TFHA01: AUSTRALIA TO PROVIDE INITIAL $10 MILLION

UNCLAS CANBERRA 000037 SENSITIVE SIPDIS S/ES-O FOR HAITI TASK FORCE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID AEMR CASC PREL AS SUBJECT: TFHA01: AUSTRALIA TO PROVIDE INITIAL $10 MILLION FOR HAITI REF: SECSTATE 3350 ¶1. (SBU) Australia will provide an initial tranche of A$10 million to aid groups to assist victims of the January 12 earthquake in Haiti. Foreign Minister Smith gave a press conference on January 14 in which he said Australia will provide the money to the International Committee of the Red Cross, Australian NGOs, and UN agencies. Given the distance from Australia and the fact that GOA does not have a presence in Haiti, Australia is not considering offering rescue or recovery experts at this time. Smith said that Australia was coordinating with the UN Disaster and Assessment Coordination team and the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency on current needs. Additional assistance could be provided pending analysis of the extent of the damage and what needs Australia can best fill. ¶2. (SBU) The Haiti earthquake has generated extensive media coverage in Australia. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has convened an Inter-Departmental Emergency Task Force (IDETF) to coordinate Australian consular and response efforts. As of 1700 AEST on January 14, DFAT had confirmed the whereabouts of 20 Australian citizens in Haiti when the earthquake struck, with four more believed to have been in country but still unaccounted for. BLEICH