TFHA01: EMBASSY PORT AU PRINCE EARTHQUAKE SITREP as of 1600,

UNCLAS PORT AU PRINCE 000066 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: AEMR ASEC CASC KFLO MARR PREL PINR AMGT HA PGOV AID EAID SUBJECT: TFHA01: EMBASSY PORT AU PRINCE EARTHQUAKE SITREP as of 1600, Day 8 ¶1. (SBU) Summary: Despite hardships in devastated neighborhoods, residents appear to be calm and civil, though isolated reports of roving armed gangs continue. A survey of regional police stations shows that most are operational, though many are damaged. A survey of regional prisons reveals that most prisons were damaged and that a majority of the prisoners have escaped. The private sector, including the banking industry, is organizing and attempting to reinvigorate the economy. Some gas stations are open, but with long lines. Street vendors are becoming more visible and are now selling fresh fruits and vegetables. Most arterial streets are passable, though secondary streets remain blocked. Parliament is meeting at the Police Academy. In their first meeting, members of Parliament unanimously opposed the President's decision to form emergency commissions. The legal mandate of Parliament, and its effectiveness, remains in question. Twenty-four bodies have been recovered from the old Parliament building, 22 staff and two senators. POLOFF OBSERVATIONS ¶2. (SBU) Poloff visited severely damaged neighborhoods, accessible only on foot, where 90-100 percent of the homes were destroyed. Residents were residing in made-shift camps in available open areas, and they had not yet received any humanitarian supplies from relief organization. Nonetheless, the residents were civil, calm, polite, solemn and seemed to be well-organized while they were searching for belongings in the ruins of their homes. However, isolated reports continue of roving armed gangs engaged in looting and robbery. After dark, when the work ends, the sounds of groups chanting and singing religious songs continues until the early hours of the morning. The odor of rotting cadavers is now permeating the air all over the city. STATUS OF PNH COMMISSARIATS ¶3. (SBU) A NAS team reported on its survey of certain PNH police stations on January 17: ???? DCPJ buildings: Functional with damage. The Government is using this building as its primary meeting place. ???? Delmas 33: Collapsed and debris removed as of 17 January. No PNH was present. It is reported that a tent has been requested to reopen the commissariat. The small juvenile detention facility behind the commissariat appears intact, but should be surveyed by a technical evaluation team. ???? CIMO building: Damaged, but PNH is working out of that portion of the area that is secure ???? Cafeteria (downtown): Collapsed. PNH have been seen working traffic control in the area as well as working with search/rescue crews. Also, PNH vehicle 1-415 crushed in the debris nearby. ???? Vehicle Workshop: Not functional. ???? Circulation (traffic): Some damage but building is functional. PNH are working. ???? Delmas 3: No damage observed. PNH working. ???? Cite Soleil Main Commissariat: Damage to the rear wall (collapsed). Minor damage to the interior, but non-structural. PNH present and working. Out of all the commissariats visited, this commissariat had the most PNH present who were actively and effectively working and assisting citizens. Detainees were still in cells. The situation was calm and no incidents observed. Razor wire must be installed to secure the flank of the station. The Commander somehow managed to acquire a lite-all unit and fuel, giving excellent perimeter lighting to the commissariat and the citizens - many of whom are camped outside the station. ???? Cite Soleil Wharf: Minor damage (driveway and one column),but functional. Ready to be put in use. ???? IG Building (under construction): Damaged and will not be ready anytime soon. ???? Portal Leogane: No damage observed. PNH working. ???? Tabarre (BIM): Some structural damage. PNH working. PNH also were working at a park nearby where thousands of refugees have now gathered. PNH were actively working with the people. ???? Cazeau: No damage observed. PNH present and working. ???? Police Academy: Most buildings in good shape. The Haitian Parliament used the Academy for its session on January 18. ¶4. (SBU) The following is a recap of a Poloff survey of other commissariats on January 15: ???? Petionville: Operational with PNH present and working. Jail facilities intact. ???? Canape Vert: Damaged but operational. PNH present and working, but few in number. ???? Pacot: Damaged but operational. PNH present and working, but few in number. PRISON SITUATION ON January 15: ¶5. (SBU) Embassy NAS Director met GOH Director of Prisons on January 18. He acknowledged that most prisoners escaped when guards abandoned their posts. He also said that a formal request for USG assistance to the corrections sector will be forthcoming. ¶6. (SBU) Post has received the following survey of prisons in the region: ???? National Prison: Four inmates died within the prison and the rest escaped. We were not able to confirm this information as prison officials did not permit him to enter. ???? Carrefour: 150 inmates escaped from a population of ¶271. The 121 inmates who remain in the prison are without water or electricity. There is enough food for a few days. ???? Petionville: Although there were no escapes, the inmates destroyed their cells and are currently in the yard. They refuse to return to their cells and have been sleeping in the yard. ???? Arcahais: All 249 inmates escaped. ???? Delmas 33: 211 youths escaped while three decided to stay put. Eighty-one adult inmates in the new building built by MINUSTAH as a temporary measure to relieve the population pressures at the Gonaives Commissariat also escaped. These adults freed the youths at the time of the escape. The previously existing prison shows signs of cracking, but the new building appears to have maintained its structural integrity. ???? Jacmel: 80 inmates escaped. An assessment of the facility will be completed in the next few days. ???? St. Marc: None of the inmates escaped. An assessment of the facility will be completed in the next few days. PRIVATE SECTOR AIMS TO RESUME BUSINESS ¶7. (SBU) On January 17, members of Haiti's private sector began discussions on how to contribute to relief efforts, resume business operations and begin rebuilding the Haitian economy. Charles Castel, Governor of Haiti's Central Bank (BRH) told EmbOff on January 16 that priorities in addressing Haiti's current "broken economy" include ensuring the safety of the banking system and empowering small debtors "to get the people in all strata of society back on their feet." Georges Sassine, President of the Haitian Association of Industry (ADIH),said that SONAPI, one of Haiti's major national industrial parks, is largely intact. Garment factories aim to recommence apparel production on January 25 and export to the U.S. through the Dominican Republic. Business leaders will also be meeting with Ambassador Merten January 19. ¶8. (SBU) BRH and the Professional Association of Banks (APB) announced in a radio statement on January 16 that they were meeting and working for a gradual reopening of all banks in a professional manner and a secure environment. BRH opened for the morning of January 18, only for special operations, such as the purchase of fuel and pharmaceuticals. Most banks that are able to open plan to re-open on January 21. ¶9. (SBU) Some gas stations were dispensing gas, but the lines were long. ¶10. (SBU) Poloff observed that the number of roadside merchants is increasing, selling a variety of local fruits and vegetables along with the usual staples of pasta, rice and some bread. However, the number of vendors is about half the usual amount. The fruits were fresh and of excellent quality, indicating that the transport of such items into Port-au-Prince is working. Bottled water is also available for sale on the street. Vendors are hampered by the lack of fuel for transport vehicles and by streets that are still blocked by collapsed buildings and walls. While most of the arterial streets are passable (if only by one lane), most secondary streets remain blocked. GOVERNMENT DEVELOPMENTS ¶11. (SBU) A radio talk show host blasted President Pr????val on Signal FM on January 18 for hesitating to authorize the U.S. military to deploy. Citizens also complained about Pr????val ordering the police not to shoot the looters who are themselves shooting at police and are attacking stores, supermarkets and residents downtown and in the Port-au-Prince suburbs. Hundreds of calls from angry citizens poured into the studio of Radio Signal FM to denounce the government. ¶12. (SBU) According to USAID contractor David Payne: ???? Parliament requested security for the destroyed Parliament site to prevent the looting of safes and wallets (from deceased victims). ???? Parliament is preparing to use the Police Academy as a meeting site, which is suitable for immediate needs. Security at that location is excellent. Parliament requested a small space in the old U.S. Embassy for parliamentary leadership. ???? Twenty-four bodies have been recovered from the collapsed Parliament building, including 22 staff and two members of Parliament. Senator Michelet's body was remitted to his family. It is reported that Senator Wilbert also perished (unconfirmed). One survivor was extricated and sent to a field hospital. There were no known MPs in the building. ???? Speaker Kelly Bastien has been transported to Miami for medical treatment. According to public radio reports, Bastien was originally transferred to a hospital in Santiago, DR where he was successfully treated for a broken leg and a broken ankle, but then blood appeared in his urine. ???? Armed looters are loitering in the area of the Parliament building. While working in the vicinity, Payne was stopped in his vehicle at gunpoint and robbed on January 13. His vehicle was also damaged by the attackers. ¶13. (SBU) Parliament has been meeting at the Police Academy, including the morning of January 19. Payne reported that security at the Academy is excellent. Radio reports indicated that parliamentarians unanimously opposed the President's decision to form emergency commissions in their first meeting after the collapse of the legislative building. There has been a debate as to whether the current legal mandate for Parliament has expired. Despite an electoral law that allows parliamentarians to stay in function until May 2010, others point out that this violates the Haitian constitution. ¶14. (SBU) Comment: Following the earthquake, Parliament's relevance has been diminished significantly. Its relevance and credibility is being further undermined its by opposition to the formation of emergency commissions, which is viewed as a petty political maneuver and typical of parliamentary game playing. MINIMIZE CONSIDERED MERTEN