TFHA01: HAITI EARTHQUAKE TASK FORCE SITUATION

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 STATE 009756 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. 48 STATE 00009756 001.2 OF 003 VIP TRAVEL -------------- ¶1. (SBU) Congressman Cassidy (R-LA) will arrive January 30 in the Dominican Republic. He will visit Good Samaritan Hospital in Jimani on the Dominican side of the Haiti-DR border, which is treating 40 Haitian patients. (TF1/H e-mail) SEARCH AND RESCUE (SAR) -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Diplomatic Security has surveyed a number of possible locations of entombed American citizens and will provide an update January 30 on these locations. (TF1/Interagency Conference Call) COMMODITY FLOW -------------- ¶3. (SBU) The number of food distribution sites has increased from 15 to 16, and an additional site is scheduled to open on February 1. MINUSTAH will secure eight distribution sites and JTF-Haiti will secure nine. (USAID SitRep #34) ¶4. (SBU) MINUSTAH will provide security for the transfer of $20 million cash from HSBC to the Central Bank of Haiti on February 2. (TF1/Interagency Conference Call) EVACUATIONS/AMERICAN CITIZEN AND LE STAFF WHEREABOUTS -------------- -------------- ¶5. (SBU) As of 0700 EST, 106 American evacuees and family members departed Port-au-Prince January 30; a total of 13,869 have been evacuated to date. There are 30 Americans and family members inside the Embassy and 250 individuals, mostly local nationals, outside the Embassy. A total of 22,000 potential evacuees have been accounted for. (TF1/Embassy Port-au-Prince e-mail) ¶6. (SBU) There are 74 confirmed American fatalities and another 20 reported. (TF1/Embassy Port-au-Prince e-mail) ¶7. (SBU) Six LE Staff are confirmed dead; 23 local guards are still missing. (TF1/Embassy Port-au-Prince e- mail) ¶8. (SBU) The 66 orphans whose cases were being closely followed by the office of Sen. Hatch (R-UT) arrived in Miami 1900 EST January 29. (TF1/TF8 e-mail) ¶9. (SBU) Two sets of American citizen remains are in Embassy custody. Post is working with a local funeral home to obtain a third set of remains January 30. The three sets of remains are scheduled for transportation to Dover AFB on January 30. (TF1/Embassy Port-au-Prince telcon) MEDICAL RESPONSE -------------- ¶10. (SBU) The number of patients in triage, post- operation, or long-term care exceeds local and USNS Comfort capabilities. Third countries, particularly in the Caribbean, will be contacted to assess receptiveness to receiving Haitians in need of medical assistance. (TF1/Interagency Conference call) ¶11. (SBU) The first post-operative facility should be open in Port-au-Prince by February 4. (TF1/Interagency Conference call) ¶12. (SBU) The Israeli field hospital closed on January ¶26. Russian, Spanish, and French field hospitals will depart within the next two weeks. HHS cannot confirm if the Argentines will pack their field hospital in February. (TF1/HHS e-mail) INTERNATIONAL COORDINATION/REQUESTS -------------- ¶13. (SBU) No updates at this time. DEPLOYMENT OF U.S. GOVERNMENT ASSETS -------------- ¶14. (SBU) No updates at this time. HUMANITARIAN/SECURITY/INFRASTRUCTURE -------------- ¶15. (SBU) The airport runway is showing signs of wear and tear. A seven-person team will arrive on January 30 to assess the damage. (DOC Conference Call) ¶16. (SBU) The larger Internet service providers have increased their international capabilities and will continue to expand them over the next few weeks. (DHS SitRep) ¶17. (SBU) According to the Haitian Chamber of Commerce (CCIH),the earthquake destroyed approximately 25,000 public and commercial buildings. The majority of the structures were not adequately insured. CCIH believes any remaining buildings should be inspected and certified before they are re-opened. (Port-au-Prince 106) ¶18. (SBU) Vietnamese telephone company Vietel reaffirmed an earlier offer to purchase 70 percent of Teleco, Haiti's national telephone company. (Port-au-Prince 106) ¶19. (SBU) The date when commercial flights will resume has been pushed back to February 19. (DOC Conference Call) ¶20. (U) U.S. soldiers halted a violent confrontation January 29 between looters and a private security guard who shot and killed one man inside an appliance store and appeared poised to shoot others. (CP) POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS -------------- ¶21. (SBU) Eighteen senators elected two commissions January 28 to monitor aid and manage agreements with aid organizations. (Port-au-Prince 106) ¶22. (U) Additional updates are available through our Intellipedia portal on the unclassified system at: http://www.intelink.gov/wiki/Portal:Crisis_Ha iti_Earthqua ke. ¶23. (U) Minimize considered. CLINTON