Northern Sri Lanka SitRep 31

UNCLAS COLOMBO 000287 SENSITIVE STATE FOR SCA (BOUCHER, CAMP),SCA/INS AND PRM STATE ALSO PASS USAID AID/W FOR ANE/SCA, DCHA/FFP (DWORKEN, KSHEIN) AID/W FOR DCHA/OFDA (MORRISP, ACONVERY, RTHAYER, RKERR) ATHENS FOR PCARTER BANGKOK FOR USAID/DCHA/OFDA (WBERGER) KATHMANDU FOR USAID/DCHA/OFDA AND POL (SBERRY) GENEVA FOR RMA (NKYLOH, NHILGERT, MPITOTTI) USUN NEW YORK FOR ECOSOC (D MERCADO) SECDEF FOR OSD - POLICY PACOM ALSO FOR J-5 E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: MOPS PREF PHUM PGOV PREL ASEC CE SUBJECT: Northern Sri Lanka SitRep 31 Ref: A) Colombo 282 B) Colombo 279 C) Colombo 277 D) Colombo 265 E) Colombo 258 F) Colombo 250 G) Colombo 248 H) Colombo 247 I) Colombo 245 J) Colombo 240 K) Colombo 235 ¶1. (U) SUMMARY: WFP will complete delivery of 500 MT of food aid to the no-fire zone today. The ICRC is planning an evacuation of 400 wounded from the no-fire zone as soon as March 14. Indian DCM reported that the Indian-supplied field hospital will begin operating today in Pulmoddai. End Summary Food Aid Offloading Complete -------------- ¶2. (SBU) The World Food Programme reports that the "Vin-Tan" cargo vessel will complete discharge of the first 500 MTs that it carried by sea to Mullativu from Trincomalee today (March 13). It is expected to return to Trincomalee over the weekend. Meanwhile, WFP has requested approval for the loading of another 500 MTs on the "Vin-Tan" likely to take place early next week, with a potential sailing date of Wednesday, March 19. New ICRC Medical Evacuation -------------- ¶3. (SBU) The next International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) ferry is scheduled to leave tonight for Mullaitivu. There are currently 1000 wounded patients waiting to be evacuated by sea, of whom the 400 most critically wounded/sick will be brought out by the ferry possibly as soon as March 14. On March 12, Special Presidential Advisor Basil Rajapaksa told Ambassador that the Ministry of Health will be sending weekly medical supplies. (Note: the last batch of medical supplies lasted approximately two days as a result of a failure to take into account greater demand due to large numbers of wounded and to an increase in communicable diseases.) Besides the medical supplies, ICRC also plans to ship in water and sanitation materials in the coming days, including chlorine for water purification. Indian Field Hospital Operational -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Indian DCM Misri reported to DCM that the outpatient facilities at the Indian-supplied field hospital in Pulmoddai (ref C) will be operational starting today (March 13). The operating theatre will be operational on March 15. The field hospital will have 50 beds. The Indian team has a total of 52 members. Reported Civilian Casualties -------------- ¶5. (SBU) Tamil sources from within the LTTE-controlled area report 82 civilians were killed and 130 injured on March 11 and 30 civilians were killed and 60 injured on March 12. (Note: Such reports from Tamil sources cannot be confirmed and are frequently exaggerated.) BLAKE