US embassy cable - 05COLOMBO67

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 000067 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SA/INS AND CA/OCS 
STATE ALSO PASS USAID/DCHA/OFDA - THAYER, FLEMING, GARVELINK 
GENEVA FOR NANCY KYLOW 
BANGKOK FOR USAID/OFDA - TOM DOLAN 
NEW DELHI FOR FAS 
USPACOM FOR FPA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/10/2015 
TAGS: AEMR, EAID, CASC, PGOV, CE, MV, Tsunami, Maldives 
SUBJECT: TXFO01:  SRI LANKA AND MALDIVES SITREP NO. 9, 
JANUARY 10 
 
REF: COLOMBO 38 AND PREVIOUS 
 
Classified By: James F. Entwistle, Deputy Chief of Mission.  1.4 (b,d) 
 
--------- 
SRI LANKA 
--------- 
 
1.  (U) Consular efforts:  As previously reported, the number 
of American citizens killed as a result of the tsunami stands 
at eight, with one additional AmCit missing and presumed 
dead.  Conoffs have reduced the number of welfare and 
whereabouts cases:  15 AmCits remain unaccounted for in Sri 
Lanka.  Consular TDY support has arrived in Colombo and has 
been productive and very helpful in resolving many 
outstanding AmCit cases. 
 
2.  (U) Government figures:  According to GSL statistics, 
30,725 people have died, and 4,951 are still missing.  Some 
14,000 people remain hospitalized or are recovering from 
injuries.  Over 109,143 families have been displaced, many 
temporarily re-located to the 592 IDP camps around the island. 
 
3.  (U) Getting on with Life:  Throughout the island, roughly 
6 out of every 10 government schools started session January 
10, after being postponed from their original January 5 
commencement.  During recent trips to Galle and the 
surrounding villages, several emboffs have noted that the 
situation on the ground has improved since the final days in 
December.  During a January 5 visit to one IDP camp in the 
Galle area, poloff found the center half empty and was told 
that most of the men spend the day working at their homes, 
only returning to eat and sleep in the center at night. 
 
4.  (C) Military efforts in full-swing:  The Combined Support 
Group Sri Lanka (CSGSL), headed by Brigadier General Panter, 
has established three centers of operation in Sri Lanka: 
Colombo, Katunayake (the military side of the international 
airport north of Colombo), and Galle.  Military personnel 
have conducted site survey for water purification systems, 
begun clearing debris, and have air-lifted relief cargo.  In 
what will be a significant boost to USG efforts, the USS 
Duluth arrived on January 9 with additional personnel and 
much-needed heavy engineering equipment. 
 
5.  (SBU) USAID relief efforts:  The members of the USAID 
DART mission have been active on a variety of fronts: 
coordinating with INGOs, providing information to the 
international community on the assistance available from U.S. 
military resources, and discussing immediate needs as well as 
mid- and long-term requirements, including water and 
sanitation and psycho-social and human trafficking issues 
(see Septels). 
 
6.  (U) The Secretary's January 7 visit:  During his 
afternoon stop in Sri Lanka, the Secretary visited the 
southern town of Galle, in addition to meetings with the 
President and Opposition Leader before hosting a press 
conference at the airport.  The visit was successful and has 
been covered widely in local media (see Septel). 
 
7.  (C) Mission Visitors:  Senators Frist and Landrieu toured 
Sri Lanka, both the south and east on January 6.  A majority 
of the members another CODEL, headed by HIRC East Asia and 
Pacific Subcommittee Chairman Leach, are due in late January 
10.  Some of the representatives and Senator Brownback have 
already arrived and are pursuing individual programs today. 
The entire delegation will have Embassy and GSL meetings on 
January 11 before helicoptering to the south to see the 
Marines in operation and tour AID/OTI and AID/OFDA relief and 
rehabilitation sites. 
 
-------- 
MALDIVES 
-------- 
8.  (U) Casualties:  According to the Maldivian government, 
82 people died, including 76 Maldivians, 3 tourists, and 3 
foreign expatriate workers.  An additional 26 Maldivians are 
still missing.  Throughout the islands, the Government has 
catalogued damage to almost 4,000 buildings.  No Americans 
are unaccounted for in Maldives. 
 
9.  (SBU) Airport Assistance from the U.S.:  The Maldivian 
Government has been in contact with the FAA in the U.S. to 
help provide parts for some of the airport navigation systems 
that were damaged when the island flooded on December 26. 
FAA has responded positively to Maldives' request and is 
planning on dispatching a technician to Male' to provide 
equipment and assistance in restoring the airport systems. 
(Note:  At present, the Male' airport is fully functional, 
with only low visibility becoming potentially problematic.) 
 
10.  (SBU) U.S. Assessment Team, Take 2:  Following up the 
Embassy/military/USAID team that visited Maldives, a second 
team is in Maldives January 10 for specific logistics 
planning, given that both the U.S. military and USAID have a 
better idea of specific resources being programmed for 
Maldives.  A member of AID's OFDA team will be temporarily 
stationed in Maldives as of January 10 to coordinate some of 
the U.S. relief supplies. 
 
11.  (U) Relief Supplies to Maldives:  To date, the U.S. has 
sent three relief planes to the island nation with a variety 
of supplies including water bladders and containers, plastic 
sheeting and hygiene kits.  USAID estimates the water 
materials alone can benefit approximately 25,000 Maldivians. 
 
LUNSTEAD