MORAKOT SITREP 7: RELIEF EFFORTS MAKING HEADWAY AS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TAIPEI 001011

AIDAC
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE

STATE ALSO FOR S/ES-O/CMS, EAP/TC, CA/OCS
BANGKOK FOR USAID/OFDA REGIONAL ADVISOR

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/24/2018
TAGS: ECON AEMR CASC PREL PGOV SENV XE TW
SUBJECT: MORAKOT SITREP 7: RELIEF EFFORTS MAKING HEADWAY AS
FOREIGN AID RAMPS UP

REF: TAIPEI 1005 AND PREVIOUS

Classified By: AIT Acting Director Robert S. Wang for reasons 1.4 (b) a
nd (d).


1. (SBU) Summary. The death toll from Typhoon Morakot has
risen slightly, but is likely to more than double at some
point in the near future as more than 400 missing persons are
unaccounted for in areas buried by mudslides. Rescue and
evacuation efforts are largely complete and restoration of
water, electricity and telephone service is progressing.
However, road restoration has not made significant progress
and access to remote villages remains essentially blocked.
U.S.-supplied helicopters were only able to transport two
small loads today due to limited lift capability and poor
weather. Foreign relief assistance continues to arrive, and
a USAID senior official will be in Taiwan August 19-24 to
continue assessment of the on-going relief work. End Summary

DEATH TOLL NOT YET FINAL
--------------


2. (SBU) As of August 19, the Taiwan Central Emergency
Operation Center reported the following numbers: 136 dead,
386 missing, 45 injuries. The missing are likely to be added
to the death count at some point in the near future, although
the Kaohsiung Emergency Operation Center has not yet
confirmed the deaths of the villagers of Xiaolin and Xin Kai
which were buried in mudslides. A total of 24,281 people
have been evacuated. There are 51 shelters housing a total
of 5,849 displaced persons.


3. (SBU) The estimated total value of agricultural losses now
stands at NTD13.4 billion (USD420 million),according to the
Council of Agriculture. This figure is up from the NTD12.3
billion announced yesterday. Of the total agricultural
losses, damage to crops accounts for NTD4.3 billion (USD135
million),livestock lost represents NTD1.44 billion (USD45
million) and devastation of aquaculture totals NTD4.13
billion (USD130 million).

RELIEF AND RESTORATION WORK CONTINUES
--------------


4. (SBU) Two townships in the southernmost county of Pingtung
are still flooded. Local emergency rescue authorities are
attempting to get about 50 water pumps of varying capacity to
Jiatong and Linbian townships to relieve the flooding.


5. (SBU) Infrastructure restoration continues to improve.
There are approximately 11,600 households without potable
water supply, which is a significant reduction from the
21,600 households that were afflicted as of yesterday. About
11,900 households still have no electricity, compared to
12,500 without power yesterday. There are approximately
2,100 households without land line telephone service.


6. (SBU) U.S.-supplied helicopters continued to ferry
equipment, in particular earth moving equipment for road
clearing, into afflicted areas. The U.S. helicopters
conducted 8 flights on August 18, according to Taiwan
officials. Today, however, they could only airlift two small
excavators before flight operations were terminated due to
poor weather conditions. Thus, road restoration has not made
much progress since yesterday. There are 45 highways that
require repair, and approximately 37 smaller roads remain
impassable.


7. (SBU) Taiwan authorities announced that a total of 2,449
helicopter flights have airlifted supplies and food and water
to affected areas, while evacuating more than 9,000 victims
and transporting 1,600 relief workers.

FOREIGN ASSISTANCE RAMPS UP
--------------

TAIPEI 00001011 002 OF 002




8. (SBU) At a meeting convened late in the day on August 18
by the European Economic and Trade Office, representatives
from the U.S., E.U., Japan, Australia, New Zealand and
Singapore reviewed the donations and other assistance
provided to date or planned for the near future. The E.U.
and Japan both have teams of experts on Taiwan. Both teams
are scheduled to travel to the south of the island today and
to begin assessing relief efforts and requirements. The E.U.
is transporting water purification chemicals to Taiwan, along
with an expert who can provide training in the proper use of
the chemicals. The expert's arrival is expected on Friday.
The E.U. is also determining whether it can supply
disinfectant chemicals.


9. (SBU) The representative from Interchange Association
(Japan) said that his country has pledged USD600,000 in
disaster relief funds which are in the pipeline. He said the
Taiwan authorities have told Japan that additional monetary
contributions are not required. Australia has delivered
200,000 water purification tablets and 100 portable
disinfectant sprayers. Singapore has sent food and medical
supplies, which were delivered to the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs on August 13. The Department of Health has
designated Kaohsiung Veterans' Hospital as the disseminating
agency. New Zealand is still studying Taiwan's request for
assistance. The E.U. representative office here has offered
to continue to coordinate information sharing among foreign
donor governments.


10. (SBU) The PRC Taiwan Affairs Office announced that Mi-26
heavy lift helicopters are available to assist Taiwan, should
they be requested. In response, Taiwan's Mainland Affairs
Council (MAC) spokesman stated the Taiwan Central Emergency
Operation Center would need to determine whether or not
Taiwan needed the PRC helicopters. Separately, 100
pre-fabricated houses were shipped from the PRC to Kaohsiung
yesterday and then transported to Jiatong township in Pintung
county. However, the head of the township announced that he
was unwilling to accept the houses because of concerns that
the pre-fabricated houses could contain excessive levels of
chemicals such as methanol.


11. (SBU) USAID Principal Regional Advisor for East Asia and
the Pacific, Alan Dwyer, will arrive in Taipei from Bangkok
this evening. Dwyer will meet with officials from the
Ministry of National Defense, Department of Health, Council
of Agriculture, Ministry of Transportation and Communications
and Ministry of Foreign Affairs at 9:30 am on August 20.
Dwyer will then travel to southern Taiwan to meet with
officials coordinating relief efforts and to provide advise
and assess the relief work. Dwyer will depart Taiwan on
August 24.

COMMENT
--------------


12. (C) The main problem continues to be the inability to
repair roads buried by landslides. The current two
U.S.-supplied helicopters have relatively limited lift
capacity which means heavy earth moving equipment remains
grounded. In a call with (initiated by) PACOM Admiral
Keating this morning, the Acting Director conveyed this issue
to him. We are now looking into the availability of
heavier-lift helicopters that might be able to transport more
of the equipment needed into affected areas. Admiral Keating
indicated he would consider further assistance in this regard
but needed Washington's approval. At this point, that this
is the most pressing need in recovery efforts. (Note: The PRC
has publicly offered heavy-lift helicopters that apparently
can carry some of the heavier equipment. Taiwan authorities,
however, have thus far declined to accept the offer. End
Note.)
WANG