VZCZCXRO7191
OO RUEHLMC
DE RUEHMU #2117/01 2570116
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 140116Z SEP 07
FM AMEMBASSY MANAGUA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1282
RUMIAAA/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
INFO RUEHZA/WHA CENTRAL AMERICAN COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME IMMEDIATE 0126
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE 0088
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA IMMEDIATE 0348
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS IMMEDIATE
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORP WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEAHLC/HOMELAND SECURITY CENTER WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 MANAGUA 002117 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR WHA/CEN FEELEY AND LERSTEN 
DEPT ALSO FOR WHA/FO AND CA/OCS 
DEPT PLEASE PASS TO USAID/W, USAID/DCHA AND USAID/OFDA 
USAID/W FOR A/AID HFORE 
USAID/OFDA FOR KLUU, AFERRERA, ACONVERY, RTHAYER, AND 
SBISWAS 
USAID/DCHA FOR MHESS AND GGOTTLIEB 
SOUTHCOM PLEASE PASS TO JTF-BRAVO 
SOUTHCOM FOR SCJ3--LTC ALEXANDER 
SOUTHCOM FOR W. LEWIS AMSELEM 
NSC FOR ALVARADO AND TSHORTLEY 
SAN JOSE FOR OFDA SENIOR REGIONAL ADVISOR 
GENEVA FOR NKYLOH 
USUN ROME FOR RNEWBERG 
USUN FOR TMALY 
BRUSSELS FOR PLERNER 
ROME PLEASE PASS TO USUN ROME 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID PGOV MOPS AEMR KPAO CASC NU
SUBJECT: MANAGUA SITREP 7: U.S. RELIEF TOPS USD 1.4 MILLION 
 
REF: A. MANAGUA 2102 
 
     ¶B. MANAGUA 2070 
     ¶C. MANAGUA 2059 
     ¶D. MANAGUA 2044 
     ¶E. MANAGUA 2032 
     ¶F. MANAGUA 2026 (NOTAL) 
     ¶G. MANAGUA 2025 (NOTAL) 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY:  On September 13, U.S. SH-60 helicopters 
carried out 13 relief flights and delivered nearly 26,000 
pounds of relief materials as well as medical and security 
personal.  The morning of September 14, two JTF-B CH-47 
Chinook helicopters will arrive in Managua and begin 
operations.  The first C-130 Bladder Bird refueling flight to 
Puerto Cabezas will commence on September 14.  While SINAPRED 
still has not developed a comprehensive relief delivery plan, 
it estimated that an additional four days of U.S. military 
air support may be needed.  The Embassy Hurricane Working 
Group believes U.S. military assets could be effectively 
deployed for an additional four working days with a possible 
extension of two days.  USAID released an additional USD 
241,000 to key NGO partners to fund the purchase and 
distribution of additional relief supplies.  A key Ministry 
of Defense (MOD) contact was fired for saying on the record 
that U.S. was the first to respond to the MOD's request for 
assistance.  END SUMMARY. 
 
CURRENT SITUATION 
- - - - - - - - - 
 
¶2. (U) AFFECTED PERSONS: As of September 12, the GON was 
reporting the following data regarding the human impact of 
Hurricane Felix.  Affected persons: 162,373 in the 
municipalities of Puerto Cabezas, Waspam, Rosita, Bonanza, 
and Alamikamba in the RAAN and in the departments of Nueva 
Segovia and Jinotega; 136 people have been rescued. 
CASUALTIES: 73 confirmed dead of which 71 were registered in 
the communities of Puerto Cabezas and 2 in Asan; 76 deaths 
remain unconfirmed; and 110 persons are missing.  PROPERTY 
DAMAGE: The Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) reported 
that 42 health centers were damaged and four destroyed in the 
RAAN. 
 
¶3. (SBU) SINAPRED PLANS DAY-BY-DAY: OFDA/Milgroup team in 
Puerto Cabezas reports that SINAPRED still has not developed 
a comprehensive relief delivery plan.  Instead, it produces a 
new 24-hour plan each evening after discussions with disaster 
relief officials and OFDA/Milgroup.  As a result, U.S. 
military planners have been unable to determine the exact 
deployment requirements of military assets in country.  As of 
2100 hours on September 12, SINAPRED estimated that an 
additional four days of U.S. military air support may be 
needed.  (NOTE: In the September 13 Hurricane Working Group 
meeting, AMB/OFDA/Milgroup/DAO concurred that U.S. military 
assets could effectively be deployed in relief efforts an 
additional four working days with a possible further 
extension of two days based on SINAPRED calculations.  Assets 
will continue to be used to deliver food, medicine, and other 
emergency relief supplies to remote areas. END NOTE). 
 
¶4. (U) IN-COUNTRY US MILITARY ASSETS: As of September 13, there were four helicopters in Nicaragua - two SH-60s from the Samuel Roberts running sorties in Puerto Cabezas and two UH-60s from JTF-B in Managua. Depending on weather, the JTF-B helos are scheduled to fly to Puerto Cabezas on September 14 to replace the Samuel Robert's departing helos. In addition, two JTF-B CH-47s are scheduled to arrive in Managua the morning of September 14 to support the Managua-Puerto Cabezas air bridge or distribution efforts from Puerto Cabezas, depending where the need is greatest. The C-130 Bladder Bird will commence fueling operations on September 14 to the FARP stationed in Puerto Cabezas and conduct daily refueling runs. The FARP will enable greater flexibility in the use of the CH-47s, allowing them to be deployed from Puerto Cabezas, if needed.
 
¶5. (U) ARMY CONDUCTING INDEPENDENT ASSESSMENT: Nicaraguan Army Special Forces are conducting a thorough assessment of the area between Waspam and San Carlos, looking for remote communities that have not yet received emergency aid. Given the difficulty of the terrain and area's remoteness, the army must conduct the assessment by boat and on foot. It expects to have a full assessment completed by September 17, at the latest, but is providing on-going input to SINAPRED as communication networks allow. In response to rumors of previously unknown villages not included in SINAPRED's maps, army officials claim to know all the village locations, but have not been able to reach them as they must travel by foot. (NOTE: SOUTHCOM's Humanitarian Assistance Support (HAST) team assessment concurred that subsequent U.S. relief efforts should focus on the northern border region, from San Carlos to the west. END NOTE).
 
¶6.  (U) USAID/OFDA COORDINATE WITH NGO PARTNERS:  On 
September 12 and 13, USAID/OFDA officials met with key 
partners including the Adventist Development and Relief 
Agency (ADRA), Catholic Relief Services (CRS), and PAHO to 
discuss on-going and future relief efforts.  ADRA has 
requested additional air support to deliver supplies while 
CRS is increasingly relying on ground transport as roads 
become passable and ground transport becomes available.  In 
addition, on September 13 USAID authorized an additional 
traunch of USD 241,000 to NGO partners for the purchase and 
distribution of emergency supplies. 
 
USG PLANNING AND RESPONSE 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - 
 
¶7. (U) As of September 13, a total of USD 1.42 million in 
OFDA resources have been expended in the Hurricane Felix 
relief effort in Nicaragua.  On September 13, the Samuel 
Robert's two SH-60 helicopters carried out 13 relief flights 
coordinated as follows: 
 
-- Dakura: Ten flights delivered 41 sacks of split peas, 112 
sacks of cereal, 91 sacks of rice and salt and cans of oil 
totaling 20,720 pounds.  In addition, four doctors and two 
police officers were transported. 
 
-- Lapan:  Eight rolls of plastic sheeting (1,200 pounds). 
 
-- Isnawas: Two flights delivered 4,000 pounds of emergency good commodities including rice, salt, and water.
 
PD OUTREACH: AMBASSADOR CONTINUES OUTREACH EFFORTS
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
 
¶8. (U) Ambassador Trivelli conducted a 24-minute live 
interview with Radio Manantial, emphasizing general U.S. 
assistance to Nicaragua and highlighting the USD 1.4 million 
in relief provided in the wake of Hurricane Felix.  Radio 
Manantial is the largest and most important radio station in 
the Southern Atlantic Autonomous Region (RAAS).  In addition, 
the public affairs section issued its fifth press release 
since the start of U.S. relief effort 1.5 weeks ago. 
 
¶9.  (SBU) One of the Embassy's few remaining contacts at the 
Ministry of Defense was fired on September 12, reportedly 
after being cited in a news article as saying "the U.S. was 
the first country to respond to the request by the Ministry 
of Defense to send assistance."  The article, published in 
the daily newspaper El Nuevo Diario, was entitled "U.S. 
Quickest to Offer Hurricane Help." 
 
LOOK AHEAD - JFT-B OPERATIONS CONTINUE 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
 
¶10.  (U) The Samuel Roberts will cease relief operations and 
leave Puerto Cabezas on September 14 to be replaced by two 
JTF-B UH-60 helicopters.  Two JTF-B CH-47 Chinook helicopters 
will arrive the morning of September 14 and commence 
operations and daily FARP refueling runs will begin, using 
the C-130 Bladder Bird. 
TRIVELLI