US embassy cable - 05ISLAMABAD15518

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ISLAMABAD 015518 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: AEMR, ASEC, EAID, MASS, PGOV, PREL, PK, Earthquake 
SUBJECT: PAKISTAN EARTHQUAKE: SURVEY TRIP TO MUZZAFARABAD 
 
REF: ISLAMABAD 15513 
 
1. Summary:  A USG survey team consisting of personnel from 
State, USAID, and DOD visited Muzzafarabad and surrounding 
areas of Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK) from October 11-13.  During 
the visit, the team met with officials from the local and AJK 
government, the Pakistani military, and relief workers to 
assess needs and relief efforts in the aftermath of the 
October 8 earthquake. All interlocuters believed that the 
immediate need was shelter for the ensuing 3 to 4 months 
followed by a permanent water supply.  By the fourth day 
following the earthquake, most of those with life-threatening 
injuries had been evacuated. Medical personnel felt that 
re-establishing electricity and running water was critical to 
preventing and treating disease.  Relief efforts by the 
Pakistani military, local government, Pakistani population 
and the international community were enormous, but 
coordination could be drastically improved.  Relief officials 
believed that the major focus of disaster response efforts 
should now shift to communities surrounding Muzzaffarabad. 
End summary. 
 
A Long Way to Normalcy 
====================== 
 
2. The one thing that all interlocutors -- from senior 
military generals to laborers who lost family -- agreed upon 
was the need for tents to be used as semi-permanent shelter 
for about 3 to 4 months.  While most stressed winterized 
units, a minority argued that securing any shelter was more 
important than waiting for winterized tents.  The latter 
group added that affected populations were resilient and 
needed only basic protection from the elements.  The 
Pakistani military, which was spearheading and directing most 
relief operations, had yet to establish a long-term 
reconstruction plan and was primarily focused on getting to 
and stabilizing the injured. 
 
Logistics Will Win the War 
========================== 
 
3.  Much of the civilian leadership of AJK and Muzzafarabad 
were killed or severely injured.  The military was leading 
relief efforts but found coordination with the central 
command in Islamabad and with non-military relief efforts in 
the city complicated.  In many cases, private citizens were 
simply hiring trucks to ship goods to Muzzafarabad and then 
throwing the goods off the trucks while driving through the 
city.  Survivors heard of ad hoc collection and distribution 
centers by word-of-mouth; these sites lacked security 
elements to ensure orderly disbursement.   Many main roads to 
the city were passable, although cluttered with rocks and 
debris.  Several points along the road from Murree to 
Muzzaffarabad were limited to a single lane of traffic. 
These choke points were barely wide enough for a local 
"jingle" truck to pass, causing traffic jams and delaying 
needed relief supplies. 
 
Getting out of the Big City 
=========================== 
 
4.  Most relief personnel considered the situation in 
Muzzaffarabad to be stable and were encouraging relief 
efforts to shift to smaller communities in AJK.  Pakistani 
military officers considered Chokoti, Jure, Sawan, Dhani and 
Patika to be priority areas.  Almost a week after the 
disaster, these areas had yet to receive any assistance. 
 
Comment 
======= 
 
5. Our team believed that the military, civilian officials, 
and relief personnel in Muzzafarabad were doing a credible 
job in attempting to deliver assistance in the face of this 
overwhelming disaster.  There was a strong recognition and 
desire to do more both in Muzzafarabad and surrounding areas, 
limited only by the logistical challenges in transporting 
relief supplies and personnel.  While coordination could 
certainly be improved among those providing relief on the 
ground and with central authorities in Islamabad, we believe 
that such challenges will diminsh as the military and 
civilian authorities regain firm control and communications 
infrastructure recovers. 
CROCKER