US embassy cable - 05ISLAMABAD16220

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 08 ISLAMABAD 016220 
 
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 
SOUTH ASIA RESPONSE MANAGEMENT TEAM 
SOUTH ASIA EARTHQUAKE TASK FORCE 
DCHA/FFP FOR LAUREN LANDIS 
ANE DEPUTY ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR MARK WARD 
BANGKOK FOR OFDA SENIOR REGIONAL ADVISOR TOM DOLAN 
KATHMANDU FOR OFDA REGIONAL ADVISOR WILLIAM BERGER 
ROME PASS FODAG 
GENEVA FOR RMA AND NKYLOH 
NSC FOR JMELINE 
EUCOM FOR POLA/J3/J4/J5 
BRUSSELS FOR USAID PLERNER 
NEW YORK FOR TMALY 
SECDEF FOR SOLIC/PKHA, USDP/J3 
JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC FOR J3/J4/J5 
HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE FOR J3/J5 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID, AEMR, ASEC, MASS, ECON, KMDR, KPAO, OIIP, OPRC, PGOV, PREL, PK, Earthquake, Earthquake: USAID/DART Situation Report 
SUBJECT: PAKISTAN - EARTHQUAKE:  USAID/DART SITUATION 
REPORT #9 
 
 
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Summary 
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1.  The USAID Disaster Assistance Response Team (USAID/DART) 
reports that the Government of Pakistan (GOP) is increasingly 
open to non-tent shelter alternatives.  In Muzaffarabad, the 
U.N. Children,s Fund (UNICEF) estimates that it has met 80 
to 90 percent of SPHERE standards for water.  The GOP has 
begun registering children in camps for internally displaced 
persons (IDPs).  The USAID/DART is assisting with the relief 
to development transition.  The USAID/DART continues to 
facilitate the arrival of plastic sheeting, and it recently 
transferred U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) tents to 
implementing partners, who will distribute them for use as 
medical clinics and classrooms.  At present, 22 USAID/DART 
representatives are in Pakistan.  End Summary. 
 
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Shelter 
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2.  On October 25, the USAID/DART Shelter and Settlements 
Advisor (SSA) accompanied the USAID Mission Director to 
meetings with the GOP Relief and Reconstruction Task Forces 
and discussed a range of shelter sector issues and options 
other than tents, including transitional shelter and quote 
one warm dry room end quote options.  The USAID/DART SSA 
provided the GOP Relief Task Force Coordinator with a copy of 
the SPHERE project guidelines for humanitarian activities. 
This document offers insights on the humanitarian 
community,s activities, protocols, and outputs. 
 
3.  In discussions between the USAID/DART SSA and the GOP 
Relief Task Force Coordinator (RTFC), it became clear that 
the GOP is increasingly open to non-tent shelter options. 
The RTFC provided a specific example of the Pakistani 
military deploying three battalions of engineers to the 
earthquake-affected areas to distribute corrugated metal 
sheeting and provide guidance on the construction of quote 
one warm dry room end quote. 
4.  The USAID/DART SSA attended an October 27 shelter cluster 
group meeting in which the International Organization for 
Migration (IOM) discussed its new shelter strategy paper. 
IOM plans to organize a group with two or three 
non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to meet with GOP 
representatives and discuss pressing shelter issues, 
including a shift from emphasis on providing tents to 
implementing other solutions such as shelters improvised from 
available materials, repair kits for homes, warm rooms, and 
host family grants. 
 
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Water and Sanitation 
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5.  According to the USAID/DART Water and Sanitation Officer 
(WSO), UNICEF reported on October 27 that 90 percent of the 
IDP camps in Muzaffarabad have water tanks in place.  UNICEF 
is directly managing three water tanker trucks dedicated to 
delivering water to the Muzaffarabad camps.  UNICEF stated 
that their control over water delivery to camps will improve 
the reliability of this service.  UNICEF estimates that it 
has met 80 to 90 percent of SPHERE standards for water in 
camps in Muzaffarabad.  UNICEF aims to meet 100 percent of 
SPHERE standards in the coming days. 
 
6.  The USAID/DART WSO reported that UNICEF intends to meet 
SPHERE latrine standards in all IDP camps in Muzaffarabad. 
UNICEF has completed 30 percent of the work necessary toward 
meeting SPHERE standards, and UNICEF plans to make major 
progress toward meeting this goal in the next two to three 
weeks.  The limiting factor in the construction of latrines 
is the availability of latrine slabs.  UNICEF is 
investigating and testing different construction techniques 
in order to increase slab construction. 
 
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Logistics 
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7.  On October 26, a U.S. Embassy/Pakistan representative 
attended a U.N. logistics cluster group meeting.  The U.N. 
Joint Logistics Center (JLC) plans to have a presence at 
every logistics base.  Due to looting of CARE cargo in the 
absence of a CARE representative at the time of the cargo 
arrival, JLC now requires confirmation of cargo pickup before 
allowing helicopters with cargo to fly. 
 
8.  At the U.N. logistics cluster group meeting, JLC reported 
having a productive meeting with GOP officials on October 25. 
 In this meeting, the GOP reviewed the JLC operational plan, 
and both parties declared a need for a joint logistical hub 
and operational center.  The chair of the October 25 meeting 
stressed the importance of cooperation among humanitarian 
groups, the Pakistani military, and the U.S. military. 
 
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Camps and Camp Management 
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9.  A U.S. Embassy/Pakistan representative who attended an 
October 27 camp management cluster group meeting reported 
that the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is 
maintaining its focus on preventing population displacement. 
UNHCR is transporting tents and supplies to people near their 
destroyed homes, setting up camps at lower elevations that 
can be supplied by road during the winter, and identifying 
and helping to organize and supply the many informal camps. 
 
10.  The U.S. Embassy/Pakistan representative stated that 
UNHCR will not manage camps far from the earthquake-affected 
areas, but it has offered technical assistance to camps it 
will not manage.  At the request of the GOP, UNHCR will tour 
Fateh Jang and Chatwal, two sites in the Punjab District far 
from the area damaged by the earthquake.  The GOP has 
proposed this area be used as a site for camps for up to 
300,000 people. 
 
11.  Participants at the camp management cluster group noted 
that UNHCR and its partners, many of them local NGOs, are 
operating nine camps in earthquake-affected areas.  These 
camps have a total estimated capacity of 5,200 tents, each 
large enough for a family of 6 or 7.  As of October 27, 1,308 
tents were in the camps, and the total population was 7,170 
people.  NGOs are serving hot meals in some camps, but UNHCR 
expects this service will not last long. 
 
12.  According to the U.S. Embassy/Pakistan representative, 
meeting participants noted that the GOP Interior Ministry's 
National Database and Registration Administration (NADRA) is 
registering earthquake victims who are in hospitals.  UNHCR 
plans to register IDPs in the camps it is administering and 
is considering registering IDPs in other camps as well. 
 
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Protection 
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13.  According to reports from the USAID/DART FO, the GOP 
Office of Social Welfare (OSW) plans to register all children 
) both accompanied and unaccompanied (orphan) ) in IDP 
camps.  However, the OSW lacks training on identifying 
unaccompanied children and needs assistance to deal with the 
long-term needs of such children. 
 
14.  On October 27, the USAID/DART FO reported that the GOP 
has started registering children in the IDP camps in 
Muzaffarabad.  In one of the new IDP camps, the GOP 
registered 930 children and did not find any unaccompanied 
children.  UNICEF reports that it has child protection 
officers protecting unaccompanied or separated children in 
the hospitals.  The USAID/DART FO reported that the GOP 
Ministry of Social Services (MSS) is in need of assistance, 
as the MSS building and office equipment were destroyed, and 
355 staff members are homeless. The MSS also urgently 
requires technical assistance to deal with the short- and 
long-term needs of unaccompanied children. 
 
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Education 
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15.  The USAID/DART FO reported that the GOP is encouraging 
the opening of schools, and UNICEF needs assistance setting 
up schools in newly registered IDP camps.  Both UNICEF and 
the GOP Ministry of Education welcome U.S. military 
assistance to clear debris from 20 priority school sites 
within affected areas.  Debris-clearing will begin on October 
29. 
 
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Coordination 
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16.  The U.S. military Liaison Officer (LNO) to the 
USAID/DART attended a U.N. general coordination meeting on 
October 27.  The LO reported that the GOP plans to move tent 
camps below the snow line.  Meeting participants stated that 
three storage facilities will be located at Abbottabad, and 
each will be capable of storing 400 tons of humanitarian 
supplies for NGO use. 
 
17.  The USAID/DART Water and Sanitation Officer (WSO) 
reported that the U.N. Humanitarian Information Center (HIC) 
will place all its information on a common server at the U.N. 
compound.  Relief groups will be able to access this server 
using a wireless network that serves the compound. 
 
18.  The USAID/DART is working with USAID/Pakistan to ensure 
a smooth transition from humanitarian relief programs, 
implemented in response to the earthquake, to 
USAID/Pakistan,s longer term development programs. 
 
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Pakistani Military Activities 
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19.  According to local media reports, the Pakistani military 
set up three main reporting and information centers for the 
security and effective execution of relief, rescue, and 
rehabilitation operations in the earthquake-hit areas of the 
North-West Frontier Province (NWFP).  The Pakistani military 
set up these centers at Havelian, Mansehra, and Gari 
Habibullah, and military and civil police are jointly manning 
the centers.  The Pakistani military established 52 free 
public call offices to facilitate coordination of relief 
activities. 
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Relief to Development Transition 
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20.  The USAID Mission Director, USAID/DART Team Leader, and 
USAID/DART SSA attended an October 28 meeting of the GOP 
Federal Relief Cell.  In the meeting, the RTFC gave a 
detailed, multi-sectoral presentation on current GOP strategy 
for relief activities through March 2006.  Representatives of 
international organizations requested that the GOP create a 
joint strategic planning committee to provide further 
guidance on sectoral activities.  Following the meeting, the 
RTFC met with USAID/DART representatives and others and 
requested additional USG technical advice.  The initial 
meeting of the strategic planning committee will occur on 
October 30. 
 
21.  The USAID/DART reported that in the October 28 meeting, 
representatives of international organizations discussed the 
pledges made at the recent Geneva conference on the South 
Asia Earthquake, and noted that the bulk of pledges was for 
reconstruction activities.  These representatives requested 
that the GOP emphasize the continued importance of funding 
relief activities in the near future. 
 
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USAID/DART Activities 
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22.  On October 27, the USAID/DART facilitated the arrival of 
1,770 rolls of plastic sheeting, enough to provide shelter 
alternatives for 8,850 families.  The plastic sheeting was 
provided to Save the Children/US for distribution. 
 
23.  The USAID/DART continues to facilitate the movement of 
excess U.S. military relief commodities.  On October 27, the 
USAID/DART transferred 29 tents to be used as clinics or 
hospital support facilities to WHO.  Also on October 27, the 
USAID/DART facilitated the movement of six tents to UNICEF to 
be used as classrooms. 
 
24.  On October 28, the USAID/DART transferred 28 DOD tents 
to UNICEF that will be transported to Muzaffarabad for use as 
schools; 10 to Mansehra for use as schools; and 3 to Mansehra 
to be used for child protection purposes.  The USAID/DART 
also transferred tents to WHO.  WHO transferred 29 tents to 
Muzaffarabad and 8 tents to Mansehra, all of which WHO will 
use for medical facilities. 
 
25.  The USAID/DART Economic and Livelihoods Officer (ELO) 
has been coordinating the initiation of the cash-for-work 
(CFW) program among international NGOs, local NGOs, and 
USAID/Pakistan.  USAID/DART coordination will lay the 
groundwork for a smooth transition between USAID/DART 
emergency relief activities to USAID/Pakistan rehabilitation 
and reconstruction activities.  The USAID/DART plans to 
implement the CFW program in various earthquake-affected 
areas and will likely center the program on clearing rubble 
for the reconstruction or improvement of schools, shelter, 
and possibly hospitals.  The CFW program will inject cash 
into local economies and facilitate activities that will both 
prepare for reconstruction and provide locals with a sense of 
a return to normalcy. 
 
26.  According to the USAID/DART ELO, the USAID/DART has held 
discussions with the U.S. military Seabees to facilitate the 
use of their heavy equipment in rubble clearance.  The 
USAID/DART reported that Seabees seem to be highly interested 
in joint activities.  Details about implementation are 
forthcoming. 
 
27.  The USAID/DART ELO met with InterNews on October 28 to 
discuss information dissemination to earthquake-affected 
populations.  The USAID/DART ELO noted that 
earthquake-affected populations need humanitarian assistance 
as well as access to information, particularly regarding 
health, water and sanitation, winterized shelter and access 
to food and NFI.  The USAID/DART will continue to work to 
facilitate information sharing from relief agencies to 
affected populations. 
 
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USAID/DART Status 
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28.  Currently, 22 USAID/DART representatives are in 
Pakistan, working to facilitate USG humanitarian assistance 
in response to the recent earthquake.  At present, a 
three-person USAID/DART team, comprising a communications 
officer, a field officer, and a protection officer, are based 
in Muzaffarabad.  The team is conducting follow-up 
assessments and coordinating relief activities with the U.N. 
 
29.  On October 27, a USAID/DART field officer (FO) was 
deployed to Mansehra to set up a field office for the 
USAID/DART.  The USAID/DART FO is conducting assessments and 
coordinating humanitarian assistance.  The USAID/DART will be 
deploying additional team members to Mansehra in the coming 
days, including a water and sanitation officer who will 
travel to Mansehra on October 29. 
CROCKER