US embassy cable - 04COLOMBO2062

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 002062 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR SA/INS AND CA/OCS 
STATE ALSO PASS USAID/OFDA - THAYER 
BANGKOK FOR USAID/OFDA - DOLAN 
NEW DELHI FOR FAS 
USPACOM FOR FPA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: CASC, AEMR, PREL, EAID, CE, Tsunami 
SUBJECT: SRI LANKA: ASSISTANCE EFFORTS BEGIN 
 
REF: COLOMBO 2053 AND PREVIOUS 
 
1.  (U)  As of COB on December 28, unconfirmed estimates put 
the number killed in the December 26 tsunami at over 12,000 
(some tallies were as high as 18,000), of which, according to 
the Sri Lankan Tourist Board, 70 were foreign tourists.  The 
Embassy has confirmed that seven American citizens were 
killed, while approximately 100 remain unaccounted for.  An 
American consular officer visited the convention center in 
Colombo, where the Government is temporarily housing 
displaced foreign tourists, in an effort to make contact with 
any Americans who may have turned up there.  As of COB on 
December 28, one American had been located at the convention 
center.  A Sri Lankan LES went to the morgue to photograph 
the bodies of 31 unidentified foreigners that the Sri Lankan 
military had airlifted from various locations in the south. 
The Consular section is checking passport photographs of 
Americans reported missing for any possible matches.  As of 
COB on December 28, none had been found. 
 
2.  (SBU)  The Ambassador updated Foreign Secretary H.M.G.S. 
Palihakkara on U.S. assistance efforts the morning of 
December 28.  The Ambassador emphasized to the Secretary the 
importance of the Government designating one clear, 
overarching point of contact to coordinate disaster 
assistance with the various bilateral and multilateral 
missions offering aid.  Most important, he stressed, the 
person in charge must have sufficient authority to make 
things happen and to take quick decisions.  Palihakkara 
agreed and promised to convey that message.  Nonetheless, 
confusion persists among donors and, apparently, among Sri 
Lankans themselves about whether relief efforts are being 
handled by the Prime Minister's Office, the President's 
Office or the National Disaster Management Center. 
 
3.  (SBU)  Ambassador and DATT also met with Defense 
Secretary Ashoka Jayawardene to brief him on assistance 
 
SIPDIS 
planned from the U.S. military.  After offering his 
condolences, the Ambassador reported that a 31-person joint 
assessment team will begin arriving late December 28 to 
review assistance needs and make recommendations, to be 
followed by an Expeditionary Strike group, expected to reach 
Sri Lanka next week.  The Ambassador also noted that he had 
spoken by telephone with the Commander of Pacific Command the 
morning of December 28 with special requests for medical 
support, helicopter airlift, water purification units and 
other relief supplies.  He asked Jayawardene how best to 
proceed with providing these services. 
 
4.  (SBU)  Jayawardene expressed appreciation for the USD 
100,000 already promised his government in emergency disaster 
relief.  He noted that the Indian government had sent two 
ships to Galle in the south and two ships and six helicopters 
to Trincomalee in the east.  Indian medical teams were 
already on the ground in Galle and Matara.  In addition, he 
reported, the Russians have provided 50 teams with sniffer 
dogs, along with a scout helicopter, to handle operations in 
the north and other uncleared areas.  The French have sent 
teams to Batticaloa and Ampara in the east; other teams from 
Israel and Japan are expected soon.  (Note:  One Japanese 
medical/surgical team is reportedly already deployed in 
country.  End note.)  He ensured his full support to clear 
any bureaucratic hurdles for U.S. assistance and overflight 
clearances.  He added that President Kumaratunga (whom he 
identified as in charge of relief operations) had directed 
the disaster management committee to make photographing, 
fingerprinting and burying the thousands of bodies left by 
the tsunami its first priority. 
 
5.  (U) Three USAID/OFDA officers had arrived in Colombo as 
of late December 28; more are expected in coming days. 
Coordinating closely with the AID Mission in Colombo, other 
donors and the Government of Sri Lanka (GSL), OFDA will 
deploy three assessment teams on two-day missions to the 
southern districts of Hambantota and Galle and the eastern 
district of Trincomalee beginning on December 29.  The teams 
will work with UN field offices and local and international 
NGOs already on the ground in these areas.  Other assessment 
teams, composed of specialists from the EU, France, UN, the 
British aid agency DFID, and Swiss Disaster Relief, will 
visit six other districts affected by the tsunami.  Through 
their combined efforts, the international assessment teams 
will cover all districts that suffered significant 
damage/loss of life in the disaster. 
 
LUNSTEAD