US embassy cable - 05COLOMBO16

UNCLAS COLOMBO 000016 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR SA/INS AND CA/OCS 
STATE PLEASE ALSO PASS USAID/DCHA/OFDA - THAYER, FLEMING, 
GARVELINK 
BANGKOK FOR USAID/OFDA - TOM DOLAN 
DELHI FOR FAS 
GENEVA FOR NANCY KYLOW 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: AEMR, CASC, EAID, PGOV, CE, MV, Maldives, Tsunami 
SUBJECT: TFXO01:  SRI LANKA AND MALDIVES, SITREP NO. 7, 
JANUARY 3 
 
REF: A. COLOMBO 0008 AND PREVIOUS 
     B. STATE 275844 
 
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SRI LANKA 
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1.  (SBU)  Sri Lankan Needs/Requests:  It is becoming 
increasingly clear that Sri Lanka has an urgent need for 
engineering expertise, construction equipment and heavy-lift 
capability to move that equipment for a national 
reconstruction effort of staggering proportions.  On January 
3 Margareta Wahlstrom, Assistant Secretary General for 
Humanitarian Affairs at the United Nations who is visiting 
Sri Lanka, telephoned the Ambassador to underscore this point 
for both Maldives and Sri Lanka.  The U.S., alone among the 
bilateral and multilateral donors on the ground here, has the 
unique capability to provide these assets. 
 
2.  (SBU)  Agreement on Status of DOD Personnel:  On January 
3 Ministry of Foreign Affairs Additional Secretary Pamela 
Deen advised emboff by telephone that her government concurs 
with the U.S. position that the 1995 Agreement covers DOD 
personnel in Sri Lanka on official duty in connection with 
tsunami disaster relief (Ref B). 
 
SIPDIS 
 
3.  (U)  Casualty Figures:  According to the most recent 
Government statistics, 30,196 people died in the December 26 
tsunami; 3,792 remain missing; 850,201 are displaced; 792 
 
SIPDIS 
"camps" for displaced persons are operating nationwide. 
According to Government sources, these statistics include 
casualties/displaced data reported from Liberation Tigers of 
Tamil Eelam (LTTE) territory. 
 
4.  (SBU) U.S. Assistance:  USAID/OFDA in Colombo has 
received a fund cite for an additional USD 10 million for 
livelihood restoration, cash-for-work programs and 
water/sanitation activities.  A second planeload of OFDA 
emergency relief supplies is expected to arrive early January 
4. 
 
5.  (U)  American Citizens:  7 Americans are confirmed 
killed.  The Consular section has fielded over 1,000 
inquiries, and consular officers have traveled to Galle, 
Matara, Hambantota and Ampara Districts, as well as to the 
Central Province, in an effort to make contact with American 
citizens. 
 
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MALDIVES 
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6.  (SBU) Maldives Needs/Requests:  As in the case of Sri 
Lanka, Maldives will need engineering expertise, construction 
equipment and heavy-lift capability to move that equipment. 
A combined U.S. assessment team (see para 8 below) reports 
that on some islands, all the buildings have been completely 
destroyed and entire populations have had to relocate to 
other islands.  A representative of the Maldivian High 
Commission telephoned the Embassy on January 3 to request 
U.S. assistance in obtaining body bags. 
 
8. (U)  U.S. Assistance:  A five-person combined team 
(Embassy, DART, DRAT, DAO) is expected to return from 
Maldives early January 4.  The first planeload of OFDA 
emergency relief supplies and the first planeload of military 
relief supplies were expected to arrive in Maldives January 3. 
 
9.  (U)  Casualties:  According to the Maldivian state-owned 
media, a total of 82 have been killed; 26 remain missing; and 
an estimated 12,000 are homeless. 
 
10.  (U)  American Citizens:  No Americans have been 
confirmed killed in the tsunami, and no Americans remain 
unaccounted for. 
LUNSTEAD