VZCZCXRO0623
OO RUEHDT RUEHPB
DE RUEHJA #1734/01 2881002
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 151002Z OCT 09
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3589
INFO RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 7990
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1093
RUEHBK/AMEMBASSY BANGKOK 8846
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RUCNARF/ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM COLLECTIVE
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 JAKARTA 001734 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP, CA 
STATE FOR USAID 
USAID FOR DCHA/OFDA CCHAN, ACONVERY, RTHAYER, AND RMT 
USAID FOR ANE KROSEN 
BANGKOK FOR ADWYER 
NSC FOR CPRATT 
USUN FOR DMERCADO 
GENEVA FOR NKYLOH 
PACOM POLAD/J3/J5 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: PGOV CASC ECON EAID SENV ID PHUM AEMR ASEC CASC
MARR, PREL, PINR, AMGT, EAID, AQ, LA, RP, TN, VM, WS 
 
SUBJECT:  INDONESIA EARTHQUAKE HUMANITARIAN UPDATE #8 
 
------- 
Summary 
------- 
 
¶1.   The Government of Indonesia (GoI) has reported that the 
official death toll from the September 30 is 1,115 people.  During 
the October 13 to 15 visit of the U.N. Emergency Relief Coordinator, 
the USAID Disaster Assistance Response Team (USAID/DART) raised the 
issue of coordination with the U.N. Office for the Coordination of 
Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).  The USAID/DART continues assessing 
affected areas, including through a recent assessment of Pariaman 
District which indicated significant albeit localized shelter 
damage.  The USAID/DART is also monitoring safety and security 
reports of incidents in affected areas.  End summary. 
 
--------------------- 
Earthquake Death Toll 
--------------------- 
 
¶2.  The reported number of people killed by the earthquake has 
increased as rescue and body recovery efforts continued.  Body 
recovery efforts have now ceased.  On October 15, a representative 
of the GoI National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) informed the 
USAID/DART that the final death toll from the September 30 
earthquake is 1,115 people. 
 
------------------------------------------ 
Visit of U.N. Emergency Relief Coordinator 
------------------------------------------ 
 
-- USAID/DART Raises Humanitarian Coordination Issues -- 
 
¶3.  From October 13 through 15, U.N. Under-Secretary-General for 
Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator John Holmes 
visited earthquake-affected areas of West Sumatra Province, where he 
spoke with affected villagers and met with non-governmental 
organization (NGO) representatives and cluster leads.  Holmes also 
held meetings with the international community, donors, and GoI 
officials in Padang and Jakarta. 
 
¶4.  The USAID/DART has observed strong coordination within the 
clusters and solid coordination among GoI officials but has not been 
aware of significant coordination between clusters and GoI 
officials.  Of particular importance is the engagement of the U.N. 
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) with the 
GoI BNPB to connect the GoI with members of the international 
humanitarian community.  At an October 15 meeting with donors, a 
USAID/DART representative requested that OCHA share its perspective 
on coordination between the humanitarian community and the GoI. 
Both Holmes and the Indonesian U.N. Resident Coordinator (RC) noted 
having observed good coordination between the GoI and the 
international humanitarian community, with GoI representation at 
most clusters.  The RC stated that local government engagement has 
been slow but that local government officials will likely be more 
proactive. 
 
¶5.  (Comment:  Despite the U.N.'s assurances, the USAID/DART remains 
concerned about the level of coordination between the humanitarian 
community and the GoI.  Following the meeting with Holmes, a 
representative of AusAID commented to the USAID/DART that AusAID had 
likewise observed a lack of strong coordination between the 
humanitarian community and GoI counterparts.  End comment.) 
 
-- OCHA Funding for Earthquake Response -- 
 
¶6.  In the October 15 meeting, Holmes stated that OCHA will 
contribute between $6 million and $7 million to the disaster 
response, through the U.N. Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF). 
CERF funding will help meet immediate humanitarian needs. 
 
--------------------- 
GoI "Emergency Phase" 
--------------------- 
 
JAKARTA 00001734  002 OF 003 
 
 
 
¶7.  Within the humanitarian community, the GoI's description of the 
"emergency phase" of the humanitarian response to the earthquake has 
generated some confusion.  On October 15, the USAID/DART met with 
the BNPB Deputy II for Emergency Management.  The BNPB official 
clarified that the GoI emergency phase is the time during which the 
following events occur:  1) first responders evacuate casualties, 2) 
organizations meet basic needs for disaster victims and displaced 
persons, and 3) organizations conduct immediate, temporary repair of 
vital infrastructure.  When the GoI declares the emergency phase 
over, all GoI personnel mobilized to respond to the disaster -- 
including police, members of the military, first responders, and 
others temporarily working in West Sumatra Province -- leave the 
disaster-affected areas, and the provincial government begins to 
manage the emergency response without additional GoI assistance. 
 
¶8.  After meeting with the BNPB deputy, the USAID/DART met with the 
recently-arrived OCHA coordinator in Padang.  The USAID/DART 
requested that this official clarify meaning and implications of the 
emergency phase to members of the humanitarian community in order to 
allay confusion and assure donors that international assistance 
continues to be necessary to augment the GoI's response to the 
earthquake. 
 
------------------------------- 
Assessment of Pariaman District 
------------------------------- 
 
¶9.  On October 13, the USAID/DART assessed conditions in Sungai 
Geringging and Sugai Limau sub-districts of Pariaman District. 
Roads were passable, although some roads had major cracks that 
penetrated through the sub-grade.  The USAID/DART observed vehicles 
belonging to international NGOs, as well as GoI response personnel 
in affected areas. 
 
-- Shelter -- 
 
¶10.  The USAID/DART observed significant albeit localized damaged to 
houses; some villages sustained significant damage, while houses in 
other villages remained relatively untouched, with no apparent 
reason for such differences.  The walls of most houses that were 
damaged had been constructed with river stones or bricks, without 
reinforcing elements and with thin load-bearing walls.  Affected 
populations were in the act Q6kQQ0=QQ&g materials -- 
especially wooden timbers and metal sheet roofing -- to the extent 
possible. 
 
-- Food Security -- 
 
¶11.  Villagers who spoke with the USAID/DART reported that few crops 
were lost but noted problems being able to harvest.  (Comment:  The 
USAID/DART tentatively attributes these problems to populations' 
current focus on securing emergency shelter and rebuilding permanent 
shelter.  End comment.)  The USAID/DART observed numerous staple 
foods and cash crops, including rice, cacao, coconut, and palm 
kernel, drying along the side of the road.  However, the team also 
recorded a 33 percent increase in the price of rice compared to 
prices prior to the earthquake in markets in two villages. 
 
-- Health and Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene -- 
 
¶12.  Villagers indicated to the USAID/DART that their health needs 
were met and that they had not experienced any problems obtaining 
water. 
 
------------------- 
Safety and Security 
------------------- 
 
¶13.  Since arriving in Padang, the USAID/DART has received reports 
of communities stopping vehicles carrying relief commodities and 
demanding that drivers give some of the cargo to the community 
before passing.  The villagers' motivations for making these demands 
 
JAKARTA 00001734  003 OF 003 
 
 
are unknown.  The USAID/DART safety and security officer received 
such reports during the week of October 4 to 11 but has not received 
similar reports in recent days.  The Indonesian national police were 
notified of these incidents.  The USAID/DART advised an affected NGO 
to develop stronger ties with the Padang police humanitarian 
liaisons.  The USAID/DART safety and security officer will continue 
to monitor developments. 
 
 
Osius#