US embassy cable - 05RANGOON22

UNCLAS RANGOON 000022 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV, CA TASK FORCE, OPS CENTER 
BANGKOK FOR USAID, FAS 
USPACOM FOR FPA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: AEMR, CASC, PREL, PINR, PGOV, AMGT, KFLO, BM 
SUBJECT: TFXO01: (1/5) UN REPORTS BURMA WAS "SPARED" 
 
REF: A. RANGOON 9 AND PREVIOUS 
 
     B. 04 RANGOON 959 
 
1. (SBU) Summary: Contravening recent press reports 
questioning the low number of reported dead and missing in 
Burma, the UN issued a report on January 5th stressing that 
it appears Burma was largely "spared."  According to the 
report UN, Red Cross, and NGO missions in the affected areas 
have not found widespread death and destruction but estimated 
that more than 10,000 people need emergency and medium-term 
assistance.  There have still been no reports of American 
Citizen casualties or verified cases of missing Americans in 
Burma.   End summary. 
 
UN Report: Initial Assessments Complete 
 
2. (SBU) The United Nations Country Team (UNCT) in Burma 
released a report on January 5th compiling results from 
various field missions in tsunami-impacted regions of Burma. 
UN agencies, alongside the Red Cross and international NGOs, 
have conducted and are conducting a number of assessments in 
the Irrawaddy River delta (southwest of Rangoon), Tanintharyi 
Division (in the far southeast, north of Ranong, Thailand), 
and Rakhine Division (on the Bay of Bengal west and northwest 
of Rangoon).  Initially the missions sought to collect 
figures on casualties and damage but are now beginning to 
focus more on determining "immediate to medium term needs." 
 
3. (SBU) There was no update to the International Federation 
of the Red Cross's (IFRC) December 30th assessment of 
casualties (ref A).  However, according to the UN report the 
earthquake and tsunamis affected 10,000 people in the 
Irrawaddy River delta and "several thousand more" in 
Tanintharyi Division.  These people are in "immediate need of 
food, water, basic health assistance and shelter."  Two 
hundred more villages along Burma's southern coast may 
require aid to repair some "economic impact" of the tsunamis. 
 Additionally, the report noted, the deaths of "hundreds" of 
Burmese fishermen in Thai waters will have negative economic 
consequences for their families in Burma. 
 
4. (SBU) The UN analysis was clear that with the information 
available to date, it appears that Burma was "spared."  It 
suggested that the Andaman Islands and Burma's own sparsely 
populated barrier Myeik Archipelago absorbed the brunt of the 
waves before they came ashore on the mainland.  The UN 
Resident Coordinator in Burma, in an attached letter, urged 
readers of the report to resist "misreporting" and 
exaggerating the extent of the damage lest the GOB, "very 
sensitive to how events in Myanmar are portrayed by the 
international community," stops cooperating with the UN on 
this and other humanitarian operations around the country. 
Though the GOB is downplaying the affects of the tsunamis, it 
has been much more transparent during this crisis (issuing 
regular updates on casualties) than it was during massive 
flooding in July 2004 when it made no public announcements 
and arrested people for filming the devastation (ref B). 
 
Assistance is Needed 
 
5. (SBU) For now, the IFRC will continue to coordinate the 
international community's response.  Assessment missions are 
continuing in the impacted areas and UNCT members have begun 
to re-allocate existing country resources for use in the 
tsunami-impacted parts of the country.  These efforts will 
 
SIPDIS 
focus on water and sanitation, food support, emergency 
shelter, healthcare, and economic and psychological support. 
Though the GOB has still not made any request for 
international aid, the UN agencies will seek additional 
resources through "their respective regional appeal 
mechanisms." 
 
6. (U) Embassy Rangoon's Consular Section continues to work 
through about 50 welfare/whereabouts inquiries. 
There have still been no reports of American Citizen 
casualties or verified cases of missing Americans. 
McMullen