MGEAP1: INDONESIA EARTHQUAKE HUMANITARIAN UPDATE #2

UNCLAS JAKARTA 001675 SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP, CA STATE FOR USAID USAID FOR DCHA/OFDA CCHAN, ACONVERY, RTHAYER, AND RMT USAID FOR ANE KROSEN BANGKOK FOR ADWYER NSC FOR CPRATT USUN FOR DMERCADO GENEVA FOR NKYLOH PACOM POLAD/J3/J5 E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV CASC ECON EAID SENV ID PHUM AEMR ASEC CASC MARR, PREL, PINR, AMGT, EAID, ID,AQ, LA, RP, TN, VM, WS SUBJECT: MGEAP1: INDONESIA EARTHQUAKE HUMANITARIAN UPDATE #2 -------------- Summary -------------- ¶1. In response to the September 30 earthquake, an 11-member USAID Disaster Assistance Response Team (USAID/DART) is in Indonesia. Search and rescue operations have ceased. Damage reports from affected areas are preliminary, with the Rapid Joint Assessment results and the Humanitarian Response Plan scheduled for release in the coming days. Daily cluster meetings are occurring in Padang. USAID's Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA), Post, and the U.S. Department of efense (DoD) continue to collaborate to respond to the earthquake. End ummary. -------------- Conditions in Earthquake-Affected Areas -------------- ¶2. On October5, six members of the USAID/DART arrived in Padang, and three additional USAID/DART members arrived n Padang on October ¶6. The USAID/DART is assessng humanitarian conditions, meeting with key nongovernmental organizations (NGOs),liaising with oher donor representatives, coordinating with Postand DoD, and supporting the Government of Indoneia (GoI) in the humanitarian response to the earhquake. ¶3. Damage reports from Padang are prelminary. On October 5, the U.N. Office for the Cordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reporte that 70 percent of water distribution networks inPadang are damaged, leaving 60 percent of indiviuals without running wat er. Previous reports inicate that bottled water is readily available fo purchase. In Pariaman, running water is limited de to disrupted power supplies. The USAID/DART i following up on these reports. ¶4. Accordingto OCHA, the earthquake da maged or destroyed a totl of 30 percent of houses with Pariaman, with nerly 100 percent of houses destroyed in some areasof the town. Individuals are sleeping in temporry shelters near houses or in mosques. Local auhori(ties have requested tents and tarpaulins. --( -------------- Q Search and Rescue Operations -------------- ¶5. According to the GoI National Ds"aster Management Agency, most people missing inPPadang city were buried under heavy concrete, and chances of survival for five days in these conditin*s is unlikely. According to participants at an cctober 5 OCHA meeting, the 21 urban search and rs"cue (USAR) teams in and around Padang are ceasing operations after having no live recoveries. The 688 USAR personnel will begin departing Padang. -------------- GoI "Disaster Phase" -------------- ¶6. Participants at the Octobe 5 OCHA meeting reported that GoI disaster officaals have reduced the "disaster phase" of the humanitarian response to the earthquake from two monthst o ONE month. The implications of this decisionffor the humanitarian community are unclear. --( -------------- U.N. Appeal for Assistacce -------------- ¶7. OCHA reported that draft report from the Rapid Joint AssessmentQ is expected to be completed between October 7 an 8. The U.N. is preparing to issue a Humanitarin* Response Plan, to complement the GoI humanitarian response. Similar to a U.N. flash appeal, the plan will summarize humanitarian needs and request assistance from the international community. The U.N. tentatively plans to launch the plan as early as October 9. ¶8. On October 5, a representative of the U.N. World food Program (WFP) told USAID/Indonesia that WFP plans to solicit a flash appeal on October 9, focusing on vulnerable groups. As of October 5, WFP tentatively planned to provide fortified biscuits and noodles for 200,000 people for three months. The WFP appeal may be part of the forthcoming Humanitarian Response Plan. -------------- Humanitarian Coordination -------------- ¶9. Daily cluster meetings for operational clusters are occurring in Padang. Clusters include early recovery, education, food and nutrition, health, logistics, shelter, telecommunications, and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH). USAID/DART members are attending these meetings. -------------- USG Humanitarian Assistance -------------- ¶10. USAID/OFDA is airlifting humanitarian relief commodities from its warehouse in Dubai to Padang. The commodities are tentatively scheduled to arrive in country on October 7 and will be consigned to the Indonesian Red Cross (Palang Merah Indonesia, or PMI). The airlift includes plastic sheeting, hygiene kits, 10-liter water containers, and power generator sets. ¶11. USAID/OFDA, through the USAID/DART, is engaged in discussions with several NGOs concerning needs and planned response programs. The USAID/DART anticipates receiving and beginning to evaluate concept papers and proposals in the coming days. ¶12. On October 1, Post activated an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to coordinate Post's response to the earthquake. Post tentatively plans to staff the EOC at least through the week, depending on needs. The EOC is providing logistical and administrative support to Post in its earthquake response. EOC staff are collaborating with USAID/DART members to share humanitarian information and respond to information requests. ¶13. On October 6, the Charge d'Affaires is in Padang, visiting affected areas with PMI and the USAID/DART. ¶14. A DoD Humanitarian Assistance Rapid Response Team (HARRT),or mobile medical unit, arrived in Padang on October 5 and is being set up in downtown Padang. An eight-person U.S. Air Force team has re-opened the Tabing Airfield and has received flights of C-130s carrying relief supplies. With the opening of the Tabing Airfield, two airfields are currently operational in Padang. ONE DoD C-130 aircraft is flying relief missions from Jakarta to Padang. Two U.S. ships are en route to Padang and scheduled to arrive on October 8. At present, 110 DoD personnel are in Indonesia, supporting relief efforts. On October 6, the DoD Humanitarian Assistance Survey Team (HAST) arrived in Padang. Osius#