the cyclone-affected regions.
Patterson
SIPDIS
AID/ANE FOR: NMADHAV, RSTEELMAN
AID/OFDA FOR: RTHAYER, TDOLAN
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID PGOV PK
SUBJECT: SITUATION REPORT #1 - CYCLONE YEMYIN
1. (U) On Monday, July 2, 2007 Major General Farooq
Ahmad Khan, Chairman of the Pakistan National Disaster
Management Authority (NDMA) held a meeting with the
donor and diplomatic community to provide a briefing
on the impact of the recent cyclone, what the
Government of PakistanQs (GOP) response is, and
discuss next steps.
2. (U) The NDMA has established a website,
http://www.ndma.gov.pk, which will be the official
source of information to the donor community on the
cyclone and its aftermath. The website will include
MAJ GEN FarooqQs presentation.
3. (U) MAJ GEN Farooq informed the donor and
diplomatic community that the GOP and the NDMA had
done a good job in managing the impact of the cyclone,
but that international support from the Qfriends of
PakistanQ was needed and desired in the form of cash,
medicines, and water purification supplies.
4. (U) The NDMA through its early warning system had
limited the number of people killed in the cyclone.
This included warning people in coastal area of the
incoming storm and in notifying fishermen and
preventing them from going to sea. Given the
magnitude of the storm, only approximately 225 people
died. If the NDMA had not acted decisively the number
of deaths would have been much greater.
5. (U) Since the storm the NDMA has established five
logistical centers that are using military assets to
deliver needed supplies by both air and road. The GOP
has provided 200 million Rupees (approximately USD
3.33 million) to relief operations so far. GOP has
sent two army brigades to Balochistan to supervise the
relief effort and to keep civil order. To date the
Army has provided 41 C-130 sorties delivering 80,000
KG of food to Balochistan and 150,000 KG of food to
Sindh. The Army has also provided 12,000 tents and is
purchasing an additional 100,000.
6. (U) Balochistan suffered significant damage to its
infrastructure. The main highway between Wad and Bela
has been severely damaged. In addition, the Gawadar
and Lasbella highway, known as the coastal highway,
has been breeched at several points, with bridges
being washed away. The Iranian Ambassador in a Q&A
session after the presentation mentioned that roads
have been washed away on both the Iranian and
Balochistan side of the border at four of the five
entry points. The only useable point of entry is at
Tafton. Several water embankments in the Quetta area
failed and these caused major damage. However, MAJ
GEN Farooq mentioned that the Mirani Dam held, which
prevented significant damage. There was no major
infrastructure damage in Sindh and the Army has not
deployed significant numbers there.
7. (U) The GOP intends to establish a Disaster
Management Fund, where donors can contribute cash and
in-kind. (COMMENT: Creation of the fund was a
recommendation made by USAIDQs Office of Foreign
Disaster Assistance (OFDA) based on lessons learned
from previous disaster and emergency relief
ISLAMABAD 00002919 002 OF 002
experience. END COMMENT.) When asked if the United
Nations could receive donor contributions for the
Fund, Farooq replied that the decision to do this had
not yet been made. NDMA intends to undertake damage
assessments and is inviting donor participation in
these assessments. It intends to adapt the UN cluster
approach to identifying damage done to different
sectors, e.g. health and education, in forming its own
clusters. Details of this approach still need to be
worked out. Updates and progress of relief activities
will be posted on NDMAQs website.
8. (U) MAJ GEN Farooq cautioned that another major
weather system is approaching Pakistan this week,
which will also have a potentially serious impact on
the cyclone-affected regions.
Patterson