Cablegate: Declaration of Disaster: Assistance for Mount Mayon

O 290910Z DEC 09
FM AMEMBASSY MANILA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6137
AMEMBASSY BANGKOK IMMEDIATE
AMEMBASSY JAKARTA PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY KUALA LUMPUR PRIORITY
INFO AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU
USMISSION GENEVA
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
USEU BRUSSELS
USMISSION UN ROME
SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC
CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI
NSC WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS MANILA 002638

AIDAC
BANGKOK FOR USAID/OFDA REGIONAL ADVISOR A. DWYER
USAID/W FOR DCHA/OFDA R. THAYER
KATHMANDU FOR W. BERGER AND S. MCINTYRE, USAID/W FOR ANE/AA AND
DCHA/FFP, STATE FOR EAP, GENEVA FOR N. KYLOH, USUN FOR OFDA
REPRESENTATIVE, BRUSSELS FOR P. BROWN, ROME FOR USAID/OHA H. SPANOS,
SECDEF FOR SOLIC, JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC FOR J3/J4/J5, PACOM FOR
J3/J4/J5, NSC FOR P. MARCHAM

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID SOCI PREL KPAO SENV EAGR RP
SUBJECT: DECLARATION OF DISASTER: ASSISTANCE FOR MOUNT MAYON
EVACUATION

REFTELS: A) Manila 2597 B) Manila 2583 C) Manila 2610 D) Manila
02636

1. THIS IS AN ACTION REQUEST. PLEASE SEE PARA 4.

2. AS A RESULT OF THE DISPLACEMENT OF RESIDENTS AROUND MOUNT MAYON
VOLCANO IN ALBAY, PHILIPPINES FROM NEARLY 4,000 INDIVIDUALS ON
NOVEMBER 11 TO 47,000 INDIVIDUALS TODAY, THE CHIEF OF MISSION HAS
DETERMINED THAT THE DISASTER IS BEYOND THE CAPABILITY OF THE HOST
GOVERNMENT TO RESPOND, IS OF SUFFICIENT MAGNITUDE TO WARRANT U.S.
GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE, AND IS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE U.S.
GOVERNMENT TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE. POST'S MISSION DISASTER RELIEF
OFFICER AND USAID'S OFFICE OF U.S. FOREIGN DISASTER ASSISTANCE
(OFDA) REGIONAL ADVISOR SPOKE WITH THE ALBAY GOVERNOR JOSE SARTE
'JOEY' SALCEDA, WHO CONFIRMED THE NEED FOR ASSISTANCE. THE CHIEF OF
MISSION IS THEREFORE EXERCISING THE AMBASSADOR'S DISASTER ASSISTANCE
AUTHORITY. POST THEREFORE REQUESTS A FUND CITE OF USD 100,000 TO
PROVIDE DISASTER RELIEF VIA THE PHILIPPINE NATIONAL RED CROSS AND
OTHER HUMANITARIAN ORGANIZATIONS FOR ASSISTANCE TO FAMILIES AFFECTED
BY THE PROLONGED DISPLACEMENT CAUSED BY MOUNT MAYON VOLCANO.

3. GOVERNOR SALCEDA WELCOMED U.S. ASSISTANCE TO FILL AN ANTICIPATED
MONTH AND A HALF TO THREE MONTH PROTRACTED STAY IN EVACUATION
CENTERS WITH THE CURRENT STATUS OF THE VOLCANO. THE PROVINCE'S
CALAMITY FUND IS NEARLY DEPLETED AND THESE RESOURCES WILL ASSIST IN
FILLING THIS CRITICAL GAP IN PROVIDING EVACUEES WITH BASIC
HUMANITARIAN SERVICES.

4. POST REQUESTS THAT USAID/OFDA RELEASE USD 100,000 FOR IMMEDIATE
RELIEF EFFORTS. THESE FUNDS WILL BE USED FOR ASSISTANCE TO THOSE
AFFECTED BY THE ONGOING SEISMIC AND GAS ACTIVITY OF MOUNT MAYON. IN
COORDINATION WITH THE PHILIPPINE NATIONAL RED CROSS AND OTHER
HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE ORGANIZATIONS, THE FUNDS WILL SUPPORT THE
PURCHASE AND DISTRIBUTION OF FOOD, NON-FOOD ITEMS, SHELTER, WATER
AND SANITATION ASSISTANCE FOR UP TO 47,000 BENEFICIARIES AFFECTED IN
ALBAY PROVINCE.

5. WE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE SITUATION, COORDINATE CLOSELY
WITH OFDA'S REGIONAL OFFICE IN BANGKOK AND PROVIDE UPDATES AS THE
IMPACT OF THE ONGOING SEISMIC AND GAS ACTIVITY OF MOUNT MAYON
BECOMES CLEARER.

KENNEY

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