Cablegate: Tfxo01: December 30 Update From Ottawa

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

301913Z Dec 04

UNCLAS OTTAWA 003483

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

STATE FOR TSUNAMI TASKFORCE 1, EAP AND WHA/CAN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/30/2005
TAGS: EAID AEMR CASC CA
SUBJECT: TFXO01: DECEMBER 30 UPDATE FROM OTTAWA

REF: OTTAWA 03474

Death toll likely to rise steeply
--------------------------------
1. (SBU) The FAC emergency task force manager confirms that
the number of Canadian deaths has risen to four. The task
force has opened welfare and whereabouts files on 2,500-3000
cases, half of which remain unresolved. They are beginning
the process of calling back to see if some of the missing
people have since been in touch. Although they could not
provide a range of likely total missing, noting that many of
the W&W cases involve more than one person and that the
volume of calls remains high, hundreds of Canadians who were
known to be in the affected region are still unaccounted for
and FAC expects many if not most of the missing to become
deaths.

Facilitated immigration
-----------------------

2. (U) Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) has
announced that after assisting FAC in providing emergency
assistance, visa offices in Colombo, Bangkok, New Delhi and
Jakarta will give priority consideration to immigration
applications from those directly and significantly affected
by the disaster and who have immediate family members in
Canada. For immigrant applications, applicants must contact
CIC in writing and explain their circumstances. Case-by-case
consideration will be given to visitors, students and workers
seeking to extend status in Canada if they are from the
disaster area.

And more money
--------------

3. (SBU) As has been conveyed by the Canadian Embassy to
WHA/CAN, on December 30, GOC increased its pledged support
for humanitarian aid after the earthquake and tsunamis to
C$40 million (approximately US$32 million) and plans to send
another planeload of emergency supplies to Indonesia, similar
to the plane that left yesterday for Sri Lanka (reftel), and
is expressing strong interest in being part of the Core
Group.

Visit Canada's Classified Web Site at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/ottawa

POWELL

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