INDEPENDENT NEWS

Cablegate: Tfha01: Haiti Earthquake Task Force Situation Report

Published: Sat 20 Feb 2010 07:02 AM
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DE RUEHC #5607/01 0510705
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O 200702Z FEB 10
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TO ALL DIPLOMATIC AND CONSULAR POSTS COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
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RUEHPU/AMEMBASSY PORT AU PRINCE IMMEDIATE 0891
RUEHRY/AMEMBASSY CONAKRY IMMEDIATE 3599
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 STATE 015607
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. 72
STATE 00015607 001.2 OF 003
VIP TRAVEL
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1. (U) At a news conference with President Preval in Port-au-
Prince, French President Sarkozy said France has decided to
forgive Haiti's debt of 56 million euros. France will provide
270 million euros over two years to support Haiti'seconomy.
(Reuters)
EVACUATIONS/AMERICAN CITIZEN ISSUES
-----------------------------------
2. (U) 16,654 American citizens have been evacuated as of 0800
EST. (TF1/Consular Affairs telcon)
3. (SBU) One flight departed Port-au-Prince for Miami the
evening of February 16 with 52 American citizens, including 21
adoptees and five escorts. 35 potential passengers could not be
accommodated on the flight. Only one flight is scheduled for
February 17. (TF1/Embassy Port-au-Prince e-mail and SitRep,
Consular Task Force Conference Call)
4. (SBU) As of 0900 EST there are 103 reported American citizen
fatalities. (TF1/Consular Affairs e-mail)
5. (SBU) Twenty-three sets of remains have been repatriated to
date. Two sets of remains from hasty burials were recovered and
are at the Embassy morgue, as well as three sets recovered from
the Free Methodist mission. Two sets of remains from the Hotel
Montana have not yet been recovered. (Consular Task Force
Conference Call)
HUMANITARIAN UPDATE
-------------------
6. (SBU) On February 16, relief agencies distributed emergency
food assistance benefiting approximately 116,400 people in
metropolitan Port-au-Prince. (USAID SitRep #59)
7. (U) According to the UN Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the international community has
committed more than $619 million to the UN Flash Appeal for
Haiti, representing approximately 107 percent of the total
funding requested through the appeal. (USAID Fact Sheet #35)
8. (U) Over 66,000 people have been employed under the UN's
cash-for-work program, mainly in support of drain clearing and
debris removal. (OCHA SitRep 21)
9. (SBU) On February 16, USAID/OFDA provided the International
Medical Corps with more than $2.5 million for emergency health
and nutrition programs. (USAID Fact Sheet #35)
10. (SBU) The first food distribution at the new Kenscoff site
was postponed due to a request by local authorities to only
conduct distributions from Thursday through Saturday. (USAID
SitRep #59)
MEDICAL RESPONSE
----------------
11. (U) The Ministry of Public Health and Population has
confirmed that medicines and medicinal products will be provided
free of charge to all public health facilities nationwide until
April 12. (OCHA SitRep 21)
SECURITY/INFRASTRUCTURE
-----------------------
12. (SBU) American Airlines is still on track to begin service
on February 19. AA will sign an agreement recognizing that the
U.S. Air Force and the Transportation Security Administration
are not liable for the airport's lack of explosive ordnance
disposal capacity. This issue predates the earthquake.
(SOUTHCOM/USAF/TF1 e-mail)
13. (SBU) Following the resumption of commercial flights, U.S.
citizens will be instructed to evacuate the country by
commercial means. At that time, Embassy Port-au-Prince will
eliminate their airport consular support center. The Department
of Defense will revert to normal passenger policies and
procedures. (Consular Task Force Conference Call; SOUTHCOM e-
mail)
14. (SBU) Embassy Port-au-Prince expects to have 10-12 new
homes leased by week's end and ready for assignment. (WHA-
EX/Embassy Port-au-Prince Conference Call)
15. (SBU) About 100 U.S. military personnel are sleeping in
their own tents on the Embassy compound with access to Embassy
food and washer/dryers. (WHA-EX/Embassy Port-au-Prince
Conference Call)
POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS
----------------------
16. (SBU) The European Commission will make 100 million euros
available for non-humanitarian assistance, notably to restore
the government's capacity to operate effectively. (Factsheet
Haiti Earthquake - EU Response, February 15)
OTHER MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS
------------------------
17. (SBU) The investigating judge on the ten Americans' case
intends to broaden his inquiry to determine any previous
connection with their advisor Jorge Puello, now reportedly
sought for trafficking-in-persons. Embassy Port-au-Prince plans
to visit the ten Americans later today. There is no change in
their legal status. According to press reports, one of the
Americans, a diabetic, has been hospitalized. (Reuters and AP;
Consular Task Force Conference Call)
18. (SBU) The U.S. Coast Guard has repatriated to Cape Haitian
without incident 88 Haitian migrants who had been intercepted
February 13. (Coast Guard/PRM e-mail)
19. (U) No updates at this time.
20. Additional updates are available through our classified
Intellipedia portal at
http://www.intelink.gov/wiki/Portal:Crisis_HA ITI_Earthquake.
21. (U) Minimize considered.
CLINTON
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