O 022058Z OCT 07
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO AMEMBASSY RANGOON IMMEDIATE 
AMEMBASSY BANGKOK IMMEDIATE 
INFO AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU IMMEDIATE 
USMISSION GENEVA 
NSC WASHINGTON DC 0000
CDR PACOM HONOLULU HI//

UNCLAS STATE 138933 
 
SIPDIS 
 
AIDAC   RANGOON FOR SAMANTHA CARL YODER, BANGKOK FOR 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: 
SUBJECT: USAID/DCHA/OFDA RESPONSE TO DISASTER 
 
DECLARATION FOR DETERIORATING HUMANITARIAN CONDITIONS 
IN BURMA 
 
REFS:  (A) RANGOON 00952 
       (B) STATE 165530 (OFDA FY 2007 GUIDANCE CABLE) 
 
RDMA WHELDEN, CONTROLLER, AND OFDA DOLAN, KATHMANDU 
FOR BERGER AND MCINTYRE, GENEVA FOR KYLOH, NSC FOR 
MARCHAM 
 
¶1.  IN ACCORDANCE WITH POST'S REF A DISASTER 
DECLARATION AND REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE, 
USAID/DCHA/OFDA IS ESTABLISHING A MISSION ALLOWANCE OF 
USDOLS 50,000 AS A CONTRIBUTION TOWARD IMMEDIATE 
HUMANITARIAN NEEDS OF AFFECTED POPULATIONS IN BURMA. 
USAID/DCHA/OFDA UNDERSTANDS THAT THESE FUNDS WILL BE 
AWARDED TO SAVE THE CHILDREN/BURMA BY USAID'S REGIONAL 
DEVELOPMENT MISSION FOR ASIA (RDMA) IN BANGKOK, IN 
CONSULTATION WITH EMBASSY RANGOON AND OFDA'S 
BANGKOK-BASED SENIOR REGIONAL ADVISOR. 
 
¶2.  USAID/DCHA/OFDA APPRECIATES POST'S ONGOING 
CONSULTATION WITH USAID/DCHA/OFDA REGIONAL ADVISORS 
AND RDMA REGARDING UTILIZATION OF THESE FUNDS AND ANY 
POTENTIAL ADDITIONAL HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE 
REQUIREMENTS. 
 
¶3.  NOTE: BASED ON THE MULTIPLE FACTORS CONTRIBUTING 
TO DETERIORATING HUMANITARIAN CONDITIONS IN BURMA (REF 
A), INCLUDING FOOD INSECURITY AND CIVIL UNREST, 
USAID/DCHA/OFDA IS CATEGORIZING THIS ASSISTANCE AS 
RESPONSE TO A COMPLEX EMERGENCY. 
 
¶4.  FISCAL DATA WHICH WOULD NORMALLY BE TRANSMITTED 
WITH THIS CABLE IS UNAVAILABLE DUE TO THE FISCAL YEAR 
TRANSITION AND WILL BE PROVIDED SEPARATELY BY EMAIL TO 
RDMA FOR AWARD OF FUNDS TO SAVE THE CHILDREN. 
 
¶5.  INFORMATION ON NUMBER OF PEOPLE AFFECTED AND 
DISPLACED IS IMPORTANT FOR OFDA RECORDS.  THIS 
INFORMATION IS ALSO NEEDED TO RESPOND TO CONGRESSIONAL 
AND PUBLIC INQUIRIES. 
 
¶6.   THESE FUNDS ARE TO BE USED FOR IMMEDIATE DISASTER 
RELIEF EFFORTS. 
RELIEF ASSISTANCE IS THAT AID WHICH IS PROVIDED TO 
SAVE LIVES AND REDUCE HUMAN SUFFERING AND MAY BE 
PROVIDED FOR AS LONG AS THE CONDITION OF THE VICTIMS 
RESULTING FROM THE DISASTER REQUIRES THIS SUPPORT. 
USAID/DCHA/OFDA WILL CONSIDER THE RELIEF PHASE ENDED 
NINETY DAYS AFTER A SUDDEN EVENT, UNLESS POST REQUESTS 
AND USAID/DCHA/OFDA APPROVES A CONTINUATION OF THIS 
PERIOD. RELIEF ASSISTANCE FOR ONGOING DISASTERS SUCH 
 
AS DROUGHT AND CIVIL STRIFE CAN LAST MORE THAN ONE 
YEAR DEPENDING ON THE CIRCUMSTANCES, BUT WILL REQUIRE 
ANNUAL DISASTER DECLARATIONS. 
 
¶7.  PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT ANY ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE 
BEYOND THAT DETAILED IN THIS CABLE REQUIRES PRIOR 
APPROVAL FROM USAID/DCHA/OFDA PER THE GENERAL GUIDANCE 
PROVIDED IN REF B. 
 
¶8.  ACCOUNTABILITY FOR FUNDS OR RELIEF SUPPLIES, 
MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT PROVIDED BY USAID/DCHA/OFDA 
RESTS PRIMARILY WITH THE RECIPIENT U.S. MISSION.  THE 
U.S. MISSION IS ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR OBTAINING AND 
RETAINING RECEIPTS FOR ALL PROPERTY TRANSFERRED TO 
HOST AGENCIES AND PRIVATE VOLUNTARY ORGANIZATIONS. 
TITLE TO THE PROPERTY TRANSFERS TO THE RECIPIENT 
INSTITUTION AT THE TIME THE PROPERTY IS PHYSICALLY 
TRANSFERRED.  ADDITIONALLY, THE U.S. MISSION IS 
ACCOUNTABLE FOR ENSURING THAT THE RELIEF GOODS, EITHER 
PROVIDED BY USAID/DCHA/OFDA OR PROCURED LOCALLY, REACH 
THE INTENDED DISASTER VICTIMS.  SIMILARLY, THE U.S. 
MISSION IN THE AFFECTED COUNTRY IS ACCOUNTABLE FOR ANY 
AND ALL FUNDS PROVIDED BY USAID/DCHA/OFDA.  ALL 
ASSISTANCE PROVIDED BY USAID/DCHA/OFDA IS SUBJECT TO 
THE SAME AUDIT RIGHTS AS OTHER TYPES OF U.S. 
ASSISTANCE. 
 
¶9.  USAID/DCHA/OFDA ACTION OFFICER FOR THIS DISASTER 
IS ROB THAYER.  THAYER CAN BE REACHED DURING BUSINESS 
HOURS AT (202)712-1257.  MOBILE PHONE NUMBER FOR 
THAYER IS (202) 294-8424. AFTER CLOSE OF BUSINESS, 
USAID/DCHA/OFDA PERSONNEL CAN ALSO BE REACHED THROUGH 
THE OFDA DUTY OFFICER AT (301)675-5953. 
 
¶10.  PLEASE DIRECT ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING FORTHCOMING 
FISCAL DATA FOR THIS AWARD TO JOHN PEYREBRUNE AT 
(202) 712-4193 OR EMAIL AT JPEYREBRUNE@USAID.GOV. 
 
¶11.  SECTION 2110 OF THE EMERGENCY SUPPLEMENTAL 
APPROPRIATIONS ACT FOR DEFENSE, THE GLOBAL WAR ON 
TERROR, AND TSUNAMI RELIEF, 2005, PROVIDES THAT NO 
INTERNATIONAL DISASTER AND FAMINE ASSISTANCE (IDFA) 
FUNDS MAY BE OBLIGATED TO AN ORGANIZATION THAT FAILS 
TO ADOPT A CODE OF CONDUCT THAT PROVIDES FOR THE 
PROTECTION OF BENEFICIARIES OF IDFA-FUNDED ASSISTANCE 
FROM SEXUAL EXPLOITATION AND ABUSE IN HUMANITARIAN 
RELIEF OPERATIONS.  THIS PROVISION APPLIES TO FUNDS 
OBLIGATED FOR FY 2005 AND FOR SUBSEQUENT FISCAL YEARS. 
TO THIS END, THE FOLLOWING SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN ALL 
 
AWARDS UTILIZING OFDA'S IDFA FUNDS: 
 
"CODE OF CONDUCT FOR THE PROTECTION OF BENEFICIARIES 
OF ASSISTANCE FROM SEXUAL EXPLOITATION AND ABUSE IN 
HUMANITARIAN RELIEF OPERATIONS 
 
AS A CONDITION FOR THIS AWARD, THE RECIPIENT CERTIFIES 
THAT IT HAS ADOPTED A CODE OF CONDUCT FOR THE 
PROTECTION OF BENEFICIARIES OF ASSISTANCE FROM SEXUAL 
EXPLOITATION AND ABUSE IN HUMANITARIAN RELIEF 
OPERATIONS.  SUCH CODE OF CONDUCT MUST BE CONSISTENT 
WITH THE INTER-AGENCY STANDING COMMITTEE (IASC) TASK 
FORCE ON PROTECTION FROM SEXUAL EXPLOITATION AND ABUSE 
IN HUMANITARIAN CRISES, WHICH INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING 
CORE PRINCIPLES: 
 
- SEXUAL EXPLOITATION AND ABUSE BY HUMANITARIAN 
WORKERS CONSTITUTE ACTS OF GROSS MISCONDUCT AND ARE 
THEREFORE GROUNDS FOR TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT; 
 
- SEXUAL ACTIVITY WITH CHILDREN (PERSONS UNDER THE AGE 
OF 18) IS PROHIBITED REGARDLESS OF THE AGE OF MAJORITY 
OR AGE OF CONSENT LOCALLY.  MISTAKEN BELIEF IN THE AGE 
OF A CHILD IS NOT A DEFENSE; 
 
- EXCHANGE OF MONEY, EMPLOYMENT, GOODS, OR SERVICES 
FOR SEX, INCLUDING SEXUAL FAVORS OR OTHER FORMS OF 
HUMILIATING, DEGRADING, OR EXPLOITATIVE BEHAVIOR IS 
PROHIBITED.  THIS INCLUDES EXCHANGE OF ASSISTANCE THAT 
IS DUE TO BENEFICIARIES; 
 
- SEXUAL RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN HUMANITARIAN WORKERS 
AND BENEFICIARIES ARE STRONGLY DISCOURAGED SINCE THEY 
ARE BASED ON INHERENTLY UNEQUAL POWER DYNAMICS.  SUCH 
RELATIONSHIPS UNDERMINE THE CREDIBILITY AND INTEGRITY 
OF HUMANITARIAN AID WORK; 
 
- WHERE A HUMANITARIAN WORKER DEVELOPS CONCERNS OR 
SUSPICIONS REGARDING SEXUAL ABUSE OR EXPLOITATION BY A 
FELLOW WORKER, WHETHER IN THE SAME HUMANITARIAN AID 
AGENCY OR NOT, S/HE MUST REPORT SUCH CONCERNS VIA 
ESTABLISHED AGENCY REPORTING MECHANISMS; AND 
 
- HUMANITARIAN WORKERS ARE OBLIGED TO CREATE AND 
MAINTAIN AN ENVIRONMENT WHICH PREVENTS SEXUAL 
EXPLOITATION AND ABUSE AND PROMOTES THE IMPLEMENTATION 
OF THEIR CODE OF CONDUCT.  MANAGERS AT ALL LEVELS HAVE 
PARTICULAR RESPONSIBILITIES TO SUPPORT AND DEVELOP 
SYSTEMS WHICH MAINTAIN THIS ENVIRONMENT." 
RICE