BURMA CYCLONE: USAID/DART SITUATION REPORT #14

UNCLAS RANGOON 000409 AIDAC DEPARTMENT FOR EAP, PRM, DRL STATE ALSO PASS TO USAID AID/W FOR DCHA/FFP AND DCHA/OTI AID/W FOR DCHA/OFDA KLUU, ACONVERY, RTHAYER BANGKOK FOR DCHA/OFDA WBERGER AND RBARTON KATHMANDU FOR DCHA/OFDA SMCINTYRE USMISSION GENEVA FOR NKYLOH USMISSION USUN FOR FSHANKS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID SENV KSCA TBIO BM PREF SUBJECT: BURMA CYCLONE: USAID/DART SITUATION REPORT #14 -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon arrived in Rangoon on May 22 and met with the Burmese Prime Minister Thein Sein, according to media reports. Members of the USAID Disaster Assistance Response Team (USAID/DART) and the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) Joint Task Force airlifted five flights of relief commodities to Rangoon on May 22. Three of the flights will be consigned to international non-governmental organization (NGO) partners. Since the cyclone made landfall, the U.N. World Food Program (WFP) has dispatched 1,200 metric tons (MT) of food to affected areas and distributed 1,143 MT of food. End Summary. -------------- HUMANITARIAN SITUATION -------------- ¶2. According to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA),the Government of Burma continues to report that the cyclone killed 77,738 people, with 55,917 reported missing. ¶3. U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon arrived in Rangoon on May 22 and met with the Burmese Prime Minister Thein Sein, according to media reports. The U.N. Secretary General is scheduled to travel to cyclone-affected areas of the Irrawaddy Delta on May 22 and meet Senior General Than Shwe in the capital of Naypyitaw on May 23. -------------- GOB RESPONSE -------------- ¶4. In Labutta Township, GOB authorities have now set up 12 tented camps for cyclone-affected populations, which the GOB plans to operate for six months. The GOB announced that all other temporary shelters in Labutta would be closed down by June 9. -------------- U.S. GOVERNMENT RESPONSE -------------- ¶5. The USAID/DART remains in Thailand, coordinating U.S. Government (USG) humanitarian assistance and awaiting GOB approval to enter Burma. However, DART leader Bill Berger is now in Rangoon. The USAID/DART and staff from the DOD Joint Task Force airlifted five flights of relief commodities to Rangoon on May 22. Three of the flights will be consigned to international NGO partners. The USG has airlifted 45 flights of relief commodities to date. -------------- HUMANITARIAN COORDINATION -------------- ¶6. U.N. Emergency Relief Coordinator Sir John Holmes met with Dr. Surin Pitsuwan, the Secretary General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Rangoon to discuss coordination arrangements between the U.N., international humanitarian organizations, ASEAN, and the GOB. -------------- SHELTER -------------- ¶7. The shelter cluster in Rangoon reported that humanitarian organizations have distributed more than 160,000 plastic sheets as of May 21. The shelter cluster in Rangoon has developed three possible distribution scenarios for shelter materials, the most likely of which indicates a 37 percent coverage rate after six weeks. The NGO CARE International is planning to distribute 7,500 shelter kits, 500 of which have been distributed in Rangoon Division to date. At the shelter cluster meeting in Bangkok, participants citing examples from other emergencies in similar climatic conditions determined that the minimum requirement for household emergency shelter kits should be two plastic sheets, and that one sheet does not constitute satisfactory shelter. ¶8. Shelter cluster participants suggested that due to availability of materials and warehouse space in Bangkok, combined with operational difficulties in Rangoon, shelter kits should be pre-packaged in Bangkok. Warehouse space will be provided by logistics cluster, and the shelter cluster is discussing the logistical supported needed in Bangkok. ¶9. The shelter cluster noted that the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees is planning to contract with a surveying and monitoring team to assess building material availability in Burma and monitor prices. -------------- FOOD ASSISTANCE -------------- ¶10. The GOB Ministry of Commerce has granted WFP permission to import an initial 10,000 MT of rice through usual suppliers, as part of the agreement for the delivery of food assistance for six months in the Irrawaddy Delta. WFP noted that feeding 750,000 people for three months, as planned in the U.N. Flash Appeal, will require 55,000 MT of rice, of which only 50 percent may be procured in country. The food cluster has completed a rapid survey on food security in Rangoon and is now analyzing the data. ¶11. Since the cyclone made landfall, WFP has dispatched 1,200 MT of food to affected areas and distributed 1,143 MT of food. WFP now estimates reaching approximately 304,000 beneficiaries with food support as of May 21. WFP has imported 15 MT of ready-to-eat meals for cyclone-affected populations that have no access to cooking facilities. WFP shipped the five MT of ready-to-eat food to Labutta by water transport on May 20. ¶12. The local food cluster in Labutta has prepared a food distribution plan that includes a network of 12 distribution points serving 51 villages, as well as direct distribution to camps. WFP, the U.N. Development Program (UNDP),and the U.N. Children's Fund will collaborate in the distribution. The WFP sub-office in Labutta reported reaching approximately 13,780 beneficiaries in 15 villages around Labutta with food distributions as of May 21. WFP, UNDP, PACT, Medicins sans Frontieres Holland, and Merlin have distributed 12.4 MT of rice, 600 kg of high-energy biscuits and 72 kg of vegetable oil. -------------- LOGISTICS -------------- ¶13. The logistics cluster reported that the staging area at Don Muang airport will have one area for items locally procured in Thailand and one for international cargo in transit to Burma. The logistics cluster noted that the inter-agency warehouse in Rangoon is operational and being managed by DHL on behalf of the cluster. The logistics cluster in Rangoon has contracted 30 trucks for the onward distribution of relief commodities. The trucks will be positioned at the cluster warehouse on May 22, and will be used beginning May 23 when fuel is available. ¶14. The logistics cluster reported that the first U.N. helicopter is expected to arrive in Rangoon on May 22. Three barges are operational, ranging from 200 MT to 800 MT in capacity. The first barge to Bogale township was loaded with relief supplies for the NGO Action Contre la Faim, including 25 MT of high-energy biscuits and five MT of kitchen sets, cooking sets, hygiene kits, and plastic sheeting. The second barge will travel to Labutta, carrying 700 MT of food for WFP and 24.5 MT of emergency relief supplies for the NGO Merlin. ¶15. The logistics cluster reported that four warehouses are operational in Labutta, and locations for logistics hubs have been identified in Bogale, Pyapon, and Pathein townships. VILLAROSA