Cablegate: Mgeap1: Indonesia Earthquake Humanitarian Update #2

VZCZCXYZ0000
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHJA #1675/01 2790942
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 060942Z OCT 09
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3505
INFO RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 7970
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1074
RUEHBK/AMEMBASSY BANGKOK 8823
RHHJJPI/PACOM IDHS HONOLULU HI
RUCNARF/ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM COLLECTIVE
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC

UNCLAS JAKARTA 001675

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EAP, CA
STATE FOR USAID
USAID FOR DCHA/OFDA CCHAN, ACONVERY, RTHAYER, AND RMT
USAID FOR ANE KROSEN
BANGKOK FOR ADWYER
NSC FOR CPRATT
USUN FOR DMERCADO
GENEVA FOR NKYLOH
PACOM POLAD/J3/J5

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV CASC ECON EAID SENV ID PHUM AEMR ASEC CASC
MARR, PREL, PINR, AMGT, EAID, ID,AQ, LA, RP, TN, VM, WS

SUBJECT: MGEAP1: INDONESIA EARTHQUAKE HUMANITARIAN UPDATE #2

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Summary
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1. In response to the September 30 earthquake, an 11-member USAID
Disaster Assistance Response Team (USAID/DART) is in Indonesia.
Search and rescue operations have ceased. Damage reports from
affected areas are preliminary, with the Rapid Joint Assessment
results and the Humanitarian Response Plan scheduled for release in
the coming days. Daily cluster meetings are occurring in Padang.
USAID's Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA),
Post, and the U.S. Department of efense (DoD) continue to
collaborate to respond to the earthquake. End ummary.

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Conditions in Earthquake-Affected Areas
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2. On October5, six members of the USAID/DART arrived in Padang,
and three additional USAID/DART members arrived n Padang on October
6. The USAID/DART is assessng humanitarian conditions, meeting
with key nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), liaising with oher
donor representatives, coordinating with Postand DoD, and
supporting the Government of Indoneia (GoI) in the humanitarian
response to the earhquake.

3. Damage reports from Padang are prelminary. On October 5, the
U.N. Office for the Cordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
reporte that 70 percent of water distribution networks inPadang
are damaged, leaving 60 percent of indiviuals without running
wat er. Previous reports inicate that bottled water is readily
available fo purchase. In Pariaman, running water is limited de
to disrupted power supplies. The USAID/DART i following up on
these reports.

4. Accordingto OCHA, the earthquake da maged or destroyed a totl
of 30 percent of houses with Pariaman, with nerly 100 percent of
houses destroyed in some areasof the town. Individuals are
sleeping in temporry shelters near houses or in mosques. Local
auhori(ties have requested tents and tarpaulins.

--(------------------------Q
Search and Rescue Operations
----------------------------

5. According to the GoI National Ds"aster Management Agency, most
people missing inPPadang city were buried under heavy concrete, and
chances of survival for five days in these conditin*s is unlikely.
According to participants at an cctober 5 OCHA meeting, the 21 urban
search and rs"cue (USAR) teams in and around Padang are ceasing
operations after having no live recoveries. The 688 USAR personnel
will begin departing Padang.

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GoI "Disaster Phase"
--------------------

6. Participants at the Octobe 5 OCHA meeting reported that GoI
disaster officaals have reduced the "disaster phase" of the
humanitarian response to the earthquake from two monthst o one
month. The implications of this decisionffor the humanitarian
community are unclear.

--(-----------------------
U.N. Appeal for Assistacce
--------------------------

7. OCHA reported that draft report from the Rapid Joint AssessmentQ
is expected to be completed between October 7 an 8. The U.N. is
preparing to issue a Humanitarin* Response Plan, to complement the
GoI humanitarian response. Similar to a U.N. flash appeal, the plan
will summarize humanitarian needs and request assistance from the
international community. The U.N. tentatively plans to launch the
plan as early as October 9.
8. On October 5, a representative of the U.N. World food Program
(WFP) told USAID/Indonesia that WFP plans to solicit a flash appeal
on October 9, focusing on vulnerable groups. As of October 5, WFP
tentatively planned to provide fortified biscuits and noodles for
200,000 people for three months. The WFP appeal may be part of the
forthcoming Humanitarian Response Plan.

-------------------------
Humanitarian Coordination
-------------------------

9. Daily cluster meetings for operational clusters are occurring in
Padang. Clusters include early recovery, education, food and
nutrition, health, logistics, shelter, telecommunications, and
water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH). USAID/DART members are
attending these meetings.

---------------------------
USG Humanitarian Assistance
---------------------------

10. USAID/OFDA is airlifting humanitarian relief commodities from
its warehouse in Dubai to Padang. The commodities are tentatively
scheduled to arrive in country on October 7 and will be consigned to
the Indonesian Red Cross (Palang Merah Indonesia, or PMI). The
airlift includes plastic sheeting, hygiene kits, 10-liter water
containers, and power generator sets.

11. USAID/OFDA, through the USAID/DART, is engaged in discussions
with several NGOs concerning needs and planned response programs.
The USAID/DART anticipates receiving and beginning to evaluate
concept papers and proposals in the coming days.

12. On October 1, Post activated an Emergency Operations Center
(EOC) to coordinate Post's response to the earthquake. Post
tentatively plans to staff the EOC at least through the week,
depending on needs. The EOC is providing logistical and
administrative support to Post in its earthquake response. EOC
staff are collaborating with USAID/DART members to share
humanitarian information and respond to information requests.

13. On October 6, the Charge d'Affaires is in Padang, visiting
affected areas with PMI and the USAID/DART.

14. A DoD Humanitarian Assistance Rapid Response Team (HARRT), or
mobile medical unit, arrived in Padang on October 5 and is being set
up in downtown Padang. An eight-person U.S. Air Force team has
re-opened the Tabing Airfield and has received flights of C-130s
carrying relief supplies. With the opening of the Tabing Airfield,
two airfields are currently operational in Padang. One DoD C-130
aircraft is flying relief missions from Jakarta to Padang. Two U.S.
ships are en route to Padang and scheduled to arrive on October 8.
At present, 110 DoD personnel are in Indonesia, supporting relief
efforts. On October 6, the DoD Humanitarian Assistance Survey Team
(HAST) arrived in Padang.

Osius#

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