US embassy cable - 02COLOMBO1732

UNCLAS COLOMBO 001732 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
AIDAC 
 
DEPT. FOR DCHA/OFDA 
 
MANILA FOR REGIONAL DISASTER ADVISOR 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: NONE 
SUBJECT:  DROUGHT CONDITIONS PERSIST IN SRI LANKA'S 
SOUTHEASTERN DRY ZONE 
 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED -- PROTECT ACCORDINGLY 
 
1.  (U) ON SEPTEMBER 6, 2002, USAID OFFICIALS ATTENDED AN 
EMERGENCY-PREPAREDNESS MEETING CONVENED BY THE 
CONSORTIUM OF HUMANITARIAN AGENCIES IN COLOMBO. THIS 
RESULTED IN AN EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION REGARDING THE 
DROUGHT-LIKE CONDITIONS CONTINUING TO AFFECT THE 
SOUTHERN DRY ZONE OF SRI LANKA. THE MEETING WAS CHAIRED 
BY THE LOCAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE INTERNATIONAL 
FEDERATION OF RED CROSS/CRESCENT SOCIETIES (IFRC); ALSO 
ATTENDING WERE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED NATIONS, 
INTERNATIONAL AND LOCAL NGOS, AND THE NORWEGIAN AGENCY 
FOR DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION (NORAD). 
 
2.  (U) A CONSENSUS WAS REACHED THAT ALTHOUGH RAINFALL IN 
THE HAMBANTOTA AND MONERAGALA DISTRICTS CONTINUES TO BE BE 
SCANT, CONSTRAINING DRINKING WATER SUPPLIES AND IRRIGATED 
AGRICULTURE, THE SITUATION AT PRESENT DOES NOT CONSTITUTE 
AN EMERGENCY.  THIS IS UNDERSCORED BY THE ABSENCE TO DATE 
OF A FORMAL REQUEST FOR RELIEF ASSISTANCE BY THE GOVERNMENT 
OF SRI LANKA. 
 
3.  (SBU) INDIVIDUAL MINISTERS WITH STRONG POLITICAL TIES 
TO THE REGION HAVE HOWEVER APPEALED TO VARIOUS DONORS, 
INCLUDING USAID, FOR FUNDING OF RELATED PROJECTS IN 
DROUGHT-AFFECTED PARTS OF THEIR CONSTITUENCIES. 
 
4.  (U) USAID OFFICIALS CARRIED OUT A VISIT TO THE REGION 
FROM AUGUST 11-14, 2002, TO CONDUCT A RISK-POTENTIAL 
ASSESSMENT AND MONITOR THE EFFICACY OF DROUGHT RELIEF 
ASSISTANCE MADE AVAILABLE IN 2001. SAVE THE CHILDREN 
FUND (UK) (SCF/UK) RECEIVED A $25,000 DISASTER 
ASSISTANCE GRANT PURSUANT TO THE AMBASSADOR'S DISASTER 
DECLARATION OF SEPTEMBER 6, 2001.  THE FUNDS WERE USED 
TO PURCHASE WATER BOWSERS, STORAGE TANKS AND PORTABLE 
CONTAINERS TO PROVIDE CLEAN DRINKING WATER SUPPLIES IN 
HAMBANTOTA AND MONERAGALA. BASED ON FIRST-HAND 
INFORMATION OBTAINED FROM RELEVANT STAKEHOLDERS AND 
RESIDENTS OF AFFECTED AREAS, USAID OFFICIALS CONCLUDED 
THAT THE ASSISTANCE WAS BEING USED APPROPRIATELY TO 
MITIGATE EFFECTS OF PERSISTENT DROUGHT-LIKE CONDITIONS 
IN THE AREA. 
 
5.  (U) USAID OFFICIALS ALSO CONCLUDED, HOWEVER, THAT LACK 
OF RAINFALL HAS CONTINUED TO SEVERELY LIMIT ACCESS TO 
POTABLE WATER FOR MANY LOCAL RESIDENTS AND LIKEWISE 
CONSTRAINED THE WATER-INTENSIVE AGRICULTURE -- PRIMARILY 
PADDY FARMING -- PREDOMINANT IN THE REGION. PERSISTENCE 
OF DROUGHT-LIKE CONDITIONS IN SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER, 
MONTHS DURING WHICH TYPICAL RAINFALL IS RELATIVELY HIGH, 
WILL UNDOUBTEDLY EXACERBATE THESE PROBLEMS. 
 
6.  (U) USAID/SRI LANKA CONTINUES TO MONITOR THE SITUATION 
IN CLOSE CONSULTATION WITH NGO PARTNERS INVOLVED IN THE 
AFFECTED REGION, UN AGENCIES AND OTHER DONORS.  THE 
MISSION IS PREPARED TO DISPATCH A TEAM FOR ADDITIONAL 
ASSESSMENT SHOULD EXPECTED RAINS FAIL LATER THIS MONTH. 
WE MAY REQUEST TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FROM OFDA'S REGIONAL 
DISASTER ADVISOR IN CONDUCTING THIS ASSESSMENT. 
 
AMSELEM