US embassy cable - 05ISLAMABAD18159

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 07 ISLAMABAD 018159 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE ALSO PASS TO USAID 
USAID/W FOR A/AID ANDREW NATSIOS, JBRAUSE 
DCHA/OFDA GGOTTLIEB, MMARX, RTHAYER, BDEEMER 
AID/W FOR DCHA/OFDA 
SOUTH ASIA RESPONSE MANAGEMENT TEAM 
SOUTH ASIA EARTHQUAKE TASK FORCE 
DCHA/FFP FOR JONATHAN DWORKEN 
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 WASH 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, UN 
SUBJECT: CORRECTED COPY -- PAKISTAN EARTHQUAKE: UN CREATES 
ANOTHER MEDIA STORM 
 
REF: ISLAMABAD 17311 
 
CORRECTED COPY OF ISLAMABAD 18030; SECTIONS MISSING FROM 
ORIGINAL 
 
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SUMMARY 
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1. On December 3, 2005, the UN Resident Representative and 
Humanitarian Coordinator (UNHC) in Pakistan stated that the 
relief effort is on a knife,s edge and called for increased 
donor support for the USD 550 million UN Flash Appeal.  Local 
and international media picked up on the UNHC,s remarks and 
have recently painted an increasingly dire picture of the 
humanitarian situation in the earthquake-zone and the 
under-funded response effort to date.  Often based on 
incomplete and inaccurate information, many reports fail to 
recognize significant efforts by the entire humanitarian 
community, especially donors, NGO partners, and the Pakistani 
military, in providing timely and effective humanitarian 
interventions.  Although much work remains, the response to 
date has undoubtedly saved lives.  With the situation 
continuing to evolve and the emergency phase expected to 
continue through the spring, the USG is committed to 
responding rapidly as winter conditions arrive.  End Summary. 
 
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Background 
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2. On December 3, the UNHC, Jan Vandemoortele, convened a 
press conference to draw attention to humanitarian conditions 
and appeal for additional UN funding.  Although the precise 
text of Mr. Vandemoortele remarks is not available, 
quotations from the conference were widely carried by the 
local and international media.  The comments require further 
clarification as they have often been based on incomplete and 
inaccurate information, thereby presenting a skewed picture 
of the situation on the ground. 
 
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Response efforts 
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3. UNHC comment: The worst enemies we face are not the 
mountains, not the winter; the worst enemies we face are 
complacency and pessimism. 
 
a. USG Response: The USG welcomes the UN recognition of the 
importance of action, particularly in the face of a delayed 
initial response by UN agencies per reftel.  This assertion, 
however, fails to recognize the large-scale efforts by the 
entire humanitarian community to the October 8 earthquake, 
and the significant impact of the response. 
 
b. Donors: In addition to the response to the UN appeal, 
bilateral assistance from the USG, the UK,s Department for 
International Development (DFID), and the European Union is 
well over USD 200 million. 
 
c. Department of Defense (DOD): Although civilian air support 
has increased in recent weeks, DOD air assets remain the 
backbone and most reliable component of the Pakistani 
military logistics chain.  As of November 30, DOD had 
completed 2,004 sorties, carrying more than 4,817 tons, 
11,544 passengers, and 3,656 medical evacuations; off loading 
254 aircraft and approximately 7,289 tons of humanitarian 
cargo.  DOD commodities provided include 3,116 tents, 200,058 
blankets, and 600 tent heaters. 
 
d. Government of Pakistan (GOP): The GOP military has assumed 
a great deal of responsibility in the relief effort and 
performed well under difficult circumstances.  Not only has 
the GOP military proven effective in terms of reach and 
responsiveness, but it has also been keen to learn from the 
donor community best practices in addressing technical issues 
such as camp management, relief commodity distribution, and 
water and sanitation interventions.  Moreover, the GOP is 
reportedly building 5,000 shelters a day, and assuming the 
costs for the shelter provided. 
e. NGOs: USAID implementing partners were on the ground 
within days of the earthquake, and remain at the forefront of 
emergency response efforts. 
 
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Increased Funding Needs 
----------------------- 
 
4. UNHC comment: The situation remains very difficult and 
indeed we are on a knife,s edge. 
 
a. USG Response: To date, the UN has received USD 158.2 
million to the Flash Appeal, and USD 64.5 million more 
pledged.  With the addition of an estimated USD 100 million 
bilaterally from donors, more than half of the amount 
requested has been received thus far.  In the face of a 
compressed timeline for response, the UN appeal for more 
funding needs to be packaged with clear indication of how 
monies will be expended.  The Flash Appeal has requested USD 
550 million, but includes funding for secondary and tertiary 
programs, rather than just immediate, life-saving needs.  On 
December 2, the UN released a Winter Plan for the critical 
period of December 2005 through February 2006.  However, the 
Winter Plan does not indicate how much funding is needed for 
the critical emergency sectors.  As not all sectors are on a 
knife,s edge, UN agencies need to triage and better 
prioritize needs. 
 
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Food Situation 
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5. UNHC comment: Emergency food stocks were built up, but 
rations had been cut so they could last longer. 
 
a. USG Response: Actually, rations were not cut to extend 
resources, but rather because in some areas, food was already 
available as was the case in ICRC,s distribution area, where 
full rations were not needed.  The UN Humanitarian Air 
Service (UNHAS) is covered at the current level (nearly 
meeting its target of 100 MT a day), through February, based 
on a caseload of 1 million people.  With a recent USDA 
donation of 46,000 MT of wheat, the food pipeline is healthy. 
 
 
b. With the food aid pipeline stabilized, the USAID Disaster 
Assistance Response Team (DART) recommends a shift away from 
a primary focus on food assistance to addressing unmet 
shelter needs. 
 
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Shelter 
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6. UNHC comment: Vandemoortele stressed that most people were 
using blankets, tarpaulins and whatever else they could lay 
their hands on to bring their tents up to standard to get 
through the winter. 
 
a. USG: This takes a negative slant on people using available 
materials to rebuild, despite the fact that the use of 
recycled materials is an important component of the widely 
supported shelter strategy, as it speeds up reconstruction 
and allows people to remain in place.  This protects assets 
and livelihoods, rather than forcing them to go to makeshift 
camps and facing the associated health hazards of 
displacement.  To support this strategy, the USAID/DART is 
providing NGO partners with shelter kits to assist rebuilding 
efforts in affected areas. 
 
7. According to media reports, a UN official in charge of 
providing shelter also warned that 90 per cent of the 420,000 
tents handed out were not ready for winter. 
 
a. USG: Inaccurately attributed to the UN, this is a 
statement by an International Organization for Migration 
(IOM) official.  The UNHC acknowledges that although 90 per 
cent of tents are not winterized, it does not mean that they 
are inadequate; the proportion of inadequate tents is much 
smaller.  Moreover, non-winterized tents can be used at lower 
elevations or reinforced with additional materials such as 
blankets, plastic sheeting, or bubble wrap for insulation. 
 
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Health/Nutrition 
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8. Recent media reports have highlighted the possibility of 
deteriorating health status as harsh winter conditions are 
realized.  Although cases of diarrhea, acute respiratory 
infections (ARI), and pneumonia have been reported, to date, 
no major communicable disease outbreaks have been reported. 
Accurate health baseline data for northern Pakistan is 
limited.  The earthquake-affected residents, in particular 
those living in remote areas at high altitudes, are 
vulnerable each year, with high levels of chronic 
malnutrition.  According to USAID/DART field staff, a 
significant number of people die each year from ARI and 
pneumonia.  The UN has acknowledged that conclusions 
regarding increased cold weather-related mortality rates are 
premature. 
 
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Improved Health and Education 
----------------------------- 
 
9. With limited medical facilities in northern Pakistan prior 
to the earthquake, many residents are likely accessing health 
services for the first time, due to the influx of clinics in 
the affected areas as part of the humanitarian response. 
This may lead to the appearance of a higher incidence of 
disease compared to normal levels, but may be attributed to 
improved disease surveillance and more consistent reporting. 
 
 
10. One positive aspect of the humanitarian response that has 
been largely overlooked by the media is the higher number of 
children enrolled in school in the IDP camps*some for the 
first time.  In past years, schools are usually closed for a 
few months during the winter; however, this year the schools 
will likely remain open, due in part to the presence of the 
international aid community.  While some media reports have 
criticized the quality of tents used for temporary schools, 
the tents are meant to be used as daytime structures.  The 
children attending school also receive the benefits of 
hygiene education, which includes lessons on the use of 
latrines, a skill that will improve the children,s health 
when they return home. 
 
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Conclusions: The Big Picture 
---------------------------- 
 
11. Although recent media reports have seized on the 
shortfalls of the earthquake relief operation and the UNHC 
has publicly remarked that the relief effort is on a knife,s 
edge, it is important to note that incomplete reports are 
misleading, fail to recognize significant efforts by the 
entire humanitarian community, and do not provide an accurate 
picture of the evolving situation. 
 
12. While it is important to anticipate and prepare for a 
deteriorating situation, some media reports are basing a 
worst-case scenario on faulty assumptions.  One often 
repeated scenario is that massive population movements from 
remote higher elevation areas to the valley will overwhelm 
the limited space available in existing camps, resulting in 
large-scale deaths from freezing temperatures.  USAID/DART 
field reports, as well as reports from NGOs, indicate that 
much of the earthquake-affected population will remain in 
place rather than moving to camps.  In addition, the GOP has 
prepared for this contingency by developing plans to move 
displaced populations if necessary to Punjab Province, an 
area with a milder climate where concerns about winter 
conditions, lack of access, and crowded conditions are 
insignificant. 
 
13. The earthquake-affected population faces an uncertain 
future and significant challenges remain.  The USG remains 
committed to responding rapidly as winter conditions set in. 
USG resources have been vital in meeting Pakistan,s 
requirements for earthquake relief and recovery and will 
continue to be critically needed during the coming months. 
Misleading media reports, generated in this and other cases 
by comments from UN officials, only cloud the overall picture 
and make accurate assessments and responses that much more 
difficult. 
CROCKER