US embassy cable - 05COLOMBO1155

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 COLOMBO 001155 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE ALSO PASS TO USAID 
USAID/W FOR A/AID ANDREW NATSIOS, JBRAUSE 
DCHA/OFDA KISAACS, GGOTTLIEB, MMARX, RTHAYER, BDEEMER 
AID/W FOR DCHA/OFDA 
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, UNICEF, Maldives, Tsunami 
SUBJECT: Maldives - EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMIS: 
USAID/DART SITREP #5 
 
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Summary 
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1.  On June 4 and 5, the USAID/Disaster Assistance 
Response Team (DART) Information Officer traveled to 
the Republic of Maldives (ROM) to assess the recovery 
efforts and monitor the USAID/Office of U.S. Foreign 
Disaster Assistance (OFDA) funded tsunami recovery 
activities.  During the visit, the USAID/OFDA 
representative met with the U.N. Children's Fund 
(UNICEF) to discuss recovery activities and traveled 
to the island of Guraidhoo Kandu in South Male' Atoll 
to observe UNICEF's activities.  Although difficulties 
remain in waste management and water and sanitation, 
USAID/OFDA funded activities appear to be progressing 
successfully.  End summary 
 
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UNICEF Programming in the Maldives 
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2.  On June 4 and 5, the USAID/DART Information 
Officer traveled to the Maldives to assess the 
recovery efforts and monitor the USAID/OFDA funded 
tsunami recovery activities.  USAID/OFDA provided $1.2 
 
SIPDIS 
million to UNICEF for water and sanitation, nutrition, 
and health rehabilitation activities in the Maldives. 
UNICEF allocated approximately 25 percent of the funds 
to health, 25 percent to nutrition, and 50 percent to 
water and sanitation activities. 
 
--Water and Sanitation-- 
 
3.  To assist with the rehabilitation of the water 
supply, UNICEF procured 1,030 water tanks (880 of 
2500-liters and 250 of 5000-liters) for rain water 
harvesting with USAID/OFDA funding.  In addition, 
UNICEF provided Basic Family Water Kits to 14,540 
families.  These kits include water storage 
containers, water purification tablets/powder and 
instructions for usage. 
 
--Nutrition-- 
 
4.  Most of the Growth Monitoring Charts and Child 
Health Cards were destroyed in the tsunami.  In 
partnership with the Department of Public Health, 
UNICEF re-printed and distributed 5,000 of these cards 
with USAID/OFDA funds.  In addition, UNICEF will 
provide 105 measuring boards to local health 
facilities.  These boards are used to measure the 
height of children who are not old enough to stand. 
 
5.  The tsunami damaged most of the scales used to 
weigh schoolchildren.  UNICEF will replace and upgrade 
scales in all the schools in order to have a uniform 
scale.  UNICEF has ordered 330 scales, one for each 
school, with USAID/OFDA funds. 
 
6.  Since the initial food rations distributed by the 
GORM and the U.N. World Food Program (WFP) did not 
take into consideration the special requirements of 
young children, UNICEF provided 17 metric tons of 
locally procured cereal-based baby food to 1,250 of 
the most affected children aged 6-24 months.  The baby 
food will cover the food needs of the children for six 
months. 
 
--Health Rehabilitation-- 
 
7.  According to the GORM, health facilities in 127 
out of the 200 inhabited islands were either damaged 
or destroyed, including several regional hospitals and 
atoll health centers.  UNICEF has identified 10 health 
facilities for reconstruction and rehabilitation with 
USAID/OFDA funds. 
 
8.  In order to ensure the cold chain for 
vaccinations, UNICEF utilized USAID/OFDA funding to 
purchase ice-packs, refrigerators, and generators for 
cold/freezer rooms. 
 
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Visit to Guraidhoo Kandu Island 
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9.  On June 5, the USAID/OFDA representative traveled 
to the island of Guraidhoo Kandu in South Male' Atoll 
to observe UNICEF's activities.  The tsunami killed 
two children and two adults, and two children remain 
missing in Guraidhoo Kandu.  The tsunami destroyed 49 
and damaged 197 homes on the island. 
 
10.  The UNICEF and USAID/OFDA representatives visited 
the Guraidhoo Kandu health clinic.  UNICEF used 
USAID/OFDA funding to provide new health cards to 
replace those destroyed in the tsunami.  The health 
cards record children's height, weight, vaccinations, 
and general health history.  In addition, the 
measuring boards have been ordered and are scheduled 
to arrive in July.  The health clinic also had new 
refrigerators, purchased with USAID/OFDA funding, in 
order to ensure the cold chain for vaccinations. 
 
11.  The clinic collects drinking water with a rain- 
harvesting system using water tanks provided by ECHO 
and USAID. According to the UNICEF representatives, 
the supply of drinking water is currently sufficient 
in the islands because the rainy season has started. 
Immediately following the tsunami, water was ferried 
to the islands and five mobile osmosis units also 
provided water.  Some of the islands have aquifers and 
this water can be used for washing etc, but is 
generally not potable.  UNICEF estimates that it would 
cost approximately $100,000 to fix the water and 
sanitation facilities in each island. 
 
12.  The UNICEF and USAID/DART visited a temporary 
settlement of 14 families.  These families have been 
living in tents since the tsunami.  The tents were 
shaded with USAID plastic sheeting and the tents were 
from the Governments of Iran and Saudi Arabia.  Most 
displaced families are residing with relatives or 
friends. 
 
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Coordination  Government's Role is Positive 
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13.  According to the UNICEF country representative, 
the GORM is doing a very capable job of managing and 
coordinating the relief and recovery efforts. 
(Comment: Unlike other tsunami-affected countries, 
coordination does not seem to be a problem, perhaps 
due to the small number of organizations involved in 
the relief efforts.) UNICEF is responsible for 
education, water and sanitation, vaccinations, 
protection, and psychological and social support 
activities for children.  The U.N. World Health 
Organization (WHO) is responsible for overall medical 
needs.  The U.N. Environment Program (UNEP) is 
currently examining waste management issues.  The U.N. 
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is looking at 
agriculture, particularly pesticide use and the need 
for alternative livelihoods.  The U.N. Development 
Program (UNDP) is examining reconstruction of jetties, 
harbors, homes. 
 
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Lessons Learned Workshop 
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14.  On May 17 and 18, the U.N. conducted a lessons 
learned workshop, with cooperation from the GORM, and 
the UNICEF country representative shared the results 
of the workshop with the USAID/DART representative. 
According to the UNICEF representative, participants 
agreed that the main challenge will be to sustain the 
level of commitment and motivation which characterized 
the immediate relief phase through the recovery phase. 
 
--Disaster Preparedness-- 
 
15.  The key lessons learned regarding disaster 
preparedness were 1) the need for a national and 
regional tsunami warning system; 2) need for a 
national institution/operations center; 3) need for 
supportive, legal, policy, fiscal environment; 4) need 
for a comprehensive national disaster management plan 
linking the national level to the local level; 5) 
emergency shelters (currently, these do not exist in 
the islands); and 6) education and training for 
swimming and first aid.  (Note: the majority of the 
population does not know how to swim, particularly 
women). 
 
--Response to the Tsunami-- 
 
16.  Regarding the response, participants raised the 
following issues: 1) not enough vessels with 
sufficient heavy load capacity; 2) no clearly 
designated authority for psychological and social 
support; 3) no long-term maintenance of desalination 
plants; 4) "thematic approach" to assistance by donors 
led to a mismatch between demand and supply in some 
sectors; 5) limited management and coordination of 
international donor representatives, particularly for 
assessments; 6) increased transport costs, caused in 
part by international agencies working independently 
from the GORM through local NGOs; 7) assessments were 
frequently conducted without the involvement of 
affected communities and as a result vulnerable groups 
were sometimes left out; 8) information on decisions 
was not always communicated to affected populations; 
9) local NGOs were not represented in the national 
disaster management structure; and 10) lack of 
involvement by women in emergency management. 
 
--Recommendations-- 
 
17.  Included in the recommendations for future 
preparedness were 1) preparation of a general list of 
supplies needed in an emergency; 2) obtain vessels 
capable carrying heavy loads and landing in the 
islands; 3) establish disaster management policies to 
ensure standardization; 4) make regional warehouses 
permanent; 5) establish an emergency transport policy 
to regulate pricing and designate delivery points. 
 
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Remaining Concerns 
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18.  According to the UNICEF country representative, 
the overall sanitation situation remains a key concern 
for the islands.  Prior to the tsunami, the sewage 
system was weak and waste management had become a 
problem and the tsunami highlighted these concerns. 
The sanitation situation is exacerbated by the high 
water table in the islands (approximately one meter). 
 
19.  According to UNEP, the tsunami created an 
estimated 290,000 cubic meters of waste.  While the 
GORM and communities have cleared the debris, most of 
it has only been pushed to the side of the islands. 
For example at Guraidhoo, the shore of the island was 
piled with the rubble from buildings. 
 
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Comment 
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20.  Prior to the tsunami, UNICEF's annual budget for 
the Maldives was approximately $700,000 and since the 
tsunami, UNICEF has received $31 million for the 
 
SIPDIS 
Maldives.  Although the meteoric increase in funding 
and activities has been a challenge, the staff at 
UNICEF appear to be rising to the occasion.  UNICEF 
has been careful to keep longer-term development needs 
in mind during the relief phase  by ensuring that 
equipment is not just replaced but improved, for 
example.  The USAID/OFDA funded activities are 
progressing efficiently and should be completed 
successfully by the end of September. 
 
 
LUNSTEAD