VZCZCXRO2611
OO RUEHLMC
DE RUEHMU #2148/01 2622320
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 192320Z SEP 07
FM AMEMBASSY MANAGUA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1309
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 0129
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE 0091
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA IMMEDIATE 0351
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 02 MANAGUA 002148 
 
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 8 (FINAL): SUMMARY OF RELIEF 
ACTIVITIES 
 
REF: A. MANAGUA 2117 
     ¶B. MANAGUA 2102 
     ¶C. MANAGUA 2070 
     ¶D. MANAGUA 2059 
     ¶E. MANAGUA 2044 
     ¶F. MANAGUA 2032 
     ¶G. MANAGUA 2026 (NOTAL) 
     ¶H. MANAGUA 2025 (NOTAL) 
 
¶1. (U) SUMMARY:  U.S. military assets concluded emergency 
relief operations on September 17.  Assets flew a total of 
136 sorties and transported some 595,000 lbs of relief 
supplies and materials over a 10-day period.  On September 17 
the Government of Nicaragua (GON) disaster team (SINAPRED) 
closed operations and turned control over to the regional 
government for the "rehabilitation" phase.  The OFDA team 
returned to Managua on September 17 and ceased emergency 
control room operation at COB on September 18.  OFDA will 
keep one person each in Puerto Cabezas and Managua through 
the weekend.  USAID will continue to monitor the relief 
delivery and initial reconstruction efforts of its partners 
and undertake an assessment about additional OFDA funding 
requirements.  END SUMMARY. 
 
CURRENT SITUATION 
- - - - - - - - - 
 
¶2. (U) AFFECTED PERSONS: As of September 15, the latest date 
for which information is available, the GON reported the 
following data regarding the human impact of Hurricane Felix. 
 Affected persons: 185,203 in the North Atlantic Autonomous 
Region (RAAN) and 3,523 in the neighboring departments of 
Nueva Segovia and Jinotega.  CASUALTIES: 102 confirmed dead 
of which 94 were registered in the communities of Puerto 
Cabezas and 8 in Waspam; 48 deaths remain unconfirmed; and 86 
persons are missing.  PROPERTY DAMAGE: 19,202 houses in the 
RAAN, Nueva Segovia, and Jinotega were affected by the 
hurricane (10,145 destroyed, 9,057 lost roofs); 179 public 
buildings (the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) and 
Nicaraguan Red Cross (NRC) reported that 46 health centers 
and 60 schools sustained "significant" roof damage) and 69 
private businesses were damaged; 13,438 latrines were 
damaged, contaminating 11,519 wells. AGRICULTURE: According 
to the National Civil Defense, hurricane Felix damaged or 
destroyed 36,845 hectares of corn, rice, and other crops and 
5,951 fruit trees.  5,063 domestic livestock were lost. 
 
¶3. (U) US MILITARY OPERATIONS END: U.S. military assets - 
consisting of two UH-60 helicopters and one C-130 from JTF-B 
concluded hurricane relief operations in the late afternoon 
of September 17.  On this final day of operations, the UH-60s 
flew a record 17 sorties, delivering some 20 metric tons of 
relief supplies. 
 
¶4.  (U) OFDA TEAM WINDS DOWN: On September 17, most of the 
OFDA team departed Puerto Cabezas and emergency control room 
operations at USAID ceased at COB on September 18. OFDA will 
maintain one person in Puerto Cabezas and one person in 
Managua through the weekend of September 23-24. 
 
¶5.  (U) RELIEF GOES FROM AIR TO GROUND: The World Food 
Program (WFP), Adventist Development and Relief Agency 
(ADRA), Catholic Relief Service (CRS), and the NRC have fully 
transitioned to ground and water-based transportation to 
deliver relief supplies to RAAN communities.  With 330 tons 
of relief supplies on the ground in Puerto Cabezas on 
September 16 (of which 50 tons were delivered by U.S. 
military assets on September 16 and 17), these agencies are 
providing communities with 30-day supplies of food, water, 
and other supplies. 
 
¶6.  (U) SINAPRED HANDS OVER OPERATIONS:  On September 17, 
SINAPRED declared that post-hurricane relief efforts were 
shifting to a "rehabilitation" phase and handed over 
responsibility to the regional government.  On September 18, 
the SINAPRED emergency task force returned to Managua. 
 
SUMMARY OF U.S. MILITARY HURRICANE RELIEF ACTIVITIES 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
 
¶7.  (U)  Hurricane relief airlift operations conducted by 
U.S. military assets September 6-17 were divided into two 
components - transporting supplies from Managua to Puerto 
Cabezas air bridge and the distribution of supplies from 
Puerto Cabezas to affected communities.  A summary of each 
component follows: 
 
MANAGUA - PUERTO CABEZAS AIR-BRIDGE: 
 
- Two Ch-47 Chinooks - 18 sorties over three days; 180,000 
lbs of relief supplies 
- One C-130 - 3 sorties over 2 days; 91,000 lbs of relief 
supplies 
 
PUERTO CABEZAS TO RAAN COMMUNITIES 
 
- A total of eight helicopters carried out 115 sorties over 
10 days 
- 37 hurricane-affected communities reached 
- 324,000 lbs of total relief supplies delivered 
- 940 rolls of plastic sheeting 
- 3,875 blankets 
- 3,552 hygiene kits 
- 13,000 ten-liter water containers 
- 20 Nicaraguan doctors 
- 74 sick / injured persons transported to Puerto Cabezas 
 
LOOK AHEAD - USAID TO STAY ENGAGED 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
 
¶8.  (U) From September 19-23, a USAID official will visit the 
RAAN to observe partner distribution operations and assess 
the need for additional OFDA funding as relief efforts 
continue on the ground. 
TRIVELLI