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