US embassy cable - 05COLOMBO9

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 000009 
 
SIPDIS 
 
AIDAC 
 
STATE FOR SA 
BRUSSELS FOR USEC 
BANGKOK FOR OFDA TOM DOLAN 
 
GENEVA FOR UNOCHA AND IFRC NANCE KYLOH 
 
ROME PASS FODAG 
 
USAID FOR DCHA GREG GOTTLIEB, DCHA/OFDA MICHAEL MARX 
AND ROB THAYER, DCHA/FFP, DCHA/OTI, ANE/AA BERNADETTE 
BUNDY AND STATE/SA 
 
E.O.12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID, AEMR, CE, Tsunami 
SUBJECT: TFXO02 - UPDATE OF ACTIVITIES OF USAID/OFDA 
DART TEAM FOR SRI LANKA TSUNAMI DISASTER 
 
1. SUMMARY:  A USAID AIR SHIPMENT LANDED YESTERDAY IN 
SRI LANKA BRINGING URGENTLY NEEDED RELIEF SUPPLIES FOR 
TSUNAMI VICTIMS.  USAID/DART HAS IDENTIFIED AND 
 
SIPDIS 
SUBMITTED FOR RAPID CONTRACTING THE FIRST APPROVED 
SELECTION OF NGO IMPLEMENTATION PROPOSALS. OTI IS 
DEVELOPING A RESPONSE TO SUPPORT COORDINATION AND 
INFORMATION MANAGEMENT AT THE LOCAL LEVEL. CONTRARY TO 
RUMORS, THE SRI LANKA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND WHO 
REPORT NO CONFIRMED CASES OF CHOLERA.  END SUMMARY 
 
2. A CARGO PLANE LOAD OF USAID/OFDA FUNDED RELIEF 
SUPPLIES LANDED IN COLOMBO AT 1000 HOURS 1 JANUARY 
2005.  THE RELIEF SUPPLIES, WHICH WERE DELIVERED TO 
THE INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF RED CROSS/RED CRESCENT 
SOCIEITIES, INCLUDED 60 ROLLS OF PLASTIC SHEETING FOR 
USE AS BASIC SHELTER, ONE 10,000 LITER WATER BLADDER, 
AND 4200 20-LITER WATER CONTAINERS.  THE VALUE OF THE 
RELIEF SUPPLIES IS APPROXIMATELY $25000. 
 
3. THE USAID/OFDA DART TEAM IN COORDINATION WITH THE 
USAID/SRI LANKA MISSION HAVE APPROVED THE FIRST 
SELECTION OF RELIEF INTERVENTION PROPOSALS FROM 
INTERNATIONAL NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS AND SRI 
LANKAN RED CROSS.  THE DART TEAM IS RECOMMENDING 
URGENT CONTRACTING OF FIVE PROPOSALS: WORLD VISION, 
SAVE THE CHILDREN UK, CARE, ACTION CONTRE LE FAIM AND 
SRI LANKAN RED CROSS, WITH A COMBINED VALUE OF 
$2,500,000.  FOLLOWING RAPID CONTRACTING, THE 
IMPLEMENTING PARTNERS WILL UNDERTAKE USAID FUNDED 
ACTIVITIES IMMEDIATELY.  THE USAID/OFDA DART TEAM 
REQUESTED AND HAS RECEIVED AN ADDITIONAL $10,000,000 
IN FUNDING TO PROVIDE TO PARTNERS IN THE COMING DAYS, 
WITH A FOCUS THAT COMBINES RELIEF AND INTERMEDIATE 
TERM REHABILITATION ACTIVITIES.  THESE ACTIVITIES WILL 
INCLUDE LIVELIHOOD RESTORATION, CASH FOR WORK PROGRAMS 
AND INCOME GENERATION PROJECTS, AS WELL AS MEETING 
INTERMEDIATE TERM SHELTERING AND WATER/SANITATION 
NEEDS. 
 
4. COORDINATION AND INFORMATION MANAGEMENT AT BOTH THE 
NATIONAL AND LOCAL LEVEL HAS HAMPERED EFFICIENT 
EMERGENCY RESPONSE. OTI IS WORKING WITH THE UN, LOCAL 
GOVERNMENT AUTHORITIES, AND THE PRIVATE AND ACADEMIC 
INSTITUTIONS TO STRENGTHEN COORDINATION AND 
INFORMATION MANAGEMENT IN AFFECTED DISTRICTS. 
 
5. ACCORDING TO THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND WHO SRI 
LANKA, NO CONFIRMED CASES OF CHOLERA HAVE BEEN 
REPORTED AS OF 2 JANUARY 2005. REPORTS OF WATERY 
DIARRHEA HAVE BEEN REPORTED IN AN UNNAMED TEMPORARY 
CAMP IN AMPARA DISTRICT. THEY ARE BEING TREATED AS 
CHOLERA AS A WORST CASE SCENARIO. MINISTRY OF HEALTH 
EPIDEMIOLOGICAL UNIT IS REPORTEDLY INVESTIGATING. 
CENTRE FOR NATIONAL OPERATIONS SRI LANKA REPORTS 
APPROXIMATELY 25 FOREIGN MEDICAL TEAMS ARE IN COUNTRY 
AND ARE CURRRENTLY OBSERVING MEDICAL CONDITIONS FOR 
DISEASE OUTBREAKS. WHO SRI LANKA REPORTS THEY HAVE 
CHOLERA KITS AVAILABLE IN COUNTRY FOR TREATING 
SYMPTOMS IF NEEDED. A SENTINEL SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM IS 
REPORTEDLY IN PLACE, DART HAS OFFERED ASSISTANCE FOR 
FURTHER DEVELOPMENT AND STRENGHTENING THE EXISTING 
SYSTEM. 
 
6. THE POTENTIAL FOR A CHOLERA OUTBREAK EXISTS BUT 
DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE AN IMMEDIATE THREAT.  IDPS 
LIVING IN CAMPS WITH LIMITED WATER AND SANITATION 
FACILTIES ARE AT HIGHER RISK. SEA WATER, WHICH HAS 
POTENTIAL TO CARRY CHOLERA BACTERIUM, HAS INNUNDATED 
MANY WELLS NEAR THE COAST. TO LIMIT OUTBREAK POTENTIAL 
OFDA IS CURRENTLY FUNDING HOUSEHOLD KITS, HYGIENE 
KITS, WATER PURIFICATION MATERIALS FOR FAMILIES AND 
LATRINE CONSTRUCTION IN CAMPS. SHELTER MATERIALS HAVE 
BEEN FUNDED TO ASSIST PEOPLE WITH MOVING FROM CAMPS TO 
MAKESHIFT HOMES. DRINKING WATER IS CURRENTLY BEING 
DISTRIBUTED FROM UNDAMAGED INLAND WELLS. PUMPING AND 
PURIFICATION OF CONTAMINATED WELLS HAS ALSO BEEN 
FUNDED BY OFDA. 
 
7. UNICEF STAFF CHAIRED A WATER AND SANITATION 
COORDINATION MEETING ON 1 JANUARY IN EFFORTS TO 
COORDINATE DISASTER RELIEF. IN ATTENDANCE WERE 
REPRESENTATIVES FROM NCA, GOAL, AMERICARES, SAVE THE 
CHILDREN, MERLIN, MERCY CORPS AND OTHER NGOS, UNHCR, 
UNICEF, OFDA/DART AND THE INTERNATIONAL WATER 
MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE. UNICEF HAS OFFERED TO TAKE THE 
LEAD ACT AS A DISTRIBUTOR FOR INFORMATION REGARDING 
WATER AND SANITATION ACTIVITIES. ATTENDEES WERE ASKED 
TO SUBMIT INFORMATION REGARDING THEIR PLANNED 
ACTIVITIES FOR INCLUSION IN A WAT/SAN ACTIVITY MATRIX. 
INFORMATIONAL MEETINGS HOSTED BY THE MINISTRY OF URBAN 
DEVELOPMENT AND WATER SUPPLY WERE SCHEDULED TO 
CONTINUE. 
 
8. AT THE UN COORDINATION MEETING ON 1 JANUARY, 
INFORMATION ON THE CENTRE FOR NATIONAL OPERATIONS SRI 
LANKA WAS GIVEN. DIRECTOR IS DR. TARA DE MEL, CONTACT 
PERSONS ARE HAVE BEEN ASSIGNED FOR ALL AREAS COVERED 
BY EMERGENCY OPERATIONS. WEBSITE IS 
HTTP://WWW.PRIU.GOV.LK. 
LUNSTEAD