US embassy cable - 05COLOMBO285

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 COLOMBO 000285 
 
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 #13 
 
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SUMMARY 
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1.  As of January 31, according to the Center 
for National Operations (CNO), the earthquake 
and tsunami had killed 30,959 people in Sri 
Lanka.  The CNO is scheduled to transition 
responsibilities for the tsunami relief effort 
to the Ministry of Public Security, Law and 
Order during the week of February 7.  The USAID 
Disaster Assistance Response Team (USAID/DART) 
in Sri Lanka is now focusing on program 
monitoring and evaluation as well as ongoing 
situational assessments.  In late January, the 
Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) issued a public 
notice stipulating guidelines for development in 
coastal areas, or buffer zones, of GOSL- 
controlled areas.  End summary. 
 
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Death Tolls 
------------- 
 
2.  The CNO, responsible for the overall 
coordination of the relief effort in Sri Lanka, 
reports that as of January 31 at 1600 hours 
local time, the earthquake and tsunamis had 
killed 30,959 people, injured 21,441 residents, 
displaced 552,641 persons, completely damaged 
65,349 houses, and partially damaged 48,276 
houses.  Currently, there are 5,443 persons 
missing.  According to the CNO, there are 309 
camps housing displaced persons. 
 
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Status of CNO 
--------------- 
 
3.  According to the USAID/DART, the CNO is 
scheduled to close down tsunami-related 
operations at the end of the week of January 31. 
The CNO will transition responsibilities for the 
tsunami relief effort to the Ministry of Public 
 
SIPDIS 
Security, Law and Order during the week of 
February 7.  The new unit is expected to be 
chaired by the Ministry Secretary of Public 
Security. 
 
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USAID/DART Programs 
--------------------- 
 
4.  The USAID/DART has funded programs in 
emergency relief, cash-for-work, shelter, and 
micro-finance.  Therefore, the USAID/DART in Sri 
Lanka is now focusing on program monitoring and 
evaluation as well as ongoing situational 
assessments.  During the week of January 31, 
three USAID/DART teams deployed to the field to 
cover all nine districts for USAID's Office of 
U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA) 
programs.  The teams are assessing the progress 
of grant activities and facilitating 
coordination between USAID/OFDA implementing 
partners and the GOSL and Government Agents. 
This monitoring and evaluation is essential as 
all USAID/OFDA programs are now operational, and 
the USAID/DART hopes to leverage synergies 
across all program sectors to ensure that all 
current and arising needs are met. 
 
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Situation in Galle 
--------------------- 
 
5.  The USAID/DART Logistics Officer (LO) 
located in Galle reported that the U.S. Military 
closed out operations in Galle District on 
February 1.  According to the USAID/DART LO, the 
relationship between USAID and the U.S. Military 
was marked by good cooperation between both 
organizations.  The Sri Lankan Military official 
responsible for coordinating with the U.S. 
Military and USAID told the USAID/DART LO that 
no outstanding issues or concerns remain in 
Galle following the U.S. Military's departure. 
The military official thanked the U.S. Military 
and USAID for their involvement in the relief 
effort in Galle. 
 
6.  The USAID/DART LO reported that the current 
concern in the health sector is the cleaning and 
rehabilitation of latrines in private properties 
as people return home.  In areas where homes 
were destroyed, but slabs remain, relief 
agencies will clean the septic tanks, pipes, and 
squat plates and will make minor repairs to 
latrines instead of constructing temporary 
latrines.  USAID/OFDA implementing partners are 
able to implement these projects and will work 
in coordination with the Ministry of Health. 
 
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Shelter 
---------- 
 
7.  Discussions between the U.N. High 
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the GOSL, and 
the major shelter relief organizations operating 
in Sri Lanka have resulted in the development of 
guidelines for the design of transitional 
housing.  The guidelines highlight the need to 
establish shelter coordination 
committees-comprised of GOSL, U.N., and non- 
governmental organizations (NGOs)-at the 
district level and whenever feasible at the 
division level.  The guidelines delineate three 
options for transitional housing: shelter kits, 
shelter packages, and transitional community 
terraced shelters.  In addition, the guidelines 
outline implementation steps for shelter 
organizations to follow similar approaches in 
each district, ensuring that each affected 
family receives equal support. 
 
8.  In late January, the Ministry of Urban 
Development and Water Supply issued a public 
notice stipulating guidelines for development in 
coastal areas, or buffer zones, in GOSL- 
controlled areas in Sri Lanka.  The guidelines 
stipulate that residential and commercial 
construction along the western and southern 
coastal zones from Point Pedro to Dondra must be 
100 meters inland from the coast.  In the 
eastern and northern coastal zones, no 
construction is allowed within 200 meters of the 
coast.  According to the CNO, the difference in 
buffer zones between the east and west coasts is 
due to the high population density in western 
coastal areas. According to local media reports, 
the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has 
established a buffer zone of between 300 to 500 
meters for construction in LTTE-controlled 
areas. 
 
--------------------------------------------- 
Donor Assessment Trip to Trincomalee District 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
9.  From January 27 to 28, representatives from 
USAID/Colombo, the United Kingdom (U.K.), and 
the Netherlands conducted an assessment of 
Trincomalee District in northeastern Sri Lanka. 
According to the assessment team, 6 of 11 
divisions in Trincomalee District and more than 
100,000 people were affected by the tsunami. 
The team noted that confusion over land rights, 
and in particular the issue of buffer zones 
along coastal areas, has hindered the recovery 
process. 
 
10.  According to the assessment team, food 
needs in Trincomalee are covered and the U.N. 
World Food Program (WFP) is scheduled to begin 
food distributions during the week of January 
31.  Water and sanitation needs remain as wells 
require repeated cleaning and internally 
displaced persons (IDPs) continue to move from 
schools into new camps.  The shelter sector is a 
priority area for relief organizations operating 
in the district.  The assessment team reported 
that relief agencies have pledged to construct 
approximately 20,000 semi-permanent and 
permanent shelters against a reported need of 
9,000.  Coordination in this sector will be a 
challenge for local government officials, 
according to the assessment team. 
 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
-- 
USG Officials Visit to Galle and Ampara 
districts 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
-- 
 
11.  On January 27, the U.S. Embassy Charg 
d'Affaires James Entwistle, U.S. Peace Corps 
Director Gaddi Vasquez, and Regional Director 
Jay Katzen visited affected areas in the Galle 
and Ampara districts where USAID-supported 
relief and rehabilitation work is underway. 
USAID arranged the visit and led the helicopter 
tour to help Peace Corps assess the 
appropriateness and practicality of sending 
Crisis Corps volunteers to support the overall 
USG response.  The group met with local 
government officials and visited community clean- 
up projects, implemented by USAID's Office of 
Transition Initiatives (USAID/OTI) with 
USAID/OFDA funding, in both locations. 
 
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USAID/DART Staffing 
--------------------- 
 
12.  As of February 3, there are eight members 
of the USAID/DART in Sri Lanka.  Of the eight 
USAID/DART members, one individual is in Galle. 
 
LUNSTEAD