On the Kawamata-Viehweg vanishing theorem for log del Pezzo surfaces in positive characteristic

We prove the Kawamata-Viehweg vanishing theorem for surfaces of del Pezzo type over perfect fields of positive characteristic p > 5. As a consequence, we show that klt threefold singularities over a perfect base field of characteristic p > 5 are rational. We show that these theorems are sharp by providing counterexamples in characteristic 5.