HAITI EARTHQUAKE SITREP 2 as of 1900

UNCLAS PORT AU PRINCE 000044 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: AEMR ASEC CASC KFLO MARR PREL PINR AMGT HA AID EAID PGOV SUBJECT: HAITI EARTHQUAKE SITREP 2 as of 1900 REF: STATE 1321; PORT AU PRINCE 40 ¶1. (SBU) As of the drafting of this sitrep, we continue to experience severe aftershocks. An initial housing update survey conducted by the Management section indicates that most Embassy residences do not have running water or electricity. The status of one-fourth of the Embassy housing pool is unknown, and it is estimated that half of Embassy residences are structurally unsound and uninhabitable. More than a dozen AmCits, including several TDYers, made their way on foot to the Embassy compound with minor injuries. Shortly after 17:00 EST, 140 AmCits, including all non-essential Embassy personnel, were being processed for Directed Departure to Santo Domingo. Five more AmCits were evacuated on a second Coast Guard rotary aircraft to Guantanamo with serious injuries before 14:00. ¶2. (SBU) All 56 American UNPOL officers are accounted for and conducting assessments throughout Port-au-Prince. MINUSTAH forces - both military and UNPOL units - are deployed and visible around the city. There has been no such response by the Haitian National Police (HNP),even this afternoon. The few HNP that are on the streets are in vehicles transporting passengers or possibly prisoners. According to local press, the National Penitentiary collapsed. Prisoners are reportedly on the loose. No foot patrols, check points, nor traffic police have been observed as of the drafting of this sitrep. Post continues attempting to contact the Government of Haiti (GoH) Ministers, several of whom are reported injured by the Haitian press. Ambassador has been unable to reach any GoH officials by phone. Local press reports indicate that the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Justice, the Agriculture, Interior, Health, Finance, and Women's Issues, in addition to the National Customs and Tax Authority have either collapsed or been seriously damaged. ¶3. (SBU) MINUSTAH's response has been admittedly been hampered by the fact that of the estimated 400 UN staff in the Hotel Christophe, approximately only 50 made it out, leaving very few senior members, according to MINUSTAH staff member. UN Special Representative to the Secretary General Hedi Annabi and Principal Deputy Luis Carlos Acosta are among those unaccounted for. Kim Bolduc, Country Director for UNDP is acting as the SRSG until the predicted arrival of Edmond Mulet, former UN Special Representative in Haiti. MINUSTAH force Commander Floriano Peixoto Vieira Neto returned on a SOUTHCOM flight and held his first meeting at 4:00pm, with PolCouns attending. (Note: He expressed great appreciation for the effort to put him on the SOUTHCOM flight that allowed him to return directly to Haiti from Miami. End Note.) MINUSTAH indicated that they have had very little contact with GoH. Preval stopped by very briefly in the morning to visit injured Haitian citizens in the MINUSTAH hospital on the grounds, and has made no contact with them since. No other contact has been made with other GoH officials. MINUSTAH force commander has requested medical personnel and engineering support from SOUTHCOM to lift rubble with heavy equipment in search of survivors. The Dominican Republic has sent 200 military, 8 large tents, and reportedly has the capability to serve a large number of hot meals a day. ¶4. (SBU) According to Gregory Mevs, the owner of Terminal Varreaux (TEVASA),Haiti's largest private Haitian port, that both of his piers are damaged and unusable. He also reported that the public port authority for piers accepting international containers were also equally damaged, and they may only have one berth operating. ¶5. (SBU) PolCouns met with a Dr. Enrique Ginsberg, representative of the International Medical Surgical Rescue Team based in Florida, who was at the makeshift staging area at MINUSTAH's airport logistics base. He was explaining to AmCits and others that they would be evacuating some people (including AmCits) to Miami or Jacksonville for medical care. He stated to PolCouns that this activity has already been coordinated with Washington DC (NFI). He said that more equipment and the equivalent of a full field hospital would be arriving tomorrow, January 14. ¶4. (SBU) USAID/OFDA's Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) stopped in Santo Domingo to refuel at 15:30 and was prepared to take off, but was denied clearance after being informed that Toussaint L'Ouverture Airport would no longer accept incoming flights to Port-au-Prince for the rest of the day. At 16:00 it was announced on Haitian radio that "the airport was closed to all but urgent" flights. MERTEN