BURMA: CYCLONE NARGIS SITREP NO. 14

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 RANGOON 000411 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR USAID/OFDA, EAP/MLS, S/ES-O-CMS, DS/CC AND DS/IP/EAP; PACOM FOR LTC JAMIE MCADEN; BANGKOK FOR RSO E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID BM SUBJECT: BURMA: CYCLONE NARGIS SITREP NO. 14 REF: RANGOON 408 AND PREVIOUS SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (SBU) EMBASSY OPERATIONS: Embassy Rangoon operated on city power and had full diesel fuel tanks. Most Embassy residences have returned to city power. No criminal incidents involving American staff were reported. ¶2. (SBU) U.S. RELIEF FLIGHTS: Five C-130 flights carrying relief supplies were cleared and scheduled to arrive in Rangoon on May 23. Two of them have been consigned to NGOs. We have received clearance for five more flights tomorrow, May 24, including two consignment shipments. ¶3. (SBU) SITUATION ON THE GROUND: UNSYG Ban Ki Moon met with Senior General Than Shwe today in Naypyidaw before returning to Bangkok. He will return again for the UN/ASEAN donor conference on May 25. OFDA/DART team leader Bill Berger attended the diplomatic tour of cyclone affected areas today. Fuel prices declined nearly to pre-cyclone levels and food prices continue to drop, although they remain higher than normal. EMBASSY OPERATIONS -------------- ¶4. (SBU) STAFFING AND OPERATIONS: Embassy Rangoon operated on its normal 0800-1630 schedule subject to a liberal leave policy. Other than those on regularly scheduled leave, a full complement of local employees reported for work. ¶5. (SBU) CONSULAR: Consular has continued regular services since May 21 and received no new welfare and whereabouts cases. ¶6. (SBU) AUTHORIZED DEPARTURE: One EFM departed post on May 23 to join the 10 currently in Bangkok. Two additional EFMs plan to depart post on authorized departure status on May 24 or 25. ¶7. (SBU) FUEL AND POWER: The Embassy operated on city power and had full diesel storage tanks. Most residences are operating on city power as well. ¶8. (SBU) WATER: The Embassy continued to have adequate water supplies and purification capacity on hand. ¶9. (SBU) SECURITY: No criminal incidents involving American staff were reported. U.S. RELIEF FLIGHTS -------------- ¶10. (SBU) Five C-130 flights carrying relief supplies were cleared and scheduled to arrive in Rangoon on May 23. Two of them carry consignment shipments for NGOs. We have received clearance for five flights on May 24, including two consignment flights. Thus far, 45 U.S. military C-130 relief flights have landed in Rangoon since the start of the operation on May 12, including 11 flights consigned to NGOs. SITUATION ON THE GROUND -------------- ¶11. (SBU) CONDITIONS, CASUALTIES AND DAMAGE: In a preparatory meeting with donors on May 22, the international community agreed to provide relief to Burma through an ASEAN-led mechanism. A precise plan to implement relief efforts has yet to be formulated. UNSYG Ban Ki Moon met with Senior General Than Shwe in Naypyidaw today before returning to Bangkok this evening. He plans to return to Rangoon for the May 25 donors' conference. The government mouthpiece, The New Light of Myanmar published government statistics on May 22 on which townships foreign relief aid is reaching. RANGOON 00000411 002 OF 002 The GOB plans to carry out the referendum on the draft constitution in Rangoon and the affected delta areas on May ¶24. ¶12. (SBU) RECOVERY AND RELIEF: Bill Berger, the OFDA/DART team leader, attended the diplomatic tour of cyclone-affected areas on May 23. Providing relief to the delta region is still the primary concern. ¶13. (SBU) FUEL: Fuel prices in Rangoon nearly returned to pre-cyclone levels. ¶14. (SBU) FOOD AND WATER: Food prices in Rangoon continued to drop, but most were still higher than before the cyclone. Shortages in the delta continued. ¶15. (SBU) ELECTRICITY: The GOB continued to restore power to parts of Rangoon. ¶16. (SBU) LAW AND ORDER: We received no reports of looting or public disturbances in or around Rangoon. VILLAROSA