TFHA01: HAITI EARTHQUAKE TASK FORCE SITUATION REPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 STATE 011184 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: AEMR ASEC CASC KFLO MARR PREL PINR AMGT HA SUBJECT: TFHA01: HAITI EARTHQUAKE TASK FORCE SITUATION REPORT NO. 57 STATE 00011184 001.2 OF 002 VIP TRAVEL: CODEL UNDER CONSIDERATION -------------- ¶1. (SBU) A CODEL to Haiti is under consideration for February 5; congressional leadership is still determining the composition. (TF1/H e-mail) EVACUATIONS/AMERICAN CITIZEN/ LE STAFF ISSUES -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Prime Minister Bellerive approved 63 children in the adoption process for departure. The children will fly to Miami tonight, and the Bureau of Consular Affairs is contacting families to greet them upon arrival. (TF1/CA e- mail, TF1/NORTHCOM telcon) ¶3. (SBU) HHS will begin operations at Charleston International Airport at 0800 February 4 to support the evacuation of U.S. citizens from Haiti. (TF1/HHS e-mail) ¶4. (SBU) As of 1200 EST, 107 American citizens were at Port- au-Prince airport awaiting departure. Remaining February 3 flights have space for 300 passengers. (TF1/NORTHCOM telcon) ¶5. (SBU) As of 1200 EST, 119 American evacuees and family members departed Port-au-Prince since February 2 at 1200 EST; a total of 14,784 have been evacuated to date. A total of 22,500 potential evacuees have been accounted for. There are 250 Americans and family members inside the Embassy and 80 outside. (TF1/Embassy Port-au-Prince e-mail) ¶6. (SBU) As of 1200 EST, there are 78 confirmed American citizen fatalities, with another 20 American citizen deaths reported. (TF1/Embassy Port-au-Prince e-mail) ¶7. (SBU) Embassy Port-au-Prince reports seven LES were injured during the earthquake, three seriously. (TF1/WHA e-mail) MEDICAL RESPONSE: DOD BUILDING AFTERCARE FACILITY -------------- -------------- ¶8. (SBU) USNS Comfort is currently operating at maximum capacity. To increase the flow of patients discharged from the Comfort, military personnel are erecting a 250-bed interim aftercare facility in Port-au-Prince. The facility will allow more Haitian patients to receive post-operative medical care. (TF1/HHS e-mail) INFRASTRUCTURE: PLANS TO RESUME COMMERCIAL FLIGHTS -------------- -------------- ¶9. (SBU) Ambassador Merten will meet with President Preval to designate a point of contact to coordinate with airlines for reopening Port-au-Prince airport to commercial flights after STATE 00011184 002.2 OF 002 February 14. (TF1/DHS e-mail) ¶10. (SBU) Delta Airlines is prepared to resume its JFK/Port- au-Prince route as soon as the airport re-opens for commercial service. (TF1/EEB e-mail) ¶11. (SBU) American Airlines informed DOD they are prepared to resume four U.S. commercial routes from Port-au-Prince February 19. (TF1/NORTHCOM telcon) ¶12. (SBU) As of February 2, the ramp at the Port-au-Prince airport had become increasingly difficult to access, although the movement of cargo from aircraft to temporary storage had improved. (USAID SitRep #43) POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS -------------- ¶13. (U) Switzerlands highest court ruled $4.6 million seized from bank accounts linked to former dictator Jean-Claude Baby Doc Duvalier can be released to his family. The court decided the case January 12, hours before the earthquake, and only published the ruling February 3. Previously, a lower court had ruled the funds should go to aid groups working in Haiti. (AP) ¶14. (SBU) Approximately 500 people marched on Embassy Port-au- Prince at 1030 EST seeking to lodge a complaint against the mayor of Petionville for her perceived mishandling of humanitarian aid. Embassy officials met with the group and the demonstrators departed the embassy area peacefully at 1145 EST. (TF1/Embassy Port-au-Prince e-mail) ¶15. (SBU) The head of the Haitian National Police confirms all officers are receiving paychecks. (TF1/Embassy Port-au-Prince e-mail) ¶16. (U) Additional updates are available through our Intellipedia portal on the unclassified system at: http://www.intelink.gov/wiki/Portal:Crisis_Ha iti_Earthquake. ¶17. (U) Minimize considered. CLINTON