US embassy cable - 05COLOMBO188

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 COLOMBO 000188 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE ALSO PASS TO USAID 
STATE FOR TSUNAMI TASK FORCE 1 
USAID/W FOR A/AID ANDREW NATSIOS, JBRAUSE 
DCHA/OFDA KISAACS, 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 FOR J3/J4/POLAD 
USEU PASS USEC 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID, AEMR, PREL, PGOV, CE, Tsunami 
SUBJECT: SRI LANKA - EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMIS:  USAID/DART 
SITREP #9 
 
 
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SUMMARY 
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1.  As of January 24, according to the Center for National 
Operations (CNO), the earthquake and tsunamis had killed 
30,957 people in Sri Lanka.  The U.S. Military plans to 
complete school debris clearing and latrine building by 
January 24, and water distributions will end on January 23. 
Sanitation is a bigger priority than water, and 
organizations are organizing a hygiene promotion campaign. 
End summary. 
 
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Death Tolls 
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2.  The CNO, which is responsible for the overall 
coordination of the relief effort in Sri Lanka, reports that 
as of January 24 at 1600 hours local time, the earthquake 
and tsunamis had killed 30,957 people, injured 15,196 
residents, displaced 396,170 persons, completely damaged 
78,407 houses, and partially damaged 41,097 houses. 
Currently there are 5,644 persons missing.  According to the 
CNO, there are 321 camps housing displaced persons. 
 
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Situation in Galle 
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3.  According to the USAID/Disaster Assistance Response Team 
(DART) Logistics Officer (LO), with the donation of four 
additional water trucks by the Maltese Order, a German non- 
governmental organization (NGO), the Galle Water Board will 
have a total of 13 trucks that will enable them to conduct 
water distributions to internally displaced person (IDP) 
centers and schools when they open on January 25.  The 
USAID/DART LO reported that the Galle Water Board's interim 
plan, when the U.S. or Austrian Militaries leave Galle, is 
to coordinate with a NGO to provide drivers. 
 
4.  On January 19, the USAID/DART LO met with Sri Lankan 
Navy and Air Force Officers who are in charge of monitoring 
IDP centers and protection issues.  The USAID/DART LO 
reported that women and children in IDP centers are visited 
daily by a medical and dental team.  As of January 19, there 
have been no protection incidents regarding women and 
children within the centers. 
 
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GOAL's Activities in Hambantota 
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5.  According to the USAID/DART, USAID/Office of U.S. 
Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) implementing partner GOAL 
is undertaking a shelter program in southern and eastern Sri 
Lanka.  GOAL hopes to build 2,500 temporary shelters in 
southern Sri Lanka and an estimated 1,000 shelters in 
eastern Sri Lanka. 
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Shelter 
----------------------- 
 
6.  On January 20, the USAID/DART attended a shelter meeting 
and noted that the CNO is shifting its focus from housing 
IDPs in tents to a transitional shelter strategy.  [Note: 
The USAID/DART has programmed USD 10,000,000 in support of 
transitional shelters that will benefit approximately 
150,000 IDPs.  End Note.] A transitional shelter strategy 
drafted by the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) 
was tentatively adopted, subject to CNO's final approval. 
The strategy calls for a decentralized approach with the 
focus at the district level and the local governments 
serving as the coordination point for the Government of Sri 
Lanka (GOSL), U.N., donors, and NGOs.  Local procurement 
will be emphasized wherever possible. 
 
7.  Another CNO meeting on this subject will be held on 
January 26, and prior to this meeting, local government 
representatives will meet in Colombo to discuss requirements 
and modalities.  Issues that will be discussed include: the 
status of women in the provision of shelter, security in the 
settlement areas, water and sanitation (emphasized by the 
USAID/DART), and conflict IDPs. 
 
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Water and Sanitation 
---------------------- 
 
8.  On January 20, the USAID/DART Water and Sanitation 
Officer (WSO) attended a hygiene education promotion meeting 
at Oxfam that included representatives from Oxfam-United 
Kingdom, the U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF), the U.N. World 
Health Organization (WHO), and USAID.  The USAID/DART WSO 
reported that sanitation is a higher priority issue than 
water, and many IDPs in welfare centers are defecating in 
the open.  At present there is no space for organized 
defecation fields, and no strategy to address sanitation 
issues.  Meeting representatives were also concerned that 
camp management was not addressing sanitation issues, and 
adequate sanitation measures were not being sufficiently 
planned for people moving into tents. 
 
9.  The meeting representatives determined that four key 
messages must be promoted to IDPs regarding water and 
sanitation issues:  personal hygiene (hand-washing), safe 
disposal of excreta, food hygiene, and collection and 
storage of safe water. 
 
10.  The meeting participants determined that 16 flashcards 
will be used to present these messages, but these cards will 
be revised to be culturally and country-specific.  Posters 
are also under consideration.  The cards will be printed 
during the week of January 24 and will be distributed 
through Oxfam partners to IDPs in camps and welfare centers 
in selected tsunami-affected areas. 
 
11.  The USAID/DART WSO reported that additional support is 
requested from the Ministry of Health (MOH) and Ministry of 
Urban Development and Water Supply (MUDWS) for the 
implementation of this hygiene promotion project. 
Representatives from WHO will meet with the MOH to stress 
the importance of hygiene promotion.  The USAID/DART WSO 
will contact representatives from the European Union and the 
United Kingdom's Department for International Development 
(DFID), as well as MOH representatives, to increase 
awareness of this hygiene promotion project and promote the 
importance of accurate indicators in the sanitation sector. 
 
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USAID/DART Staffing 
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12.  As of January 20, there are 12 members of the 
USAID/DART in Sri Lanka and Maldives.  Of the 12 USAID/DART 
members, one individual is in Galle and another team member 
is in Male', Maldives. 
 
ENTWISTLE