TFHA01: HAITI EARTHQUAKE TASK FORCE SITUATION

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 STATE 007953 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. 41 STATE 00007953 001.2 OF 003 VIP TRAVEL -------------- ¶1. (SBU) Representative Maxine Waters (D-CA) continued her visit January 26 with meetings in the U.S. Embassy. (TF1/Interagency Conference Call) SEARCH AND RESCUE (SAR) -------------- ¶2. (U) Two heavy SAR teams (Fairfax and Los Angeles) will remain in Port-au-Prince through January 27. Future SAR efforts will shift to the Army Corps of Engineers. At the height of the rescue effort there were more than 50 SAR teams in Haiti. (TF1/OFDA-DART e- mail) COMMODITY FLOW -------------- ¶3. (SBU) WFP reports to date it has distributed more than 3.2 million daily rations, reaching more than 437,000 beneficiaries. (TF1/Interagency Conference Call) EVACUATIONS/AMERICAN CITIZEN AND LE STAFF WHEREABOUTS -------------- -------------- ¶4. (SBU) As of 1000 on January 26, 143 American evacuees and family members departed Port-au-Prince. 12,085 have been evacuated to date. There are 85 Americans and family members inside the embassy and none outside the compound. A total of 20,650 Americans have been accounted for. (TF1/Embassy Port-au-Prince e-mail) ¶5. (SBU) There are 71 confirmed American fatalities and another 21 reported. TF1/Embassy Port-au-Prince e- mail) MEDICAL RESPONSE -------------- ¶6. (SBU) As of 1600 EST January 25, USNS Comfort, USS Vinson and USS Bataan treated 502 patients in the last 24 hours, bringing the total to 2178 treated with 129 surgeries. The Comfort is nearly at capacity. (Joint Staff Operation Unified Response Situation Update) ¶7. (SBU) As of 1600, Joint Task Force-Haiti treated 1,245 patients on January 26. 10,754 patients have been treated to date. USAID requested a field medical station with 250 beds. (Joint Staff DCO brief) INTERNATIONAL COORDINATION/REQUESTS -------------- ¶8. (U) As of January 26, the EU reports its humanitarian assistance to Haiti, including planned pledges, amounts to $276 million. In addition, the European Commission's emergency relief package is worth $42 million. The EU confirms it has deployed over 1,000 experts from 24 countries. (TF1/USEU Mission e-mail) STATE 00007953 002.2 OF 003 ¶9. (SBU) A 747 carrying tents and other supplies provided by China is scheduled to arrive in Port-au- Prince January 26 at 1915 hours. (TF1/SOUTHCOM LNO) ¶10. (SBU) Following a January 23-25 Caracas meeting of the foreign ministers of Venezuela, Cuba, Bolivia, Ecuador and Nicaragua, President Chavez announced the Venezuelan Government will forgive Haiti's bilateral debt (which Haiti reports as $295 million) and also provide $20 million in medical assistance. Collectively, the countries announced the intention to create a $100 million fund to finance food imports and agricultural production, as well as sanitation, energy, and educational assistance. (TF1/Venezuela desk e-mail) ¶11. (SBU) The agreed flight corridor over CUBA between U.S. and GTMO is operational. Only one aircraft used the corridor in each direction on January 25 but air traffic is increasing. (TF1/Cuba desk e-mail) DEPLOYMENT OF U.S. GOVERNMENT ASSETS -------------- ¶12. (SBU) As of January 26, there are 18,775 U.S. military uniform personnel in Haiti or offshore, with roughly 25 percent on the ground and 75 percent afloat. This total is projected to increase to 19,104 by January ¶28. (Joint Staff Operation Unified Response Situation Update) ¶13. (SBU) The final shipment of 6,200 radios (the last part of a total shipment of 50,000) arrived at Homestead Air Reserve Base, and will be transported to Port-au- Prince on the first available aircraft. (SOUTHCOM) HUMANITARIAN/SECURITY/INFRASTRUCTURE -------------- ¶14. (SBU) Ten Haitian ports are fully operational; the remaining three are partially operational. (USCG Brief) ¶15. (SBU) An American Airlines official told Ambassador Merten they want to resume commercial flights to Port-au-Prince in three weeks, but that this would require modifications to the airport terminal building, which sustained extensive structural damage. Funding for repairs remains an issue. (TF1/Port-au-Prince e- mail, Port au Prince 88) ¶16. (SBU) An inspection team comprised of USAID and Haitian government representatives inspected 14 ministry buildings; 12 buildings have collapsed and the other two are unusable. (Port au Prince 88) ¶17. (SBU) SOUTHCOM sent an engineering team on January 26 to assess the road near the Jimani border-crossing point between Haiti and the Dominican Republic. (TF1/ Interagency Conference Call) ¶18. (SBU) The banking sector appears to be functioning satisfactorily. (TF1/ Interagency Conference Call) POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS STATE 00007953 003.2 OF 003 ¶19. (SBU) The Bahamian government apprehended at least 45 Haitian migrants who landed there the night of January 25. The Royal Bahamian Defense Force is holding the migrants. (TFI/USCG NCC e-mail) ¶20. (U) Additional updates are available through our unclassified Intellipedia portal on the classified system at:http://www.intelink.gov/wiki/Portal:Crisis _Haiti_Eart hquake. ¶21. (U) Minimize considered. CLINTON