Cablegate: Tfha01: Haiti Earthquake Task Force Situation

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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 STATE 009198

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: AEMR ASEC CASC KFLO MARR PREL PINR AMGT HA
SUBJECT: TFHA01: HAITI EARTHQUAKE TASK FORCE SITUATION
REPORT NO. 46

STATE 00009198 001.2 OF 003

VIP TRAVEL
::::::::::

1. (SBU) ECUADORIAN PRESIDENT RAFAEL CORREA IS SCHEDULED
TO VISIT JANUARY 29. (SOUTHCOM SITREP)

SEARCH AND RESCUE (SAR)

2. No updates at this time.

COMMODITY FLOW

3. No updates at this time.

AMERICAN CITIZEN WELFARE/WHEREABOUTS/EVACUATIONS

4. (SBU) As of 0500 EST, 31 American evacuees and family
members departed Port-au-Prince January 29; a total of
13,428 have been evacuated to date. There are 30
Americans and family members inside the Embassy and 500
individuals, mostly local nationals, outside the Embassy.

A cotal of 21,200 potential evacuees have been accounted
for. One American was at the airport alternate landing
zone, and a total of 31 evacuation flights departed since
2000 EST January 28. There are 76 confirmed American
fatalities (including four official Americans) and another
20 reported. (TFl/Embassy Port-au-Prince e-mail, State
Department Daily Press Briefing)

MEDICAL RESPONSE

5. (SBU) As of close of business January 28, USNS
Comfort has seen 19,000 patients, admitted 605, and
performed 217 surgeries. (DOD/DCO Conference Call,
SOUTHCOM SitRep)

INTERNATIONAL COORDINATION/REQUESTS

6. (U) France has offered to rebuild Haiti's historic
national palace. (Radio Metropole)

DEPLOYMENT OF U.S. GOVERNMENT ASSETS

7. No updates at this time.

HUMANITARIAN/SECURITY/INFRASTRUCTURE

8. (SBU) IFRC assesses the city of Logane is "leveled"
with up to 10,000 people camped in a soccer stadium. The
camp has received no assistance from any group to date.
Doctors Without Borders noted increasing reports of
diarrhea in the last week, and about half of the people
receiving treatment were suffering from mental trauma.
Six NGOs have committed to overseeing distribution of food
at eleven of the fifteen planned WFP food distribution
sites planned for Port-au-Prince and its suburbs. The
Emergency Shelter and Non-Food Item Cluster is
recommending smaller settlements (10,000 per camp) rather
than larger settlements the GOH is proposing (100,000 per
camp). The recommendation for smaller camps is based in
part on difficulty in finding enough space to accommodate
the larger camps. Angry crowds mobbed three food
distribution sites in Port-au-Prince January 28 and
MINUSTAH peacekeepers in Cite Soleil fired warning shots
when a crowd turned unruly. UN called the performance of
the Haitian National Police "outstanding," noting that
nearly three-quarters of the 14,000 man force is back on
the street. SOUTHCOM assess the police presence in Port-
au-Prince as "marginal." SIRIUS/XM is working with USAID
on a plan to deliver radios to media outlets in order to
disseminate Voice of America (VOA) programming.
USAID has established an orphans and vulnerable children
working group that will work with the GOH and private aid
groups to address concerns about child kidnapping and
smuggling. The main port in Port-au-Prince sustained more
damage than originally thought and operations on the pier
were suspended January 28. Repair supplies are being
loaded at Jacksonville. In the interim, the GOH has
suggested that some traffic can be transferred to the port
at Lafiteau, ten miles north of Port-au-Prince.
(TFl/Interagency Conference Call, DHS-NOC Report, SOUTHCOM
SitRep, USAID SitRep 31, UN News Service, SOUTHCOM SitRep,
NCC Sitrep, Orphans and Vulnerable Children Update,
Reuters)

POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS
------------------------------------

9. (U) Senators Dodd (D-CT) and Lugar (R-IN) introduced
legislation on January 28 that would instruct Treasury to
work with other nations to forgive Haiti's international
debt, increase trade, and create an infrastructure fund.
(Reuters)
CLINTON

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