TFHA01: HAITI EARTHQUAKE TASK FORCE SITUATION REPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 STATE 015608 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. 73 STATE 00015608 001.2 OF 002 VIP TRAVEL -------------- ¶1. (SBU) Seven members of the House are expected to travel to Haiti February 19, and a second CODEL is expected to travel February 26. (TF-1/Bureau of Legislative Affairs e-mail) EVACUATIONS/AMERICAN CITIZEN ISSUES -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Haitian authorities released eight of the ten detained Americans February 17; the eight departed Haiti at 2100 on a C- 130 flight to Miami. The remaining two Americans are being held for further investigation. Also on the flight were 42 evacuees, including three adoptees and one LPR. There is one flight scheduled for February 18 at 2000 which currently is the final planned evacuation flight. (TF-1/Embassy Port-au-Prince e-mail) ¶3. (SBU) 16,704 American citizens have been evacuated as of 0800 EST. (TF1/Embassy Port-au-Prince SitRep) ¶4. (SBU) Spirit Airlines intends to resume fights to Haiti February 19 when Port-au-Prince airport reopens for commercial service; American Airlines previously announced it would resume service the same day. (Embassy Port-au-Prince/TF-1 e-mail) ¶5. (SBU) As of 0900 EST there are 103 reported American citizen fatalities. (TF1/Consular Affairs e-mail) HUMANITARIAN UPDATE -------------- ¶6. (SBU) The GOH asked the WFP to increase distribution outside Port-au-Prince. The UN Office of Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that more than 715,270 (USG-funded) MREs are en route to areas outside Port-au-Prince, in addition to ongoing food distributions in cities west of Port-au-Prince. In the coming weeks, WFP is also planning food distributions in the southeast. (USAID/DCHA Haiti Earthquake Fact Sheet #36) ¶7. (SBU) The USAID funded Famine Early Warning System Network and the government of Haiti note that food, including rice, is reportedly available for sale at low prices in Port-au-Prince markets and settlements sites, reducing demand for imported rice, which had risen about 35 percent after the earthquake. (USAID/DCHA Haiti Earthquake Fact Sheet #36) SECURITY/INFRASTRUCTURE -------------- ¶8. (SBU) MINUSTAH/HNP recaptured 138 of the 500 most dangerous escaped prisoners. (SOUTHCOM SitRep) ¶9. (SBU) The total daily maritime container traffic into Port- au-Prince has increased 25 percent since February 15 and is close to the port's average weekly pre-earthquake throughput of 750 TEUs. (SOUTHCOM SitRep) ¶10. (SBU) Post anticipates it will need $1.5 million in the very near future to cover earthquake-related costs, which includes damage to the chancery building, estimated at $750,000. (WHA-EX/Embassy Port-au-Prince Conference Call) POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS -------------- ¶11. (SBU) The Dominican Republic plans to contribute 150 peacekeepers to MINUSTAH. The agreement to provide troops is currently under review by the Dominican Minister of Defense and must be approved by the Dominican Senate. (Santo Domingo 59) ¶12. (SBU) The government of Bolivia confirmed it will replace its current 205 peacekeepers supporting MINUSTAH with another rotation. The GOB also offered to send another 200-person contingent within the next 60 days. (La Paz 49) ¶13. Additional updates are available through our classified Intellipedia portal at http://www.intelink.gov/wiki/Portal:Crisis_HAITI_Earthquake. ¶14. (U) Minimize considered. CLINTON