TFHA01: HAITI EARTHQUAKE TASK FORCE SITUATION

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 STATE 004231 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. 10 STATE 00004231 001.6 OF 003 VIP TRAVEL -------------- ¶1. (SBU) NSC Deputy Director Dennis McDonough and Captain John Kirby, spokesperson for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, arrived in Port-au-Prince at 0320 EST to address strategic communications. (TF1/Embassy Port-au-Prince/NSC Duty Officer telcons) SEARCH AND RESCUE -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Search and rescue (SAR) teams from the United States, Iceland, Chile, Spain, France, China, and Luxembourg are on the ground. A team from the United Kingdom is en route, but has been delayed in the Dominican Republic. A SAR team from Taiwan is expected to arrive in Santo Domingo later today; Taiwan authorities have requested U.S. assistance in ensuring the safety of the team. (TF1/Embassy Port-au-Prince/AIT Taipei e-mails) ¶3. (SBU) A DART team made contact with six American citizens at the Hotel Montana. Four were pulled from the rubble with minor injuries and the team is working to extract two more. (TF1/Embassy Port-au-Prince e- mail) COMMODITY FLOW -------------- ¶4. (U) No updates to report. EVACUATIONS/AMERICAN CITIZEN AND LES WHEREABOUTS -------------- --- ¶5. (SBU) A total of 484 private American citizens have been evacuated. A C-130 with citizen evacuees arrived and was processed at San Isidro Air Base in Santo Domingo. The last passengers departed by chartered bus from the air base to hotels at 2350 EST. Another 78 arrived in Miami at 0230 EST. (TF1/Embassy Santo Domingo e-mail) ¶6. (SBU) Embassy Port-au-Prince confirmed the deaths of five private U.S. citizens. Post presumes there are 15 additional citizen deaths. (TF1/Embassy Port-au- Prince e-mail telcon) MEDICAL RESPONSE -------------- ¶7. (SBU) The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) will help coordinate donations of medical supplies. Its office in Port-au-Prince is functional and its medical warehouse was not affected by the earthquake. PAHO is also supplying medical support to Haitians who cross STATE 00004231 002.4 OF 003 INTERNATIONAL COORDINATION/REQUESTS -------------- ¶8. (SBU) The MINUSTAH commander has voiced concerns about command and control issues that may arise with the presence of U.S. troops. (TF3/USUN e-mail) ¶9. (SBU) MINUSTAH has expressed a need for water purification equipment, SAR equipment, refrigerated units for the dead, field hospitals and doctors. Refrigeration for remains is an urgent issue; there are no temporary morgue facilities. Thirty-three UN dependents and staff departed for Miami January 14; 33 more will depart January 15; and another 33 will relocate to the Dominican Republic in the near future. (TF1/USUN e-mail) DEPLOYMENT OF U.S. GOVERNMENT ASSETS -------------- ¶10. (SBU) Thirteen DS personnel are now on the ground in Santo Domingo, with two more en route. Ten will depart for Port-au-Prince on a military flight the morning of January 15, where they will join 18 DS agents already in Port-au-Prince for security support. Five DS agents will remain in Santo Domingo to provide assistance. (TF1, Embassy Santo Domingo e-mail) ¶11. (SBU) Approximately 553 U.S. military personnel are currently on the ground. (TF1, Embassy Port-au- Prince telcom) HUMANITARIAN/SECURITY/INFRASTRUCTURE -------------- ¶12. (SBU) Negotiations are still ongoing between SOUTHCOM and the Haitian government regarding airport operations. (TF1/SOUTHCOM telcon) ¶13. (SBU) Crowds at the airport are large and difficult to control. Consular staff and U.S. military personnel are establishing secure processing and staging areas. Navy personnel are setting up a communications network to improve awareness of arrival and departure times. Twelve aircraft on the tarmac, two without fuel. There is no additional fuel currently available. (TF1/Embassy Port-au-Prince e-mail and telcon) ¶14. (SBU) DHS confirms the governor of Florida has begun contingency planning to receive 10,000 Haitians should events warrant. The governor's office does not plan to make this information public. (TF1/FEMA NRCC email and TF1/ DHS NOC telcon) ¶15. (U) The UN is planning to launch a flash appeal in New York January 15, with a revised appeal to be issued after more detailed assessments of humanitarian needs have been made. UN U/SYG Holmes briefed the Humanitarian Liaison Working Group January 14, prioritizing current needs as: SAR for survivors of the earthquake, medical supplies and equipment, and basic relief materials. STATE 00004231 003.4 OF 003 ¶16. (SBU) Through the Joint Task Force at Guantanamo Bay, SOUTHCOM has set up 40 tents (400-person capacity) and plans to erect another 60 tents for possible housing of interdicted migrants from Haiti. The naval station has equipment and facilities to accommodate up to 10,000 migrants. DOD can increase this capacity to 30,000 in 30 days. (TF1/PRM e-mails) ¶17. (U) Minimize Considered. CLINTON