TFHA01: HAITI EARTHQUAKE TASK FORCE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 STATE 004776 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. 12 STATE 00004776 001.2 OF 002 VIP TRAVEL -------------- ¶1. (SBU) Secretary Clinton will travel to Haiti on Saturday. The Spanish VP and the Minister of Development intend to travel to Haiti Saturday. (TF1/IO telcon) AMERICAN CITIZEN WELFARE/WHEREABOUTS/EVACUATIONS -------------- -------------- -------------- ¶2. (SBU) A total of 287 Americans were evacuated from Haiti thus far today and 433 additional Americans are expected to be evacuated by the end of the day. Eighty-six Americans have been evacuated to either Miami or Homestead by USAF. Seventy-three were flown by USCG to Santo Domingo. Total private Americans evacuated (excluding medevacs) to date is ¶935. Thirty-two Americans were evacuated by private helo to Santo Domingo. Reports persist that only U.S. passport holders are being allowed into the airport. These are not true. U.S. consular staff at the airport, however, are unable to assist foreign nationals. Forty additional Americans are expected to be evacuated to Kingston on January 16, and 150 additional Americans will be evacuated on a HHS private charter flight to Curacao. Communication between the four-person Embassy consular team and the airport has been by radio only and has been extremely difficult. Consular Affairs is reaching out to those airlines that fly into Santo Domingo to suggest they increase capacity. (The possibility of busing American citizens from Port-au-Prince to various airports in the Dominican Republic with international flight capability is being considered. Santo Domingo is reaching capacity on hotel space and outbound flights; currently 250 Americans are awaiting onward flights. C-130 pilots have requested Creole/French-speaking Department of State employees on the planes to assist with Customs and Border Patrol preparations. The Passport Office has offered to provide two- person teams. Consular Affairs inquired of Embassy Port-au-Prince whether country clearance and travel orders would be needed for teams. (TF1/CA Rep, TF1, Embassy Port-au-Prince email) SEARCH AND RESCUE: TEAM UPDATES -------------- ¶3. (SBU) As of 1430, one additional team (VA) loading, one (NY) awaiting airlift. Four 72-member USAR teams, Fairfax County, LA County, Miami-Dade County and Miami City, and one 42-member team from Fairfax County continued to conduct search and STATE 00004776 002.2 OF 002 SUBJECT: TFHA01: HAITI EARTHQUAKE TASK FORCE SITUATION REPORT NO. rescue operations. In total, 330 U.S. USAR team members are operating in Haiti. U.S. and French teams rescued 10 individuals at the Montana Hotel, including eight Americans. Miami and Icelandic teams rescued three children and one adult. (TF1/Interagency Conference Call, USAID Sitrep #5) COMMODITY FLOW: WATER, WATER, WATER -------------- ¶4. (SBU) OFDA Craig Fugate will be the single POC to prioritize airlift. FEMA will deconflict. Shipments from Homestead AFB have begun. Identification of priority delivery sights were to be drafted and delivered to General Keane by 1445, January 15. (TF1/Interagency Conference Call) MEDICAL UPDATE -------------- ¶5. (SBU) Copy of MOU between Haiti and U.S. allowing U.S. physicians to treat quake victims was forwarded to HHS. Working to get DMAT teams into Haiti. Equipment is still at Martinsburg, West Virginia and has been bumped down in priority. OFDA is working to upgrade priority. (TF1/Interagency Conference Call, TF1/Embassy Port-au-Prince telcon) INTERNATIONAL COORDINATION: A MAJOR FOCUS -------------- ¶6. No updates at this time. HUMANITARIAN/SECURITY/INFRASTRUCTURE -------------- ¶7. USG reps met with the new SRSG for the UN who expressed that they want to cooperate fully and to have the U.S. military supplement MINUSTAH efforts. He offered MINUSTAH assets to assist U.S. forces. Embassy Port-au-Prince is transmitting a copy of the air traffic control MOU to interested U.S. parties. Pursuant to the signing of the air traffic control MOU, USAF is coordinating with the FAA to issue a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) on procedures to obtain clearance for landing in Port-au-Prince. The overall security situation was described as slowly getting worse. (TF1/Interagency Conference Call) POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS -------------- ¶8. (SBU) No updates at this time. ¶9. (U) Additional updates are available through our Intellipedia portal on the classified system at: http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Cris is_Hait i. CLINTON