Santo Domingo - Haiti Earthquake Sit Rep 5

UNCLAS SANTO DOMINGO 000092 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL AMGT ASEC EAID DR HA SUBJECT: Santo Domingo - Haiti Earthquake Sit Rep 5 REF: A) SDO 11; B) SDO 80; C) SDO 88; D) SDO 17 ¶1. (U) Embassy Santo Domingo Earthquake Sitrep 5, further to reftels: ¶2. (SBU) Embassy Santo Domingo is organizing a convoy that will travel to Embassy Port au Prince, Saturday 16 JAN. The convoy will include fuel, vehicles and drives, water and other supplies requested by Embassy Port au Prince. ¶3. (U) Further to telcons between President Fernandez and President Obama (on 14 JAN, reftel D) and Secretary Clinton (morning of 15 JAN),the office of the Presidency announced the creation of a telephone line and e-mail address with which people and institutions could channel assistance to Haiti via the special telephone number (809)-472-0909 x290, and the e-mail ayudahaiti@coe.gov.do , and called on those who wanted to assist to be in touch with the Center for Emergency Operations and the DR armed forces. ¶4. (U) Also, the GODR held, 15 JAN, an interagency coordination meeting, with the result that the GoDR will give a total of 231 million pesos (US $6.4 million) for various forms of Haiti humanitarian assistance - including approximately US $1.7 million via the Dominican Ministry of Public Health for vaccinations for travelers to and from Haiti, US $1.4 million in food aid, $1.5 million via the Dominican military. Finance Secretary Vincente Bengoa cited safety and health as the key problems in Haiti at the moment, and called on the "moral obligation of large countries" like the U.S. and France to assist. ¶5. (SBU) More evacuees arrived in Santo Domingo on 15 JAN. Three black-hawk helicopters carried a total of 37 Amcits from Haiti to San Isidro Military base during the day. Two people were reportedly injured, but were rushed to the hospital. Post was unable to verify if the injured were in fact Amcits. A C-130 also arrived carrying a group of 35 Amcits. Finally, a 757 chartered plane is reported to arrive to Las Americas later in the evening to take 58 Amcit missionaries back to the U.S. Embassy Santo Domingo to fill all available seats with other Amcits who are attempting to depart the DR. ¶6. Minimize considered. Lambert