REQUEST FOR EMERGENCY HELICOPTER ASSISTANCE FOR

UNCLAS TEGUCIGALPA 002239

SIPDIS

STATE FOR PM, S/ES, AND WHA/CEN
STATE PASS AID FOR OFDA
SAN JOSE FOR OFDA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: MOPS EAID PREL HO
SUBJECT: REQUEST FOR EMERGENCY HELICOPTER ASSISTANCE FOR
HONDURAS AFTER HURRICANE BETA

REF: TEGUCIGALPA 02233


1. This is an action request. Please see para 5.


2. Based on the deteriorating conditions and lack of food in
Puerto Lempira in the remote Mosquitia region of Honduras due
to the effects of Hurricane Beta, Post requests immediate
emergency DoD assistence to airlift food, medicine, and
hygiene supplies for approximately 11,000 evacuees. The
Honduran FEMA equivalent, COPECO, reports 8,000 in shelters,
6,000 in heavily flooded Gracias a Dios Department. Puerto
Lempira has exhausted its food supply and more refugees are
arriving as rivers continue to swell and flooding continues.
Honduran relief plans will give them helicopter and maritime
distribution capability, but this will not be in place until
Saturday, November 5, 2005. Please note that no land routes
are available to deliver supplies and the landing strip is a
dirt runway.


3. On October 31, Honduran President Ricardo Maduro
officially requested U.S. helicopter support to transport
food, medicine, and supplies to the critically impacted
areas. The President told Charge on November 1 that the
situation in the Gracios a Dios Department is worse than he
had expected. Apparently, President Maduro has cancelled his
attendence at the Summit of the Americas in view of the state
of emergency.


4. OFDA had chartered a small aircraft to shuttle food to
the city of Lempira. However, the condition of the dirt
runway in Lempira makes an aircraft landing risky.
Additionally, the USAID arranged private charter aircraft was
unable to leave due to mechanical difficulties.


5. Action Request: U.S. military helicopter support
therefore is urgently needed and post requests immediate
action.


6. POC Charge d'Affaires Jim Williard can be reached after
hours on his cell phone at 011-504-990-1371 or at his
residence at 011-504-236-9320 ext 4747 or 011-504-232-3124.
Office telephone is 011-504-236-9210 or 011-504-236-9320, ext

4768. Please advise soonest.

Williard