US embassy cable - 05ISLAMABAD15278

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 ISLAMABAD 015278 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/11/2015 
TAGS: AEMR, ASEC, EAID, MASS, PGOV, PK, PREL, PAS, Earthquake 
SUBJECT: TFPK01:  PAKISTAN EARTHQUAKE -- DISASTER RESPONSE 
TAKING SHAPE 
 
REF: A. ISLAMABAD 15130 
     B. ISLAMABAD 15208 
     C. ISLAMABAD 15254 
     D. 11 OCT 2005 GRENCIK/HUNT-TASK FORCE 1 EMAIL 
 
Classified By: DCM Patricia Butenis, Reasons 1.5 (b) and (d) 
 
1.  (SBU) Summary and Introduction:  The Government of 
Pakistan (GOP) now has a firmer grasp on managing relief 
efforts, but still faces coordination problems between its 
civilian and military leaders.  The Prime Minister's 
coordination center is considering a USG proposal to have 
embassy liaison officers assigned to its working groups; If 
the GOP agrees, the liaison team will assist the GOP as it 
determines its assistance requirements and reconstruction 
needs.  U.S. military and civilian helicopters are flying 
dozens of sorties, transporting relief workers and supplies 
to the affected areas.   U.S. military planes are arriving 
with humanitarian assistance cargo, but the number of 
incoming flights has been limited by the capacity of the 
Chaklala air field to manage a flood of international relief 
flights.  The GOP is still grappling with how it will manage 
and distribute donor contributions, but is open to U.S. 
offers of technical assistance.  Despite a generally positive 
assessment of the GOP's management of the crisis thus far by 
NGOs and international relief coordinators, a frustrated 
Pakistani public is beginning to criticize the GOP for a slow 
and inadequate response to the millions traumatized by the 
earthquake.  End summary and introduction. 
 
GOP Relief Coordination 
----------------------- 
 
2. (SBU)  In a morning meeting with the Prime Minister's 
Disaster Relief Coordination Group, Embassy officials briefed 
the PM's Additional Secretary Zamir Akram on USG assistance 
on the ground and in the pipeline.  Post representatives also 
outlined the other assistance that the U.S. could offer 
Pakistan.  Akram said that the GOP has a good idea of the 
extent of the devastation in urban areas, but does not have a 
clear grasp of the situation in outlying areas. Akram broke 
assistance requirements into two categories:  immediate needs 
through late October (shelter; pre-cooked food, dry rations; 
bottled water and water purification tablets; medical 
supplies), followed by medium-term materiel (pre-fab housing; 
winterized tents; warm clothing).  Akram responded favorably 
to the Embassy's offer of disaster relief planning teams, 
logistic planning and tracking capability; and coordinating 
offers of assistance with assessed needs.  The GOP is 
considering an Embassy offer to assign liaison officers to 
work directly with the Disaster Coordination Group (and 
sub-groups); post has identified a four-person interagency 
liaison team that would be available to support the 
Coordination Group on site. The embassy liaisons have already 
passed a complete menu of available USG assistance for the 
GOP to consider at its federal-level interagency coordination 
meeting Wednesday morning, post expects that the Coordination 
Group will pass back the GOP's preferences by midday October 
12. 
 
3. (SBU)  Illustrating the close cooperation that is 
developing between USG agencies and GOP relief coordinators, 
the Pakistan Army today sent the Office of Defense 
Representative - Pakistan (ODRP) detailed reports on Pak 
relief sorties, incoming assistance, loads shifted, etc., 
along with maps of supply lines and photos.  Post has 
forwarded these reports to Task Force-1 via email. 
 
USG Relief Flights - Military 
----------------------------- 
 
4. (S) ODRP reports that two (2) C-130s and three (3) C-17s 
carrying relief supplies and personnel will have arrived in 
Pakistan on October 11.  The military airport at Chaklala is 
operating at full capacity, leading the Pakistani Air Force 
(PAF) to restrict, for a time, fixed wing aircraft to 
nighttime take-offs/landings, reserving day-light hours for 
rotary wing craft.  PAF difficulties in managing incoming 
traffic have led to delays in the arrival of other U.S. 
aircraft originally scheduled to arrive today. 
5. (S) The eight (8) U.S. Army helicopters that arrived 
October 10 began flying sorties at first light on October 11, 
completing 14 sorties (7 sorties returned to Chaklala due to 
adverse weather conditions).  The helos transported 223 
passengers, more than 32,000 lbs. of supplies, and returned 
102 evacuated casualties to Islamabad.  Four (4) MI-17s from 
the Afghan National Army, which arrived in the afternoon, 
will be ready to join the U.S. helos on missions tomorrow. 
Two German helicopters have also arrived and will be folded 
into the U.S. operation. 
 
6. (S) ODRP reported that there are requests pending for ten 
(10) CH-53s, ten (10) UN-60s, and 4-6 medevac helos.  If 
approved, the estimated time of arrival in Pakistan would be 
at least a week. 
 
USG Relief Flights - NAS 
------------------------ 
 
7. (SBU)  Post's Narcotics Affairs Section (NAS) Air Wing (a 
joint project with the Ministry of Interior) helicopters 
flew five (5) HU-60s for 15 sorties, including airlifting a 
Japanese medical team and their supplies to Battagaram, 
Following a request from the Swiss Embassy, NAS will work on 
providing airlift to the four-person Swiss relief team and 
their supplies from Mansehra to a location further north. 
NAS helo teams are working flat out; with indications that 
the GOP may begin allowing night missions, NAS' problem will 
be managing crew rest and a pilot shortage. 
 
Donor Coordination 
------------------ 
8. (U)  Given persistent communication gaps between GOP 
military and civilian relief coordinators, USG agencies may 
have a better grasp of the nexus between donor contributions, 
incoming assistance and its distribution.  USAID/OFDA are in 
close contact with NGOs on the ground, and the UN is 
continuing daily coordination meetings with donors and NGOs. 
  In a meeting with USAID and DART representatives today, the 
MOF previewed a GOP's proposal to task the Prime Minister's 
Coordination Group with immediate relief efforts, then 
transferring long-term reconstruction oversight to the MOF. 
The U.S. officials suggested the inherent disconnects that 
could follow if relief efforts are not closely knitted to 
eventual reconstruction, and offered other models for the GOP 
to consider.  USAID and DART will meet again with the MOF and 
other bilateral donors tomorrow. 
 
 
9. (SBU)  Both the UAE and Kuwait have announced donations of 
USD 100 million to assist Pakistan, with Kuwait's offer split 
evenly between concessionary loans and cash.  Post will 
carefully monitor how the GOP elects to use these funds and 
stands ready to offer assistance.  (Note:  We would welcome 
updates from Embassy Abu Dhabi and Embassy Kuwait on the 
donors' disbursement plans.  End note.)  Private donors have 
also stepped up:  The U.S.-Pakistani Business Council has 
already donated USD 100,000; Boeing has advised that they 
will announce a USD 1 million donation on October 12; and the 
Coca-Cola Company/Coca-Cola Foundation have pledged USD 1 
million to Pakistani relief efforts and USD 1 million to the 
International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent. 
 
 
Shifting Public Mood 
-------------------- 
10. (SBU)  In an echo of U.S. public reaction in the days 
following Hurricane Katrina, Pakistani public opinion 
starting to turn against President Musharraf and the 
government for not reacting swiftly enough to the crisis, 
particularly as bad weather (severe thunderstorms accompanied 
by hail), equipment shortages and blocked roads hamper the 
government's relief efforts  Survivors' expectations for 
immediate response have not been matched by actual delivery. 
Sporadic episodes of looting and raids on relief centers only 
add to survivors' feelings of vulnerability.  The Pakistani 
and international press are increasingly airing reports 
critical of the President and the government's efforts.  For 
example, Survivors in Muzzafarabad and NWFP asked why rescue 
teams did not arrive in their regions until Monday, 
complaining that the GOP bureaucracy had been paralyzed in 
day-long coordination meetings.  Keenly sensitive to 
criticism, the government has defended its efforts, pointing 
to the numerous obstacles to transporting relief to remote 
mountainous regions. The President, Prime Minister and Army 
spokesperson have all appeared on national television, 
assuring Pakistani that the government is deploying all its 
assets to assist those in need.  Ironically, the consensus in 
the NGO community is that the GOP response to the earthquake 
has been relatively good -- a perspective shared by this 
Embassy. 
 
CROCKER