Civil-Military Coordination

Mr Fredrik WallenbergUN OCHA / ESB / CMCSGeneva Switzerland

What Is UN-CMCoord?

“The essential dialogue and interaction

between civilian and military actors in

humanitarian emergencies

• Protect and promote humanitarian principles

• Avoid competition

• Minimize inconsistency

• When appropriate pursue common goals..”

Coordination is a shared responsibility, facilitated

by liaison and common training.

Need for Need for AssistanAssistan

cece

Local/National ResponseLocal/National Response

Military and Civil Defence AssetsMilitary and Civil Defence Assets

International Civilian ReliefInternational Civilian Relief

TimeTime

Civilian

Military

Domestic

Domestic

NationalCivil-MilitaryRelations

International

International

TraditionalFocus of Military CIMIC

- Development (DD&R)- HR/IHL (Training)

International Civil- Military Relations or “UN-CMCoord”

CMCoordFocus

Cooperation CoexistenceCompetitionConflict

Range of Possible Civil Military Relations

Mission

Military Missions and Political Conditions

Peace-time

Peace-keeping

PeaceEnforcement

Combat

Conditions

Stable

Unstable

FailedState

Overview of UN-CMCoord Guidelines

Peace-time

Peace-keeping

PeaceEnforcement

Combat

Conditions

Stable

Unstable

FailedState

PotentialNeed for Assistance Increases

Mission

Availability and Impartiality of Military Decrease

Oslo Guidelines

NaturalDisasters

• MCDA Guidelines • Escorts for Humanitarian Convoys• IASC Reference Paper•Country Specific Guidelines

ComplexEmergencies

Civil-Military Coordination in Cyclone Nargis response operationMr Fredrik WallenbergUN OCHA / ESB / CMCSGeneva Switzerland

SituationCyclone Nargis 2-3 May.Wind speed up to 70 m/s followed by a 3.5 meter tide wave.Worst natural disaster to strike one single country in 25 (?) years.Worst cyclone since 1970 Bhola in East Pakistan (Bangladesh).

Death toll: 77,738 persons (official estimate, source: state TV, date: 16 May)·    Persons missing: 55,917 persons (official estimate, source: state TV, date: 16 May) ·    Persons affected: 2,400,000 (UN estimate, includes those severely affected)

Initial challenges:

Concerns on scope of disaster.

Military Junta suspicious against the western world, main driving force: to remain in power?

In-kind donations of relief goods to government welcome, but not humanitarian workers.

Access: Few visas to Yangon for short term. No access to delta region.

Tap on - tap off

No assessment of needs.Conflicting figures.

Initial “blind” assessment: Lack of everything.

Why UN-CMCoord in the operation?

- Military units involved in early bilateral response

- Scale of disaster creating potential need for military assets

- Experience from Tsunami operation

- Cobra Gold exercise in Thailand

Arrival (10th - 28th May)

Establish contact with humanitarian organisations

- IASC Head of Cluster meeting

- Log Cluster / WFP

Inventory of main military actors

- US Transport airplanes.

- French, US and UK navy vessels outside Irrawaddy delta

- India and Thailand on bilateral basis.

- Thailand, Australia, India and Singapore and Malaysia.

Available military resources- Air transport from Log Base in Thailand to Yangon- Water purification (Mistral: 100 M3 / 24 hrs)- Handling of cargo at Yangon airport- Landing crafts in delta region. - Medical teams- Food, NFI, shelter.- Helicopters

U-TapaoUS C-130 Flights

Don MuangWFP Log Base

Mae SotUS Helicopter flightsNo permission

Transport to affected areas

O

O

O

LogisticsUnclear situation with no waiver for customs clearance.

Consignees a problem. Cargo confiscated by Myanmar authorities?

Access to delta region by national staff only.

When will we get access? After referendum? All messages interpreted.

From Yangon – to Irrawaddy delta:Fuel and bridges are a problem – mainly shipping by barges and boats.Port in Yangon damaged.

AirliftNo high loader at Yangon, but personnel available. Accountability?Don Muang Airport or U-TapaoUN Mi-8 Helicopters, now in mission. No military helicopters allowed into Myanmar airspace.

US• Participated in multinational civil-military exercise in Thailand.Participated in multinational civil-military exercise in Thailand.• Helicopter flights planned from Mae Sot into Myanmar and later from USS EssexHelicopter flights planned from Mae Sot into Myanmar and later from USS Essex• In contact with Myanmar military officers. In contact with Myanmar military officers. • Initial plan to airdrop from C-130 in Irrawaddy delta.Initial plan to airdrop from C-130 in Irrawaddy delta.• Bilateral agreement with Myanmar covered only shipment of goods to Yangon. Bilateral agreement with Myanmar covered only shipment of goods to Yangon.

• Up to 9-12 sorties daily with C-130 from U-tapao.Up to 9-12 sorties daily with C-130 from U-tapao.

• As of As of 02 June: 100 flights w/total weight: 897 Metric Tonnes02 June: 100 flights w/total weight: 897 Metric Tonnes

- Offered to deliver cargo to implementing partners on ground. Origin of aid?Offered to deliver cargo to implementing partners on ground. Origin of aid?

Vehicle / Cargo Sorties/Capacity per Day

C-130 5-12 per dayCapacity=25000 lbs per 125,000-300,000 lbs(11 MT) (56.7-136MT)

22 Heavy Lift Helicopters6 CH-53 Helicopter 9 per dayCapacity=15000 lbs 135,000 lbs(6.8 MT) (61.2 MT)

16 CH-46 Helicopters 26 per dayCapacity=3000 lbs 78,000 lbs(1.4 MT) (35.4 MT)

4 Heavy Lift Landing Craft2 Landing Craft Units 2 per dayCapacity=180 tons 360 tons(163 MT) (326.6 MT)

2 Landing Craft 4 per dayAir CushionedCapacity=60 tons 240 tons(54.4 MT) (210 MT)

United States Cargo Delivery Capacity

Total Daily Lift Capacity

690-769.2 MT

1

400 tonnes of rice10,000 cans of water40,000 water purification tables20,000 tarpaulins10,000 mosquito nets10,000 sets of cooking utensilsMedical teamsLanding CraftsEngineers

• Granted access – later denied.

• Off-loaded in Phuket and goods transported by commercial means to Yangon.

Le Mistral,French helicopter carrier

- Use of UN helicopters from Le Mistral?Use of UN helicopters from Le Mistral?

Conclusions

Natural disaster but very politicized context.

Main challenge was consequences of perceived affiliation.

Constantly changing situation and no assessment of needs, nothing could be ruled out.

International military only involved in logistic / indirect assistance (appropriate)

Humanitarian organizations bilaterally in contact with US and Thai military.

Military bilateral support to Myanmar from Thailand, India and Singapore.