US embassy cable - 05COLOMBO27

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 COLOMBO 000027 
 
SIPDIS 
 
AIDAC 
 
STATE ALSO PASS TO USAID 
STATE FOR TSUNAMI TASK FORCE 1 
USAID/W FOR A/AID ANDREW NATSIOS, JBRAUSE 
DCHA/OFDA GGOTTLIEB, MMARX, RTHAYER, BDEEMER 
AID/W FOR DCHA/OFDA 
TSUNAMI RESPONSE MANAGEMENT TEAM 
 
SIPDIS 
DCHA/FFP FOR LAUREN LANDIS 
DCHA BUREAU FOR ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR ROGER WINTER 
ANE DEPUTY ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR MARK WARD 
BANGKOK FOR OFDA SENIOR REGIONAL ADVISOR TOM DOLAN 
BRUSSELS FOR USEC 
KATHMANDU FOR OFDA REGIONAL ADVISOR WILLIAM BERGER 
GENEVA FOR USAID KYLOH 
ROME PASS FODAG 
NSC FOR MELINE 
CDR USPACOM FO J3/J4/POLAD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: CASC, EAID, AEMR, PREL, PGOV, Tsunami 
SUBJECT: SRI LANKA - EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMIS: 
USAID/DART SITREP #1 
 
------- 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
1.  As of January 3, the death toll in Sri Lanka due 
to the earthquake and tsunamis is 29,957. 
Transitioning from emergency relief, the 
USAID/Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) plans 
to fund an additional USD 10 million to focus on the 
immediate rehabilitation needs of disaster-affected 
communities in Sri Lanka.  The Sri Lankan Ministry of 
Health stated that cholera is not an immediate threat 
in Sri Lanka.  According to the U.N., approximately 
100,000 houses require reconstruction in coastal areas 
of Sri Lanka. The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees 
(UNHCR) will take the lead in shelter and 
reconstruction activities. Major donors have 
established a smaller donor working group in order to 
prevent the duplication of activities. 
 
---------------------------- 
DEATH TOLLS 
---------------------------- 
 
2.  The Center for National Operations Sri Lanka (CNO) 
reports that as of January 3, the earthquake and 
tsunamis killed 29,957 people, injured 16,665 
 
SIPDIS 
residents, displaced 861,016 persons, completely 
damaged 91,754 houses, and partially damaged 25,604 
houses.  There are currently 827 camps housing 
displaced persons. 
 
-------------------------------- 
USAID/DART Plans in Sri Lanka 
--------------------------------- 
 
3.  Transitioning from emergency relief, the 
USAID/DART plans to fund an additional USD 10 million 
to focus on the immediate rehabilitation needs of 
disaster-affected communities in Sri Lanka.  The 
USAID/DART will continue to fund the repair of water 
and sanitation facilities and will also support cash- 
for-work rehabilitation projects to enhance 
livelihoods and ensure immediate impacts in 
communities.  Cash-for-work projects will include 
debris removal, small-scale rehabilitation of 
community facilities, sanitation activities, income- 
generation initiatives, and other local priorities. 
 
 
---------------- 
Health 
----------------- 
 
4.  The Sri Lankan Ministry of Health is providing 
leadership in the areas of sanitation and health, 
including uniform guidance in the rehabilitation and 
purification of wells. 
 
5.  According to the Assistant Epidemiologist with the 
Committee on Communicable Diseases (Ministry of 
Health), cholera is not an immediate threat in Sri 
Lanka, and there have been no confirmed cases of 
cholera in the past five years in Sri Lanka.  Regional 
epidemiologists are working with local medical staff 
to monitor the disease outbreak potential.  The system 
has been extended to cover the approximately 800 
camps. 
 
6.  According to the USAID/DART Water and Sanitation 
Officer, at a January 2 meeting at the CNO the 
Director announced that additional sections will be 
added to CNO, one for child protection and one for 
psychosocial support.  These sections will be staffed 
by January 3.  The CNO is currently evaluating a child 
action plan and is collecting information about 
children affected by the tsunamis in order to provide 
psychosocial support. The CNO is focusing upon orphans 
and their long-term care. 
 
----------------- 
Shelter 
----------------- 
 
7.  On January 3, the USAID/Colombo Health and 
Humanitarian Activities Program Officer (USAID/HHPO) 
attended the first shelter coordination meeting hosted 
by UNHCR.  The Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) has 
asked that UNHCR take the lead in shelter and 
reconstruction activities.  A GOSL representative from 
the Ministry of Relief, Rehabilitation, and 
Reconstruction requested that agencies facilitate the 
movement of displaced persons from relief shelters and 
provide temporary shelter materials to displaced 
communities to meet the needs over the next six 
months.  [Comment:  Displaced persons are currently 
seeking shelter in temples, schools, and churches etc. 
where there are inadequate sanitation facilities.  The 
GOSL would like people to move from these types of 
shelters so children can resume school etc.  End 
Comment.]  The tsunamis completely destroyed 42 
schools and partially damaged 102 schools.  At 
present, 244 schools are housing displaced persons. 
 
8.  The GOSL is working on a plan for longer term home 
reconstruction that will include rezoning affected 
coastal areas and reconstruct homes.  The GOSL is 
considering designating a boundary near coastal areas 
to restrict the building of houses.  The GOSL expects 
to announce this proposal during the week of January 
10. 
9.  The lack of accurate structural damage figures has 
hindered damage assessments.  However, based on 
information from local governments and U.N. and multi- 
agency assessments, UNHCR reported that approximately 
100,000 houses require reconstruction in coastal areas 
of Sri Lanka. 
 
----------------- 
Camp Management 
----------------- 
 
10.  According to the USAID/DART, special camp 
management structures have now been set up to assist 
with the provision of humanitarian assistance.  Social 
welfare personnel and other government staff will be 
involved with camp management, and the Sri Lankan 
military will take the lead in this effort. 
 
11.  The CNO will begin registering people at the 827 
camps in Sri Lanka, with priority being given to 
orphans, children, the handicapped, and those who need 
assistance.  The CNO will focus on those camps housing 
more than 2,000 persons.  The CNO, in coordination 
with UNHCR, plans to move families into temporary 
housing and a resettlement time frame will be 
announced in the near future. 
 
-------------------- 
Donor Coordination 
-------------------- 
 
12.  On January 3, the USAID/HHPO attended a bilateral 
donor meeting in Colombo.  The donors discussed the 
funding of the first tranche of nongovernmental 
organization (NGO) proposals in order to prevent the 
duplication of efforts.  The donors will establish a 
multi-agency working group that will include 
representatives from the U.S., the United Kingdom, 
Japan, India, the U.N. Development Program, the U.N. 
Children's Fund (UNICEF), the U.N. World Food Program 
(WFP), UNHCR, the U.N. Disaster Assessment and 
Coordination Team (UNDAC), and the U.N. Joint 
Logistics Center (UNJLC).  This working group will 
also include representatives from the Consortium of 
Humanitarian Agencies (CHA), Save the Children, CARE, 
and three local NGOs, Sava Lanka, Sarvodaya, and the 
Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO). 
 
LUNSTEAD