US embassy cable - 04DJIBOUTI1292

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DJIBOUTI 001292 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR AF/EX: HENRY KAMINSKI 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: AMGT, APER, DJ 
SUBJECT: REDESIGNATION OF REST AND RECUPERATION FOR 
DJIBOUTI 
 
REF STATE 184131 
 
1. (U) POST RESPONSES TO REFTEL, KEYED TO ELEVEN 
FACTORS LISTED IN 3 FAH-1 H3721.2-1, FOLLOW: 
 
A. CLIMATE: DJIBOUTI REMAINS ONE OF THE HOTTEST 
   PLACES ON THE PLANET WHERE CLIMATIC CONDITIONS ARE 
   VIRTUALLY CONSTANT THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. THIS IS 
   ESPECIALLY TAXING PHYSICALLY AND IMPOSES KEY HEALTH 
   CONCERNS THAT EXIST IN FEW OTHER FOREIGN SERVICE POSTS. 
   AMONG OTHER FACTORS, STAFF MUST BE VIGILANT REGARDING 
   SMALL, INCREMENTAL CHANGES THAT CAN OCCUR IN PERSONAL 
   HEALTH STATUS ON A DAILY BASIS, ESPECIALLY FOR SYMPTOMS 
   RELATED TO HEAT STROKE, DEHYDRATION, AND KIDNEY 
   MALFUNCTION.  MOREOVER, THE EXTREME HEAT LIMITS THE 
   VOLUME AND TYPE OF OUTDOOR RECREATION AVAILABLE TO 
   AMERICAN OFFICERS. 
 
B. ISOLATION: DJIBOUTI IS A SMALL COUNTRY IN THE HORN 
   OF AFRICA THAT LACKS THE INFRASTRUCTURE TO SUPPORT 
   OPPORTUNITIES TO TRAVEL OUTSIDE TO NEIGHBORING 
   COUNTRIES ON A ROUTINE BASIS. THE FEW ROADS IN 
   EXISTENCE ARE POORLY MAINTAINED AND VIRTUALLY 
   IMPASSABLE DURING RAINY PERIODS.  TRAINS ARE UNSAFE FOR 
   TRAVEL BECAUSE OF AGING CONDITION OF ROLLING STOCK AND 
   RAILS.  ALSO, THE SINGLE RAIL LINE LEADING OUT OF 
   DJIBOUTI HAS BEEN PLAGUED BY TERRORIST ATTACKS. ONLY 
   ONE MAJOR INTERNATIONAL CARRIER OPERATES OUT OF 
   DJIBOUTI, WHILE THREE OTHER REGIONAL CARRIERS OPERATE 
   INFREQUENT FLIGHTS. 
 
C. ADEQUACY OF IN-COUNTRY TRANSPORT: DJIBOUTI LACKS 
   SAFE AND RELIABLE IN-COUNTRY PUBLIC TRANSPORT. ROAD 
   ACCIDENTS ARE ENDEMIC DUE TO A LACK OF A COUNTRYWIDE 
   VEHICLE INSPECTION SYSTEM AND POOR DRIVING HABITS. 
   TAXIS IN THE CAPITAL CITY ARE SUBSTANDARD AT BEST AND 
   USE OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT OUTSIDE OF DJIBOUTI CITY IS 
   PROHIBITED ON SECURITY AND SAFETY GROUNDS. 
 
D. RECREATION FACILITIES: WITH THE EXCEPTION OF 
   POST'S SWIMMING POOL, SMALL EXERCISE ROOM AND TENNIS 
   COURT, FEW RECREATIONAL FACILITIES ARE PRESENT SIMILAR 
   TO THOSE FOUND AT LARGER POSTS. AS A SEP POST WITHOUT A 
   MARINE SECURITY DETACHMENT, INITIATIVES AROUND WHICH A 
   NUMBER OF COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES CAN BE ORGANIZED ARE 
   ABSENT. ON ITS OWN, POST IS TRYING TO DEVELOP AND 
   INAUGURATE A "SNACK-BAR" TO ENCOURAGE AND FOSTER 
   COMMUNITY-BASED ACTIVITIES AND A PLACE FOR MISSION 
   MEMBERS TO MEET AND DINE TOGETHER. HOWEVER, BRINGING 
   THIS FACILITY ON LINE OVER THE COMING MONTHS WILL NOT 
   IMMEDIATELY MITIGATE THE PROBLEM THAT NOW EXISTS. THERE 
   IS NO FACILITY FOR LARGE-SCALE INDOOR MEETINGS AWAY 
   FROM THE OPPRESSIVE HEAT.  THE AMBASSADOR'S RESIDENCE, 
   LOCATED ON THE COMPOUND, IS TOO SMALL TO ACCOMMODATE A 
   SINGLE GATHERING OF AMERICAN STAFF. IN THE "TOWN" OF 
   DJIBOUTI, LITTLE OR NO PERSONAL ENTERTAINMENT OUTLETS 
   EXIST, SUCH AS LIVE THEATER OR CINEMAS FEATURING FIRST- 
   RUN ENGLISH LANGUAGE FILMS. QUALITY RESTAURANTS THAT 
   MEET MINIMUM U.S. HEALTH STANDARDS ARE FEW. GIVEN THE 
   PAUCITY OF RECREATIONAL ALTERNATIVES, AMERICAN OFFICERS 
   ARE LEFT TO THEIR OWN INITIATIVE TO BREAK UP THE 
   MONOTONY OF THE HOME-TO-OFFICE-TO-HOME ROUTINE. YOUNG, 
   UNACCOMPANIED OFFICERS ON THEIR FIRST TOUR OF DUTY, ARE 
   MOST IMPACTED AND THEY COMPRISE THE GREATER VOLUME OF 
   AMERICAN OFFICER STAFF. 
 
E. HOUSING CONDITIONS: POST HOUSING CONDITIONS ARE 
   SATISFACTORY.  HOWEVER, DUE TO LACK OF CONSTRUCTION 
   INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE COUNTRY, EXPANDING THE POST'S 
   HOUSING POOL TO MEET THE GROWING NEEDS OF NEWLY 
   ASSIGNED OFFICERS HAS BEEN PROBLEMATIC.  ASSIGNED 
   OFFICERS WAITING IN TEMPORARY QUARTERS TO GET INTO 
   PERMANENT HOUSING IS ONE OF POST'S MOST PRESSING 
   PROBLEMS. THE FRONT OFFICE HAS PUT "QUALITY OF LIFE 
   ISSUES" HIGH ON POST MANAGEMENT'S PRIORITY LIST. 
   NONETHELESS, AS POST GROWS INTO ITS NEW EMBASSY 
   COMPOUND (NEC) PLANNED FOR CONSTRUCTION IN FY-07, 
   EXPANDING STAFFING LEVELS WILL KEEP PRESSURE ON 
   MANAGEMENT TO PROVIDE AN EVER-INCREASING HOUSING POOL 
   FOR ITS ICASS CLIENTS. 
 
F. UNSANITARY CONDITIONS: DJIBOUTI HAS INHERITED A 
   FRENCH COLONIAL MUNICIPAL INFRASTRUCTURE THAT HAS NOT 
   BEEN KEPT IN GOOD REPAIR.  CONSEQUENTLY, HUMAN WASTE 
   DRAINAGE AND TREATMENT IN A CITY BARELY ABOVE SEA LEVEL 
   PRESENTS A HEALTH PROBLEM CITYWIDE. LEACHING OF WASTE 
   INTO GROUND WATER IS ALSO A SPECIAL CONCERN IN USG 
   HOUSING AREAS WHERE OCCUPANTS MUST TAKE SPECIAL CARE TO 
   BOIL AND FILTER HOUSEHOLD WATER PRIOR TO CONSUMPTION. 
   MOREOVER, THE CITY LANDSCAPE IS LITTERED WITH SOLID 
   REFUSE AND THE COUNTRY LACKS AN EFFICIENT WASTE AND 
   COLLECTION AND DISPOSAL SYSTEM.  THESE CONDITIONS ALONE 
   POSE SPECIAL HEALTH PROBLEMS. 
 
G. LACK OF ESSENTIAL SERVICES: CITY POWER SUPPLY IN 
   DJIBOUTI IS NOT UP TO MINIMUM STANDARDS.  FREQUENT 
   OUTAGES AND "BROWNOUTS" STRAIN THE EMBASSY'S CAPACITY 
   TO SUPPLY POWER TO HOUSEHOLDS AND THE WORK PLACE. 
   PROVISION AND USE OF STAND-BY GENERATORS AT EACH 
   LOCATION IS A MUST. SURGES IN POWER ARE CONSTANT 
   REMINDERS OF INADEQUATE POWER LEVELS. 
 
H. LACK OF ADEQUATE MEDICAL/DENTAL CARE: AGAIN, POST 
   MUST SUBMIT THAT MEDICAL CARE IN DJIBOUTI DOES NOT 
   APPROACH THE MINIMUM ACCEPTABLE LEVELS FOR SIMILAR CARE 
   IN THE U.S. OR EUROPE. POST HAS A SMALL HEALTH 
   TREATMENT FACILITY ON THE EMBASSY COMPOUND STAFFED BY A 
   TCN HEALTH CARE MANAGER, WITH THE RMO RESIDENT IN SANAA 
   AND SCHEDULED FOR VISITS TO POST ON A QUARTERLY BASIS. 
   FOR EMERGENCY CARE, POST MUST RELY ON AN "AS AVAILABLE" 
   ARRANGEMENT IT HAS ESTABLISHED WITH A FRENCH FACILITY 
   RESERVED FOR TREATMENT OF FRENCH MILITARY PERSONNEL. 
   FOR A COMPLETE REPORT ON BASIC MEDICAL CARE AT POST SEE 
   STATE MED'S WEB SITE ON THE INTRANET. 
 
I. PREVALENCE OF COMMUNICABLE DISEASE: FOLLOWING IS A 
   REPRESENTATIVE LIST OF DISEASES ENDEMIC TO DJIBOUTI: 
   COLDS AND RESPIRATORY DISEASES, DIARRHEA, HEPATITIS, 
   MALARIA, DENGUE FEVER, TUBERCULOSIS, SCHISTOSOMIASIS, 
   AND HIV/AIDS. MALARIA PROPHYLAXIS IS REQUIRED. 
 
J. UNUSUAL PERSONAL HAZARDS: IN ADDITION TO THOSE 
   STATED ABOVE, POST OFFERS PARTICULAR CHALLENGES AND 
   HAZARDS BECAUSE OF ITS UNIQUE LOCATION AS A FOCAL POINT 
   FOR THE GLOBAL WAR ON TERRORISM.  ALTHOUGH, RISK OF 
   VIOLENT CRIME IS REMOTE, DISPLACED PERSONS FROM 
   SURROUNDING COUNTRIES CONTINUE TO FIND THEIR WAY TO THE 
   STREETS OF DJIBOUTI CREATING A POTENTIALLY VOLATILE 
   ENVIRONMENT. AS STATED ABOVE, THE POOR STATE OF 
   DJIBOUTI'S TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE PLACES POST 
   PERSONNEL AT GREATER RISK FROM ACCIDENTS ALONE. 
 
K. EXCESSIVE COST OF TRANSPORTATION FROM POST TO A 
   SUITABLE RELIEF AREA:  TRANSPORTATION COSTS ON THE 
   SINGLE EUROPEAN CARRIER WHICH SERVICES DJIBOUTI, AIR 
   FRANCE, COMPARE FAVORABLY TO OTHER CARRIER AIR 
   TRANSPORT COSTS SERVICING THE SAME ROUTE, OR 
   ALTERNATIVE RELIEF LOCATIONS OUTSIDE OF THE HORN OF 
   AFRICA REGION. ON A COST COMPARATIVE BASIS, COST OF 
   TRAVEL TO AN ALTERNATE RELIEF AREA FAR EXCEED THE COST 
   OF THE DIRECT ROUTE TO THE PRESENT DESIGNATED R&R 
   POINT. 
 
2. (U) POST STRONGLY RECOMMENDS REDESIGNATION OF 
DJIBOUTI AS ELIGIBLE FOR R&R TRAVEL BASED ON CONTINUING 
HEALTH AND WELFARE NEEDS AS OUTLINE ABOVE. 
RAGSDALE