TFHA01: ABIDJAN RESPONSE - DEMARCHE TO HOST GOVERNMENTS IN

UNCLAS ABIDJAN 000023 E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID ECON PGOV PREL PREF HA SUBJECT: TFHA01: ABIDJAN RESPONSE - DEMARCHE TO HOST GOVERNMENTS IN RESPONSE TO HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE OFFERS FOR HAITI REF: 10 STATE 4854; STATE 4208 ¶1. The government of Cote d'Ivoire is encouraging its citizens to donate money to the people of Haiti through the Red Cross. Although a contact at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted that final plans are not in place for government-to-government assistance, newspaper reports on January 20, 2010 indicated that President Laurent Gbagbo has decided to provide US$ 1 million to the government of Haiti in the aftermath of the earthquake. Minister of Finance Charles Diby confirmed the donation to Ambassador and said the funds had been wired to the Ivorian Embassy in Washington with instructions that delivery was to be coordinated through the UN. ¶2. According to the Foreign Ministry 65 police and gendarmes from the Cote d'Ivoire are posted to Haiti with the UN. One was slightly injured during the earthquake but all 65 remain on duty in Haiti. NESBITT