TFHA01: HAITI EARTHQUAKE TASK FORCE SITUATION

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 STATE 009198 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. 46 STATE 00009198 001.2 OF 003 VIP TRAVEL :::::::::: ¶1. (SBU) ECUADORIAN PRESIDENT RAFAEL CORREA IS SCHEDULED TO VISIT JANUARY 29. (SOUTHCOM SITREP) SEARCH AND RESCUE (SAR) ¶2. No updates at this time. COMMODITY FLOW ¶3. No updates at this time. AMERICAN CITIZEN WELFARE/WHEREABOUTS/EVACUATIONS ¶4. (SBU) As of 0500 EST, 31 American evacuees and family members departed Port-au-Prince January 29; a total of 13,428 have been evacuated to date. There are 30 Americans and family members inside the Embassy and 500 individuals, mostly local nationals, outside the Embassy. A cotal of 21,200 potential evacuees have been accounted for. One American was at the airport alternate landing zone, and a total of 31 evacuation flights departed since 2000 EST January 28. There are 76 confirmed American fatalities (including four official Americans) and another 20 reported. (TFl/Embassy Port-au-Prince e-mail, State Department Daily Press Briefing) MEDICAL RESPONSE ¶5. (SBU) As of close of business January 28, USNS Comfort has seen 19,000 patients, admitted 605, and performed 217 surgeries. (DOD/DCO Conference Call, SOUTHCOM SitRep) INTERNATIONAL COORDINATION/REQUESTS ¶6. (U) France has offered to rebuild Haiti's historic national palace. (Radio Metropole) DEPLOYMENT OF U.S. GOVERNMENT ASSETS ¶7. No updates at this time. HUMANITARIAN/SECURITY/INFRASTRUCTURE ¶8. (SBU) IFRC assesses the city of Logane is "leveled" with up to 10,000 people camped in a soccer stadium. The camp has received no assistance from any group to date. Doctors Without Borders noted increasing reports of diarrhea in the last week, and about half of the people receiving treatment were suffering from mental trauma. Six NGOs have committed to overseeing distribution of food at eleven of the fifteen planned WFP food distribution sites planned for Port-au-Prince and its suburbs. The Emergency Shelter and Non-Food Item Cluster is recommending smaller settlements (10,000 per camp) rather than larger settlements the GOH is proposing (100,000 per camp). The recommendation for smaller camps is based in part on difficulty in finding enough space to accommodate the larger camps. Angry crowds mobbed three food distribution sites in Port-au-Prince January 28 and MINUSTAH peacekeepers in Cite Soleil fired warning shots when a crowd turned unruly. UN called the performance of the Haitian National Police "outstanding," noting that nearly three-quarters of the 14,000 man force is back on the street. SOUTHCOM assess the police presence in Port- au-Prince as "marginal." SIRIUS/XM is working with USAID on a plan to deliver radios to media outlets in order to disseminate Voice of America (VOA) programming. USAID has established an orphans and vulnerable children working group that will work with the GOH and private aid groups to address concerns about child kidnapping and smuggling. The main port in Port-au-Prince sustained more damage than originally thought and operations on the pier were suspended January 28. Repair supplies are being loaded at Jacksonville. In the interim, the GOH has suggested that some traffic can be transferred to the port at Lafiteau, ten miles north of Port-au-Prince. (TFl/Interagency Conference Call, DHS-NOC Report, SOUTHCOM SitRep, USAID SitRep 31, UN News Service, SOUTHCOM SitRep, NCC Sitrep, Orphans and Vulnerable Children Update, Reuters) POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS -------------- ¶9. (U) Senators Dodd (D-CT) and Lugar (R-IN) introduced legislation on January 28 that would instruct Treasury to work with other nations to forgive Haiti's international debt, increase trade, and create an infrastructure fund. (Reuters) CLINTON