VZCZCXRO8906
OO RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHPB
DE RUEHJM #1327 0901456
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 311456Z MAR 06
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1310
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/DIA WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEAHLC/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASH DC IMMEDIATE
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA IMMEDIATE

UNCLAS JERUSALEM 001327 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE; NEA/IPA FOR WILLIAMS/GREENE/WAECHTER; 
NEA/RA FOR LAWSON; OES FOR DALEY; NSC FOR ABRAMS, DORAN, 
MUSTAFA; STATE PASS TO USAID/BORODIN; STATE PASS TO USDA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KFLU TBIO SENV ECON EAGR EAID KWBG IS
SUBJECT: AI SITREP MARCH 31: PA CULLS 96,700 FOWL IN GAZA; 
ISRAELI OUTBREAK IN NEGEV 
 
REF: JERUSALEM 1283 
 
¶1.  (SBU) WHO Representative Mahmud Daher reported to EconOff 
March 31 that the PA had completed the culling and burial of 
96,700 birds from all infected areas in Gaza.  He said the PA 
continued to conduct surveillance and to monitor areas where 
these outbreaks had occurred.  Samples taken from the Gaza 
areas of Beit Lahiya, el-Masadar village (between Bureij and 
Maghaza refugee camps), Deir el-Balah, the Zaytoon area of 
Gaza city, and Jabalia had returned with negative results for 
Avian Influenza (AI). 
 
WHO meeting on farmer compensation 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU) In a March 30 WHO-chaired meeting with donors and 
the Palestinian Authority (PA), farmer compensation was the 
central topic, according to WHO official Fathi Abu Moghli. 
In addition to the promised USD 2 million by the World Bank, 
the EC confirmed that it would provide 10 million euros (USD 
12 million) for farmer compensation after the World Bank 
assessment was completed.  Abu Moghli said the group 
discussed the possible protein deficiencies for both 
Palestinian children and adults that could likely develop 
should all of Gaza's 2.5 million poultry have to be culled. 
WHO representatives said the PA still needed the following 
assistance: 
 
-- Tamiflu capsules (only 2,500 capsules had arrived); 
 
-- PPE kits (3,000 kits had arrived, including 1500 from 
USAID); 
 
-- Disinfectants; 
 
-- Public Awareness campaign activities; 
 
-- Poisons should further culling be necessary in Gaza; and 
 
-- Electric Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) machine for MOA 
to test for AI (estimated cost is USD 45,000). 
 
Israeli outbreak in Negev 
------------------------- 
 
¶3.  (SBU) H5N1 has been confirmed at Kibbutz Kerem Shalom in 
the western Negev, adjacent to the borders with Egypt and 
Gaza, and very close to Holit, one of the original sites of 
the recent outbreak in Israel.  Kibbutz Kerem Shalom was 
placed under close inspection and isolated.  Culling has 
already begun on the flock of 21,000 nine-week old turkeys 
there.  Israeli MOA contacts believe the disease may have 
spread from the transport of poultry by the Kibbutz Kerem 
Shalom manager, who also manages the Holit turkey farm. 
 
¶4.  (U) Nahum Barnea and Shimon Shiffer, commenting in 
Yedioth Ahronoth on March 31, noted that bird flu offered 
hope for coexistence, at least in the poultry sector, citing 
a Haaretz article on cooperation between the Israeli and 
Palestinian Agriculture Ministries to eradicate the disease 
following an outbreak at a Jewish settlement in the Jordan 
Valley/West Bank.  Israeli Police headquarters stated in the 
article that cooperation in the Jordan Valley is very good. 
WALLES