TFHA01: DEMARCHE DELIVERED IN TRINIDAD ON HAITI AID

UNCLAS PORT OF SPAIN 000042

SIPDIS
STATE FOR TFA01 MROSSER, SWILLIAMS
USAID FOR FOR MONEILL

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID ECON PGOV PREL PREF HA TD
SUBJECT: TFHA01: DEMARCHE DELIVERED IN TRINIDAD ON HAITI AID

REF: SECSTATE 04854; PORT OF SPAIN 30


1. (SBU) SUMMARY. Per reftel, Charge met several MFA directors and
staff to thank the GOTT for its pledge of financial assistance to
Haiti (ref B) and to discuss various aspects of disaster relief
efforts. We were informed that the GOTT has no unanswered offers
of assistance pending with the USG, but remains concerned about an
aviation official presumed missing in the Hotel Montana rubble.
The MFA CARICOM Director reiterated that GOTT relief efforts are
being coordinated through CARICOM. We also shared that two of our
locally engaged staff (LES) who volunteered to help with the Haiti
relief effort have been dispatched to the theater, and we were told
the GOTT would like to coordinate with the USG on mid to long-range
rebuilding priorities. END SUMMARY.



CARICOM COORDINATION

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2. (SBU) Charge and Poloff met January 20 with GOTT MFA Director of
Multilateral Affairs Margaret King-Rousseau and Director of CARICOM
Affairs Susan Gordon, as well as Haiti Desk Officer Theresa
Noel-Belasco and several others in the Multilateral Affairs
Division. Gordon reiterated that the GOTT disaster response for
Haiti is being coordinated through CARICOM (ref B). She told us
that CARICOM divides lead responsibility for disaster relief and
emergency response between Jamaica and Trinidad, according to
whether incidents occur in the north or south Caribbean,
respectively. Gordon said CARICOM member contributions of goods
should be forwarded to Jamaica for onward, consolidated delivery to
Haiti, and that financial support would be routed through Barbados.
Gordon also stated that GOTT's Office of Disaster Preparedness and
Management (ODPM) is coordinating NGO assistance to Haiti from
across Trinidad and Tobago.




3. (SBU) Gordon told us that the GOTT has not yet received an
assessment from the Regional Security System (RSS) team who
departed for Haiti Jan 14 and offered no indication of whether GOTT
troops would yet be offered for deployment to Haiti (ref B). She
stressed that the Jamaican Defense Force (JDF) remained best-suited
in the region to respond.



MISSING PERSON

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4. (SBU) Gordon and King-Rousseau inquired about an official with
the GOTT Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) who has been missing since
the earthquake. Gregory McAlpin was in Port au Prince for a
meeting of the Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority (ECCAA)
and was staying at the Hotel Montana on January 12. The Foreign
Minister had previously notified the Charge of McAlpin, and the
Charge forwarded that information to the Haiti Task Force on
January 16.



COORDINATING REBUILDING PRIORITIES

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5. (SBU) We shared with our MFA counterparts that two Locally
Engaged Staff (LES) volunteers from our Embassy were dispatched to
Haiti and Santo Domingo to assist with relief efforts. The MFA
directors made note and also expressed their appreciation for our
effort to keep them informed. Multilateral Affairs Director
King-Rousseau noted that the GOTT, vice CARICOM, would like to
coordinate with the USG regarding mid and long-term rebuilding
priorities discussed by the Friends group in Santo Domingo earlier
in the week.
Mazer