TFHA01: CORRECTED: HAITI EARTHQUAKE TASK FORCE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 STATE 008281 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: AEMR ASEC CASC KFLO MARR PREL PINR AMGT HA SUBJECT: TFHA01: CORRECTED: HAITI EARTHQUAKE TASK FORCE SITUATION REPORT NO. 42 STATE 00008281 001.2 OF 002 VIP TRAVEL -------------- ¶1. (SBU) OAS Secretary General Insulza arrived in Port-au- Prince on January 26. SOUTHCOM will provide an overflight tour of Port-au-Prince January 27. (TF1/Interagency telcon) ¶2. (SBU) Ecuadorian President Correa is scheduled to arrive in Port-au-Prince January 28. (TF1/SOUTHCOM e-mail) SEARCH AND RESCUE (SAR) -------------- ¶3. (SBU) The U.S. military rescued a man from under the rubble in Port-au-Prince January 26. It is unclear when the man became trapped. (TF1/Interagency telcon) ¶4. (SBU) The Army Corps of Engineers is working to recover the remains of a U.S. military officer at the Hotel Montana. (TF1/Interagency telcon) COMMODITY FLOW -------------- ¶5. (SBU) MINUSTAH's Brazilian troops used teargas to control a rioting crowd after running out of MREs in downtown Port- au-Prince. (TF1/Interagency telcon) EVACUATIONS/AMERICAN CITIZEN AND LE STAFF WHEREABOUTS -------------- -------------- ¶6. (SBU) As of 2000 EST January 26, nine American evacuees and family members departed Port-au-Prince; a total of 12,636 have been evacuated to date. There are 10 Americans and family members inside the Embassy and 1,500 individuals total, mostly local nationals, outside the Embassy. A total of 20,850 Americans have been accounted for. (TF1/Embassy Port-au-Prince e-mail) ¶7. (SBU) There are 71 confirmed American fatalities and another 21 reported. (TF1/Embassy Port-au-Prince e-mail) ¶8. (SBU) Embassy Santo Domingo's Consular Command Center closed operations as of 1900 EST January 26. (TF1/Santo Domingo Consular Command Center e-mail). MEDICAL RESPONSE -------------- ¶9. (SBU) As of 1800 EST January 26, the USNS Comfort had treated 14,359 patients and conducted 179 surgeries. (TF1/Interagency telcon) ¶10. (SBU) As of 1200 EST January 26, USNS Comfort, USS Vinson, and USS Bataan treated 490 patients in the previous 24 hours. There are 449 beds occupied out of 1,030. (DCO STATE 00008281 002.2 OF 002 Brief) INTERNATIONAL COORDINATION/REQUESTS -------------- ¶11. (U) No updates at this time. DEPLOYMENT OF U.S. GOVERNMENT ASSETS -------------- ¶12. (SBU) As of 0400 EST January 27, there were 5,570 U.S. military personnel ashore in Haiti and 14,224 afloat. The total number of estimated troops by January 30 will be 20,518. (TF1/SOUTHCOM DCO) HUMANITARIAN/SECURITY/INFRASTRUCTURE -------------- ¶13. (SBU) South Pier at the main port in Port-au-Prince was closed after SOUTHCOM divers discovered its degraded condition. Commodity flow into the port is expected to decrease as a result. (TF1/Interagency telcon) ¶14. (SBU) The FCC reports cell phone capacity is at 85 percent of the pre-earthquake level, but communication remains a problem due to elevated call volume. (TF1/Interagency telcon) ¶15. (SBU) Embassy Port-au-Prince reports seeing banks and wire transfer facilities open with long, but orderly lines. (TF1/Interagency telcon) ¶16. (SBU) UNICEF has established a special tent camp for children left without parents to protect them from child traffickers and other abusers. (DHS Guardian Special Report #37) POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS -------------- ¶17. (U) No updates at this time. ¶18. Additional updates are available through our classified Intellipedia portal at http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Cris is_HAITI. ¶19. (U) Minimize considered. CLINTON