TFHA01: HAITI EARTHQUAKE TASK FORCE SITUATION REPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 STATE 013215 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. 70 STATE 00013215 001.2 OF 002 VIP TRAVEL -------------- ¶1. (U) Canadian PM Harper began a two-day visit February 15 and is scheduled to meet with President Preval and PM Bellerive, according to press. Haiti is Canada's second- largest aid recipient after Afghanistan. (AFP) EVACUATIONS/AMERICAN CITIZEN ISSUES -------------- ¶2. (SBU) One flight departed Port-au-Prince for Miami the evening of February 14 with 61 passengers. Sixteen American citizens could not be accommodated on the flight and are expected to return for the evening flight on February 15. (TF1/Consular Affairs Conference Call) ¶3. (SBU) As of 1200 EST February 15, there are 113 reported American citizen fatalities. (TF1/Consular Affairs Conference Call) ¶4. (SBU) PM Bellerive approved 36 adoptees February 15. (TF1/Embassy Port-au-Prince e-mail) ¶5. (SBU) Ambassador Merten conducted a town hall meeting in McLean, VA, with evacuated mission personnel and their families February 15. (TF1/Embassy Port-au-Prince e-mail) HUMANITARIAN UPDATE -------------- ¶6. (SBU) Food distribution occurred at five fixed sites on February 14; relief agencies distributed food benefiting approximately 98,000 people in Port-au-Prince. Agencies plan to reach 121,800 additional people at seven sites February 15. The World Food Program (WFP) opened new sub-offices in St. Marc, Logne, and Les Cayes. WFP is meeting with Haitian officials on February 15 to discuss potential second-phase food assistance and will continue distribution within Port-au- Prince through February 20. (TF1/USAID SitRep #57) ¶7. (SBU) UNICEF expects to receive three rented desludging trucks from the Dominican Republic. To lower costs, agencies are considering using smaller trucks to transport solid waste to a central location where larger desludging trucks will take the material to dumping sites. (TF1/USAID SitRep #57) 8.(SBU) Four USAID/DART teams are conducting multi-sectoral assessments of public service capacities in Jacmel, Gonaives, Jeremie, and Les Cayes. (TF1/USAID SitRep #57) MEDICAL RESPONSE -------------- 9 (SBU) USNS Comfort conducted 12 major surgeries, medevaced one person, and transferred 38 patients to Port-au-Prince hospitals February 14. (TF1/SOUTHCOM SitRep) STATE 00013215 002.2 OF 002 ¶10. (SBU) The USAID/DART nutrition advisor visited three feeding tents targeting orphaned infants and children and reported that although the tents were fully operational, overall infant feeding coverage remains low in settlement sites. (TF1/USAID SitRep #57) SECURITY/INFRASTRUCTURE -------------- 11.(SBU) Port-au-Prince's ports had their biggest throughput day to date, processing 504 TEUs February 14. (TF1/SOUTHCOM SitRep) ¶12. (SBU) One hundred of the more than 4000 prisoners who escaped from the Central Prison have been rearrested, according to the police commissioner. The HNP is concerned with 500 of the most dangerous still on the run and is actively searching for the fugitives. (DHS NOC CIR #3) POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS -------------- ¶13. (SBU) Haiti's state of emergency is scheduled to expire on February 16. Post reports an extension must be approved by parliament. (Port-au-Prince 148) OTHER MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS -------------- ¶14. (SBU) Jorge Torres Puello, the Dominican man acting as legal adviser to the 10 Americans detained for child kidnapping charges, acknowledged he is wanted by Salvadoran authorities for running an international sex trafficking ring, media report. He has denied the charges against him. (cnn.com) ¶15. (SBU) President Preval gave condolences at a religious service at the University of Notre Dame d'Haiti during a nationally-ordered day of prayer, claiming he was speaking as a private citizen and not as head of state, according to press. (bbc.co.uk) ¶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