TFHA01: HAITI EARTHQUAKE TASK FORCE SITUATION

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 STATE 015609 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. 74 STATE 00015609 001.2 OF 002 VIP TRAVEL -------------- ¶1. (SBU) CODEL Scott (D-VA) landed in Port-au-Prince at 1100 EST February 19. The CODEL will be on the ground for four hours. (TF1/H e-mail) EVACUATIONS/AMERICAN CITIZEN ISSUES -------------- ¶2. (SBU) The final evacuation flight departed February 18, with 107 American citizens and family member evacuees. A total of 16,811 Amcits and family members have been evacuated since the onset of operations. Embassy Port-au- Prince began dismantling the Consular Command Center at the airport at 0600 February 19. Consular Affairs will update the Haiti Travel Warning February 19. Ambassador Merten plans to meet with Prime Minister Bellerive February 19, and will present a list of 58 adoptees for approval. Nine sets of remains (three unidentified) are at the embassy. Twenty-three sets of remains have been repatriated to date. Dover flights are expected to continue as long as DMORT operations are running. The final two American missionaries saw a judge February 18, and remain in detention. Post is working with local attorneys to recover the personal effects of the eight released missionaries. (TF1/Consular Affairs Conference Call) HUMANITARIAN UPDATE -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Providing shelter is becoming increasingly important as heavy rains turned makeshift settlements into muddy quagmires, particularly in Port-au-Prince. On February 18, USAID/OFDA provided the American Refugee Committee with more than $4 million in support for shelter, water, sanitation, and hygiene. PM Bellerive officially launched the Post Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) in a February 18 ceremony in Port-au-Prince. The PDNA will focus on sanitation, food security, water, debris management and removal, and transitional shelter. World Food Program and partners have reached over 3.7 million people with food assistance since the start of humanitarian relief operations. USAID/DART staff visited seven sites in Jacmel to observe child protection issues. Save the Children reported a rise in access and use of child-friendly spaces, and the agency plans to conduct community outreach programs to children with disabilities. (USAID Fact Sheet #39, Reuters, OCHA SitRep #22) MEDICAL RESPONSE -------------- ¶4. Contrary to earlier reports, HHS plans to keep the National Disaster Medical Patient Movement System in place to facilitate the medical evacuation of Haitian patients, as long as there is a need and aircraft to evacuate. The Medical Review Board continues to evaluate Haitian nationals for evacuation to U.S. medical facilities. At least 102 community out-patient care centers for treatment of malnutrition, along with 18 mobile units, are operating STATE 00015609 002.2 OF 002 throughout the country. (TF1/HHS e-mail, OCHA SitRep #22) POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS -------------- ¶5. (SBU) Media report PM Bellerive denounced efforts by opponents to create political conflict following the earthquake. President Preval asked the Provisional Electoral Council to define a new electoral calendar as soon as possible. Local media report Preval's approval rating has reached a new low. (TF1/WHA/PD e-mail, AP) OTHER MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS -------------- ¶6. (SBU) Commercial flights resumed February 19. One American Airlines flight landed in Port-au-Prince at 0916 EST. Media report four more commercial flights are expected to land at Port-au-Prince airport February 19. TSA expects American Airlines to schedule 30 flights per week; Spirit Airlines, Air France, and Air Canada each will schedule one daily flight. (SBU) The 50 male Haitian migrants repatriated by the USCG on February 16 and held overnight in the Cap Haitien detention facility without food or water were released February 17. The International Organization for Migration has stood up a reception program in Cap Haitien and assisted the migrants after their release. The embassy plans to weigh in with the Government of Haiti to try to ensure repatriated migrants are not arbitrarily detained on arrival. UN SYG Ban Ki-moon, along with UN Special Envoy Clinton, launched the Revised Humanitarian Appeal for Haiti February 18. (TF1/Consular Affairs Conference Call, DHS NOC report, Reuters, TF-1/PRM e-mail, OCHA SitRep #22) CLINTON