TFHA01: HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE FOR HAITI: SWISS

UNCLAS BERN 000025 E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: UN PREF EAID PHUM SUBJECT: TFHA01: HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE FOR HAITI: SWISS ACTIONS REF: A. A. STATE 4909 ¶B. B. STATE 4854 ¶C. C. STATE 4807 ¶1. Pol-Econ couns. delivered points (reftels A,B,and C) to Swiss Foreign Ministry Americas' Office Deputy Director Daniel Hunn on January 19. Hunn thanked the US for the information and said that Switzerland is grateful that the United States is leading the assistance effort, since it has many capabilities that the UN does not, such as the ability to run airports. Hunn said that Switzerland is also involved in the assistance effort and plans to stay engaged for a relatively long timeframe Hunn said that Switzerland now has 54 experts in Haiti engaged in the relief/assistance effort. All 300 Swiss citizens in Haiti have been accounted for and 17 persons have been evacuated, including eight injured. No fatalities have been reported. The remaining Swiss citizens have decided to remain in Haiti for the present. ¶2. Hunn provided the following overview of the main Swiss assistance effort to date: -- provision of a medical team which is operating at the Hopital Universitaire de l'Etat Haitien; -- provision of a second medical team to Petit Goave is underway; -- assistance by Swiss water engineers to the largest potable water company in Port Au Prince to help it restore its drinking water distribution system; -- a 35-ton planeload of medical supplies, generators, mosquito nets, and material to set up emergency shelters is in Santo Domingo; -- a second planeload with 35 tons of supplies will arrive in Santo Domingo on January 20; -- a third flight is in preparation; ¶3. The Swiss Government estimates that it has so far committed 7.5 million Swiss Francs ($7.5 million) in material or financial assistance to relief agencies or aid organizations involved in the effort. This includes: supplies and transport costs: 3,500,000 CHF; local supply procurement: 200,000 CHF; temporary shelters: 500,000 CHF; logistic services: 250,000 CHF; Swiss Red Cross Haiti Effort: 500,000 CHF; International Committee of the Red Cross: 1,000,000 CHF; World Food Program: 1,000,000 CHF; UNICEF: 500,000 CHF. CARTER