VZCZCXRO8823
RR RUEHGR
DE RUEHPO #0270/01 1292059
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 092059Z MAY 06
FM AMEMBASSY PARAMARIBO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8303
INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE
RUEHAO/AMCONSUL CURACAO 1019
RUEHTC/AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE 1536
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 1420
RUEHSJ/AMEMBASSY SAN JOSE 0432
RUEWMFC/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARAMARIBO 000270 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR WHA/CAR  LLUFTIG 
DEPT FOR OCS/ACS/WHA - RBRANSON 
DEPT FOR WHA/PD  APRUITT, GADAMS, EDETTER 
DEPT FOR PA/PRS 
USAID FOR DCHA/OFDA 
SAN JOSE FOR USAID/OFDA TIM CALLAGHAN 
PLEASE PASS FOR PEACE CORPS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV PGOV PREL EAID ECON NS
SUBJECT: SITUATION UPDATE 1: FLOODING IN SURINAME'S 
INTERIOR 
 
 
PARAMARIBO 00000270  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
REFTEL: PARAMARIBO 266 
 
¶1. (U) President Ronald Venetiaan officially declared the 
regions of Suriname affected by recent heavy flooding (See 
reftel) as disaster areas in a short evening address to the 
nation on May 9. The declared disaster zones include areas 
along the upper Suriname and upper Marowijne rivers. 
According to current Government of Suriname (GOS) 
) 
estimates, the floods are affecting 37,000 people, of whom 
an estimated 22,000 have been displaced.  The flooding is 
expected to spread as rains continue to fall, increasing 
the number of those affected. Loss of life is not yet 
known, but preliminary damage estimates are in the millions 
of dollars.  The UNDP is currently serving as a liaison 
between donor groups and the Government of Suriname's 
crisis management team and has set up daily coordination 
meetings. Post received late on May 9 a formal request from 
the GOS for assistance in the disaster. The Embassy has 
requested emergency assistance funding from USAID-OFDA to 
address immediate needs septel. 
 
¶2. (U) Precise conditions of the homeless are not yet 
certain; some joined neighbors on higher ground, and may be 
appropriately temporarily sheltered.  GOS has identified 
roughly 500 people for immediate evacuation, but is still 
identifying relocation site for temporary shelters. 
Evacuation assessments are still pending for a number of 
remote communities.  The National Coordinating Commission 
for Disaster Planning (NCCR) estimates that 100 percent of 
subsistence farms and nearly two thirds of livestock and 
household goods/equipment have been destroyed in the 
affected areas.  Only two of 18 schools are functioning in 
the Upper Suriname River area.  The extreme difficulty in 
reaching the remote affected areas, challenging even in 
normal circumstances, and limited resources to do so has 
seriously hampered the quick delivery of relief supplies 
and conduct of rescue missions. Ten of 14 airstrips in the 
area have been rendered unusable, and of the remaining 
four, only one has reasonable logistic proximity to some 
affected villages. The NCCR has also approached 
environmental agencies to investigate the risk of mercury 
and cyanide used in local gold mining activities being 
spread by flood waters. 
 
¶3. (U) According to a spokesman from the Alcoa-subsidiary 
Suralco, the current rainfall has caused the water level of 
the Brokopondo reservoir to rise only 15cm (approx five 
inches) and would have to rise five meters before they 
would have to deliberately release more water downstream to 
ease pressure on the dam. For the moment, Suralco is not 
overly concerned as not all of the flooded areas drain into 
the reservoir. 
 
¶4. (U) The Embassy has reached out to missionaries, 
environmental NGO's, and local tourist agencies, and 
uncovered no evidence of unregistered AMCITS affected by 
the floods.  Peace Corps successfully relocated one 
volunteer on May 8, and seven more are on en route to 
Paramaribo on May 9. 
 
¶5. (U) The government has formed a ministerial level Crisis 
Team led by the Minister of Regional Development Michel 
Felisi and consisting of the Ministers of Finance, Regional 
Development, Justice of Police, Defense, and Health. Other 
members of the team include the head of the NCCR Lt. 
Colonel Jerry Slijngard, a District Commissioner, and a 
meteorology center representative.  The Red Cross and 
various other NGO's are organizing themselves by opening up 
bank accounts and collecting relief supplies to provide 
assistance as soon as supply chains are finalized.  Police 
and military units have been dispatched to the region, but 
their numbers are thought to be limited because of 
transportation difficulties. 
 
¶6. (U) UN and EU representatives indicated that disaster 
 
PARAMARIBO 00000270  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
assessment teams from their respective organizations could 
be on the ground to assist in two to three days.  We are 
inquiring into coordination mechanisms should an OFDA team 
join them.  The Dutch government has pledged a substantial, 
yet unspecified amount of assistance, while Dutch NGO's and 
municipalities are collecting donations in the Netherlands. 
The city of Amsterdam alone has pledged 250,000 Euros.  The 
UNDP has pledged 50,000 USD thus far. 
 
¶7. (U) Priority areas of need identified by the GOS are 
food; water; sanitation; emergency housing; transport; 
telecommunication facilities; skilled personnel in the 
coordination center; expertise in early recovery, 
rehabilitation planning, and crisis management; measurement 
equipment; satellite imaging; and hydrological models.  The 
GOS is suggesting cash contributions be channeled through 
the NCCR, Red Cross, and UNDP. France and Brazil have 
indicated a willingness to share satellite weather images. 
 
¶8. (U) COMMENT: The GOS and donors will face a significant 
coordination challenge in serving these remote populations 
in need.  The initial GOS situation report bases planning 
on a medium intensity scenario where rain will drop off, 
allowing waters to subside within a week, after which 
recovery measure can be started.  Local meteorology reports 
however, note that we are only at the start of a rainy 
season normally lasting until mid-July. 
 
LEONARD