US embassy cable - 05COLOMBO39

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 COLOMBO 000039 
 
SIPDIS 
 
USEU BRUSSELS FOR USEC 
HQS USPACOM HONOLULU HI 
DIA WASHDC 
JOINT STAFF WASHDC 
CG III MEF CAMP COUTNEY JA 
NSC WASHDC 
SECDEF WASHDC 
JCS WASHDC 
 
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 
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 #2 
 
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SUMMARY 
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1.  As of January 4, according to the Center for 
National Operations (CNO), the death toll in Sri Lanka 
due to the earthquake and tsunamis is 30,190.  The 
U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian 
Affairs (OCHA) reports that the immediate priority 
areas in Sri Lanka are water (including cleaning up 
and restoring water wells), sanitation, health, 
shelter, food and essential non-food items, and 
transportation means. OCHA also reported that the 
secondary threat of water and vector borne diseases is 
the greatest concern. While in many places the 
inundation from the tsunamis has receded, further 
flooding caused by heavy rains in some areas is 
hampering the relief efforts and exacerbating poor 
sanitary conditions of those displaced. According to 
the U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF), water and 
sanitation remains a top priority in all districts. 
Although some districts have adequate water supplies, 
the provision of temporary latrines and waste disposal 
remains a serious challenge.  End summary. 
 
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DEATH TOLLS 
---------------------------- 
 
2.  The CNO, which is responsible for the overall 
coordination of the relief effort in Sri Lanka, 
reports that as of January 4, the earthquake and 
tsunamis killed 30,196 people, injured 15,683 
 
SIPDIS 
residents, displaced 834,849 persons, completely 
damaged 88,022 houses, and partially damaged 25,731 
houses.  There are currently 789 camps housing 
displaced persons. 
 
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Visit of USAID/OFDA Director 
----------------------------- 
 
3.  On January 5, the USAID/Office of U.S. Foreign 
Disaster Assistance (OFDA) Director arrived in Sri 
Lanka for a three day visit.  The Director and 
USAID/Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) Leader 
met with the Sri Lankan Minister of Education who is 
overseeing operations at the CNO. The Director and 
Minister of Education discussed placing a USAID 
liaison officer at the CNO as well as a USAID Officer 
in the CNO's reconstruction committee to assist with 
the planning of reconstruction efforts. The Director 
and the USAID/DART Team Leader also met with Brigadier 
General Panter who is in charge of the U.S. military 
support group in Sri Lanka. The Director and Brigadier 
SUBJECT: SRI LANKA - EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMIS: 
USAID/DART SITREP #2 
 
General Panter discussed embedding a USAID officer 
with the U.S. military and how the U.S. military can 
support non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in 
relief efforts.  The Director will travel to Galle 
with Senator Frist and the USAID/DART Team Leader on 
January 6 and Maldives on January 7. 
 
-------------------------- 
Water and Sanitation 
--------------------------- 
 
4.  On January 4, the USAID/DART Water and Sanitation 
Officer (WSO) attended a weekly coordination meeting 
at the Ministry of Urban Development and Water Supply 
(MUDWS).  The MUDWS is providing guidelines for water 
and sanitation facilities at the camps that have been 
set up.  These guidelines include estimates for the 
number of toilets, costs of construction, costs for 
hygiene education programs, and costs for soap.  The 
MUDWS also provided guidelines for septic tanks and 
for the construction of toilets and pit latrines. 
 
5.  The MUDWS also identified the following items as 
necessary to restore the water supply facilities 
damaged by the earthquake and tsunamis:  water meters, 
alum, water purification plants and generators, 
bladders, and tankering trucks.  The MUDWS also stated 
that after compiling information from all districts in 
Sri Lanka, the MUDWS estimates that the cost to 
rehabilitate approximately 12,130 wells that were 
damaged by the tsunami will be USD 73,000. 
 
6.  According to the MUDWS, the cost for immediate 
rehabilitation projects is estimated at USD 63.88 
million, and the cost for long-term rehabilitation 
projects is estimated to be USD 173.89 million.  Long- 
term rehabilitation projects include the completion of 
existing projects and the rehabilitation and 
augmentation of existing systems. 
 
7.  According to UNICEF, water and sanitation remains 
a top priority in all districts.  Although some 
districts have adequate water supplies, the provision 
of temporary latrines and waste disposal remains a 
serious challenge. 
 
8.  OCHA reports that the secondary threat of water 
and vector borne diseases is the greatest concern. 
While in many places the inundation from the tsunamis 
has receded, further flooding caused by heavy rains in 
some areas is hampering the relief effort and 
exacerbating poor sanitary conditions of those displaced. 
 
------------------ 
Health 
SUBJECT: SRI LANKA - EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMIS: 
USAID/DART SITREP #2 
 
------------------ 
 
9.  At a daily meeting at the CNO, the Ministry of 
Health (MOH) reported that the earthquake and tsunamis 
damaged 22 hospitals, including 3 in southern Sri 
Lanka and 19 in northern and eastern Sri Lanka.  The 
earthquake and tsunamis damaged approximately 70 field 
health centers and 68 small clinics in neighborhoods 
and rural areas.  The MOH reported that 400 medical 
personnel from 45 countries are currently providing 
humanitarian assistance in Sri Lanka. 
 
10.  According to UNICEF, there have been no reports 
of any major outbreaks of diseases in the temporary 
camps.  UNICEF, in conjunction with the MOH, is 
disseminating health promotion messages on hygiene, 
waste disposal, and breast-feeding.  Fifteen emergency 
medical kits containing essential drugs and medical 
supplies to address basic health requirement needs for 
150,000 people for 3 months were dispatched to the 
districts on December 31, along with additional oral 
rehydration salts and sodium lactate infusions. 
 
11.  On January 5, the USAID/DART WSO met with the MOH 
Assistant Epidemiologist with the Committee on 
Communicable Diseases to discuss the sentinel 
surveillance system.  According to the USAID/DART WSO, 
health data arrives from districts daily, and public 
health inspectors are currently visiting camps on a 
daily basis.  However, due to the large number of 
camps, the system is currently overwhelmed.  [Comment: 
The USAID/DART WSO noted that the Epidemiology Unit is 
willing to accept assistance. End Comment.] 
 
12.  The Epidemiology Unit would like to establish a 
separate hotline for disaster management and medical 
issues and would also like to have additional 
personnel.  The Epidemiology Unit expects that they 
will need additional staff for another three months 
and would like financial assistance to transport 
specimens and to purchase laboratory supplies. The 
USAID/DART discussed providing support to the health 
surveillance system with the Minister of Education at 
the CNO, and the USAID/DART is currently evaluating 
formulating an appropriate intervention to support the 
health surveillance system. 
 
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Protection 
------------------- 
 
13.  According to the CNO, registration of children 
who have lost one or more parents has begun.  The 
Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) is currently reviewing 
options regarding the long-term care of these 
SUBJECT: SRI LANKA - EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMIS: 
USAID/DART SITREP #2 
 
children, and the Ministry of Justice, specifically, 
is assisting with legal issues in this area.  UNICEF 
has started to collect information on the total number 
of unaccompanied and separated children.  Coordination 
meetings between UNICEF, the Department of Probation 
and Child Care (DPCC), the National Child Protection 
Authority (NCPA), and Save the Children have begun. 
 
14.  UNICEF reported that the first reports of 
incidents of sexual and gender based violence and 
abuse in displaced camps have been received. 
 
LUNSTEAD