US embassy cable - 05COLOMBO338

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 07 COLOMBO 000338 
 
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 DEPUTY ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR WILLIAM 
GARVELINK 
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 #15 
 
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Summary 
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1.  On February 4, the Government of Sri Lanka 
(GOSL) closed the Center for National Operations 
(CNO) and transferred its functions to the 
recently established Task Force for Relief 
(TAFOR).  USAID Disaster Assistance Response 
Team (USAID/DART) assessments indicate that 
emergency needs for food, shelter, water, and 
clothing are being met, although with difficulty 
in some areas due primarily to lack of 
coordination and logistical constraints. 
According to the USAID/DART Logistics Officer 
(LO) in Galle District, the lack of governmental 
coordination and communication at the district 
and sub-districts levels remains the main 
concern in the southern districts, hindering the 
provision of humanitarian assistance.  According 
to a donor fact finding mission to Jaffna 
District, the focus on provision of large 
amounts of assistance to tsunami-affected 
populations might present problems of disparity 
not only between conflict- and tsunami-affected 
internally displaced persons (IDPs), but also 
among the general population in the district. 
End summary. 
 
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Status of CNO 
--------------- 
 
2.  On February 4, the GOSL closed the CNO 
citing the end of emergency relief operations. 
The functions of the CNO have been transferred 
to the recently established TAFOR, headed by 
Commissioner General of Essential Services Tilak 
Ranaviraja, in partnership with the various 
government ministries.  TAFOR will handle issues 
related to IDPs and their needs, including food 
assistance, temporary shelter, and payments, and 
will coordinate with non-governmental 
organizations (NGOs) and U.N. agencies.  Another 
newly-formed entity, the Task Force to Rebuild 
the Nation (TAFREN), will handle issues 
pertaining to permanent housing and 
infrastructure rehabilitation. 
 
3.  With the closure of the CNO, no updated 
information on the numbers of displaced persons, 
IDP camps, and damaged houses is available. 
 
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GOSL Assistance 
---------------- 
 
4.  According to local media reports, on 
February 8, the Commissioner General of 
Essential Services refuted reports quoting him 
as stating on February 2 that only 30 percent of 
those affected by the tsunami had received 
relief assistance from the GOSL.  In a letter to 
Ministers and members of Parliament, the 
Commissioner indicated that his statements 
referred to food commodities that were 
dispatched to the districts, but had adequately 
reached only 30 percent of targeted 
beneficiaries.  The Commissioner stated that 75 
percent of beneficiaries had received GOSL 
assistance as of 1200 on February 7. 
 
5.  USAID/DART assessment teams deployed to all 
nine tsunami-affected districts in Sri Lanka 
have met with GOSL officials, implementing 
partners, and IDPs in camps.  The USAID/DART 
reports that in general all affected people are 
receiving assistance from at least one 
humanitarian organization.  USAID/DART 
assessments indicate that emergency needs for 
food, shelter, water, and clothing are being 
met, although with difficulty in some areas due 
primarily to lack of coordination and logistical 
constraints.  There has been, however, no 
official information campaign by local 
authorities to inform people of their 
entitlements or the GOSL transitional shelter 
and reconstruction policy.  Nonetheless, the 
robust response to this disaster by the 
international community suggests that no 
affected community will be excluded from 
support. 
 
---------------------------- 
Situation in Galle District 
---------------------------- 
 
6.  The USAID/DART LO posted to Galle departed 
for Colombo on February 8.  According to the 
USAID/DART LO, the lack of governmental 
coordination and communication at the district 
and sub-districts levels remains the main 
concern in the southern districts of Galle, 
Hambantota, and Matara, hindering the provision 
of humanitarian assistance.  In addition, lack 
of a clear GOSL policy regarding resettlement in 
coastal areas, or buffer zones, are hampering 
relief agencies' ability to provide shelter. 
Some officials insist that no one can return to 
within 100 meters of the coast, while others 
only insist that no permanent structures be 
erected within that zone. 
 
7.  According to the USAID/DART LO, water 
delivery in Galle is ongoing and meeting basic 
needs, but inefficient.  The Indian Military has 
completed repairs of the main water line running 
north from Galle town, but the Water Board has 
yet to run water through the system stating that 
there are still leaks.  The Water Board has not 
begun to repair those leaks or to work with the 
Indian Military to repair them.  The Water Board 
continues to request additional water trucks 
despite not having developed a water 
distribution plan that would highlight gaps and 
needs.  The situation in Matara and Hambantota 
is reported to be similar, with basic needs 
being met but not in a systematic manner. 
 
--------------------------------------------- 
Donor Fact Finding Mission to Jaffna District 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
8.  From February 2 to 4, representatives from 
the USAID/DART and the United Kingdom's 
Department for International Development (DFID) 
conducted a fact finding mission to Jaffna 
District in northern Sri Lanka.  The team 
reported that Jaffna was not hit as badly by the 
tsunami as other districts.  Approximately 20 of 
 
SIPDIS 
the district's 400 Grama Sevaka (GS), or 
villages, were affected by the tsunami, with the 
impact most profound in the northeastern tip in 
Point Pedro.  The tsunami also reached islands 
off the northwestern coast, mainly impacting 
livelihoods and infrastructure.  Some of the 
hardest hit regions of Jaffna are in territory 
controlled by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil 
Eelam (LTTE).  According to the November 2004 
U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) 
Statistical Summary for Jaffna District, 
approximately 63,810 residents are displaced 
from their homes, with nearly 8,954 living in 
camps, due to the conflict between the GOSL and 
the LTTE. 
 
9.  According to the fact finding team, as a 
result of the conflict, inter-agency 
coordination mechanisms existed pre-tsunami and 
were well placed to respond.  Prior to the 
tsunami, 23 NGOs worked in the district on 
 
SIPDIS 
conflict-related issues; now there are 
approximately 30.  UNHCR is the designated lead 
agency on information for the tsunami, and 
sectoral working groups are functioning and 
coordinating well; each sector has an NGO or 
U.N. agency as the lead coordinator.  However, 
the fact finding team noted the need to 
strengthen coordination and decision-making in 
the livelihood restoration sector.  In addition, 
closer coordination between the water and 
sanitation and shelter working groups is 
critical for appropriate decision-making both 
for transitional and long-term housing 
solutions. 
 
10.  The fact finding team reported that damage 
assessments and registration of affected 
populations by both the GOSL and LTTE started 
quickly after the tsunami, with records largely 
coinciding.  U.N. agencies described this, 
combined with the unification of coordination, 
as a significant achievement in the response in 
Jaffna.  However, the team noted a lack of 
coordination between the central and district 
governmental authorities.  The district's 
Government Agent (GA) does not receive enough 
information on GOSL policy from central levels 
or from the various ministries.  This is 
particularly important in the area of shelter 
strategies. 
 
11.  In Jaffna, 6,084 houses were fully damaged 
and 1,114 were partially damaged.  According to 
the fact finding team, the lack of clarity on 
whether the ban on construction within 100 or 
200 meters of the coast will be enforced is 
hindering forward movement in the shelter 
sector.  The issue is compounded by the lack of 
state land in Jaffna, due to the designation of 
large areas as quote high security zones end 
quote, and the fact that much land is privately 
owned.  The GA noted that acquisition of private 
land was notoriously difficult.  The fact 
finding team reported that there is no 
discussion as yet of permanent housing options. 
UNHCR stated that it will not be involved in 
permanent shelter activities.  The Sri Lanka Red 
Cross Society (SLRC) noted that there was a 
difference in policy on a permanent housing plan 
between the GOSL and the LTTE and that 
negotiations would have to be held to come to a 
consensus. 
 
12.  The team observed that despite the lack of 
disquiet to date, the focus on provision of 
large amounts of assistance to tsunami-affected 
populations might present problems of disparity 
not only between conflict- and tsunami-affected 
IDPs, but also among the general population. 
The overall picture presented by Jaffna is that 
of an underdeveloped and conflict damaged region 
with little or no infrastructure, no investment, 
high unemployment, and dual government control. 
The team recommended a holistic approach to 
ensure equity among activities directed toward 
conflict- and tsunami-affected populations, and 
the general population. 
 
13.  According to the team, the GA described 
livelihoods as a top priority and noted that he 
will chair the sectoral working group dealing 
with issue.  According to the International 
Organization for Migration (IOM), of the tsunami- 
affected population, 80 to 85 percent were 
dependent on fishing.  The U.N. expects that 
those working in the fishery sector will be 
without income for at least two months. 
 
14.  In the water and sanitation sector, the 
team noted that sector coordination should be 
strengthened to ensure proper consideration of 
water and sanitation issues in shelter decision- 
making and to guarantee active involvement of 
the Water Board in relevant activities.  Gaps in 
coordination between state actors and NGOs 
remain, and the U.N. World Health Organization 
(WHO) stated that five different ministries are 
involved in water supply, compounding service 
delivery problems. 
 
--------------------------------------- 
USAID/OFDA Programs in Jaffna District 
--------------------------------------- 
 
15.  Implementing partner IOM is primarily 
focusing on psychological and social assistance 
and livelihood restoration programs.  IOM plans 
to include the tsunami-affected population in 
its ongoing livelihood and reintegration program 
for Sri Lankans returning from Europe to Jaffna 
begun in February 2003.  For tsunami-affected 
beneficiaries, IOM will provide support for 
fishermen to purchase fishing nets and replace 
their boats and for widows to purchase sewing 
machines. 
 
16.  Action Contre la Faim (ACF)'s activities in 
Jaffna include the installation of approximately 
100 semi-permanent latrines in IDP camps, well- 
cleaning, and the distribution of 1,000 sets of 
tools to clear debris.  ACF plans to collaborate 
with the International Committee of the Red 
Cross (ICRC), UNHCR, CARE, and Movimundo to 
create and distribute kitchen sets to resettled 
populations.  ACF also plans to focus on 
livelihood rehabilitation through the 
distribution of small boats to fishermen and 
support for the repair of damaged boats. 
 
17.  The U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF) is the 
sector leader for education and health in 
Jaffna.  UNICEF has constructed temporary 
classrooms in damaged schools and has 
distributed 122 school-in-a-box kits, each kit 
serves 80 students and two teachers.  In the 
water and sanitation sector, UNICEF has granted 
two 4,000-liter water trucks to the Water Board, 
has provided 53 1,000-liter water tanks for 
schools, cleaned and rehabilitated latrines in 
38 schools, and distributed buckets and cups to 
all schools in the district.  In the area of 
protection, UNICEF has continued its pre-tsunami 
work of monitoring the situation of 
unaccompanied children, with particular emphasis 
on the vulnerability of these children to 
recruitment by the LTTE.  For psychological and 
social activities, UNICEF is working with the 
Jaffna Social Action Center (JSAC) on providing 
recreation kits.  At JSAC's centers, children 
from conflict IDP, tsunami IDP, and host 
population families are brought together for 
recreational programs.  UNICEF has also 
supported training and provision of supplies to 
local NGOs Ahavoli and World Holistic Center, as 
well as the Jaffna hospital-based Mental Health 
Society, to carry out group and individual 
therapy for affected people. 
 
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USAID/DART Staffing 
--------------------- 
 
18.  As of February 11, there are five members 
of the USAID/DART in Sri Lanka. 
 
LUNSTEAD