TFHA01: HAITI EARTHQUAKE TASK FORCE SITUATION REPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 STATE 015719 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. 76 STATE 00015719 001.2 OF 002 EVACUATIONS/AMERICAN CITIZEN AND LE STAFF WHEREABOUTS -------------- -------------- ¶1. (SBU) The Children of the Promise charter flight scheduled to bring six orphans and two escorts to Miami did not depart Port-au-Prince February 21 as scheduled, due to airport security concerns regarding the group's departure paperwork. The children and their American citizen escorts stayed overnight at a government day care center. Embassy Port-au-Prince is working with the Haitian Office of Child Protective Services and the Prime Minister's office to assist in resolving outstanding paperwork issues. The Office of Senator Klobuchar (D-MN) has expressed an interest in this case. (TF1/OCS e-mail, Ops/Embassy Port-au-Prince e-mail) ¶2. (SBU) Two aid workers injured in a February 19 bus accident scheduled to be medically evacuated to the USNS Comfort February 20 were sent instead to the University of Miami Medical Facility in Port-au-Prince because the Comfort's deck was unavailable and the USS Bataan did not have the capacity to treat head trauma. (TF1/SOUTHCOM e-mail) ¶3. (U) Media report there were no orphans among the 33 children an American missionary group attempted to remove from Haiti. Residents of Citron neighborhood, where 13 of the children lived, said each of the children was given away by a parent or close relative. Parents in the mountain town of Callabas, outside Port-au-Prince, gave similar accounts. (AP) HEALTH CONDITIONS -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Waste accumulation is creating conditions for major disease outbreaks, including cholera. Public health specialists worry diseases stemming from the buildup of human waste in the camps may be the most pressing health threat in the city. (DHS NOC Update Report #78) HUMANITARIAN/SECURITY/INFRASTRUCTURE -------------- ¶5. (SBU) USAID inspected seven child-friendly spaces constructed by Save the Children in Jacmel, Haiti. An additional 30 are planned for the town and surrounding area. Each space currently holds between 90 and 140 children. (DHS NOC Update Report #77) ¶6. (SBU) A 74-foot schooner departed the Florida Keys loaded with 10 tons of donated food, water, medicine, tools, and other supplies from local residents and businesses. It is expected to arrive in a remote Haitian region inaccessible to larger relief ships on/about February 27. (DHS NOC Update Report #78) ¶7. (U) Additional updates are available through our Intellipedia portal on the unclassified system at: http://www.intelink.gov/wiki/Portal:Crisis_Ha iti_Earthquake . ¶8. (U) Minimize considered. CLINTON