SWEDEN IS THE THIRD LARGEST DONOR TO HAITI; U.S.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 STOCKHOLM 000038 SIPDIS STATE FOR HAITI EARTHQUAKE TASK FORCE, USAID/W, DCHA/OFDA, E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: AEMR EAID ECON PGOV PREL PREF HA SW SUBJECT: SWEDEN IS THE THIRD LARGEST DONOR TO HAITI; U.S. ROLES SEEN AS VERY POSITIVE REF: A. STOCKHOLM 21 ¶B. STOCKHOLM 19 ¶C. STOCKHOLM 17 STOCKHOLM 00000038 001.2 OF 002 ¶1. Summary: Swedish media reporting about USG efforts has been accurate and very positive. For instance, "The U.S. is doing the job" was the title of the lead editorial in Dagens Nyheter January 26. The Ambassador's message - on nationwide Swedish television and radio - of U.S. activism has been well received by the Swedish public. This is a country with a strong aid tradition that appreciates U.S. leadership in humanitarian crises. ¶2. The Swedish government, with $30.3 million, is now the third largest bilateral donor to Haiti, after the U.S. and Canada. Sweden is also the second largest donor to the UN Central Emergency Response Fund, which among other tasks, supports the UN crisis response in Haiti. Swedish private citizens have raised $15 million to date. Sweden has flown two missions and requested a third using a jointly owned C-17 for Swedish emergency supplies to Haiti. End summary. ¶3. On January 24, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) announced that it will provide an additional $2.8 million to the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB) to help coordinate UN and EU relief efforts and $571,000 to Swedish relief teams. This raises the total amount Sweden has contributed to the Haiti relief effort from $27.1 million to $30.3 million. Swedish private citizens have raised $15 million to date. The Swedish Ministry of Defense (MoD) also contacted the Defense Attache at Post during the weekend (January 23-24) to request assistance in using some of Sweden's C-17 military airlift time to send relief supplies to Haiti. (Note: Sweden and a number of other nations, including the U.S. jointly own three military C-17s. The Swedes have flown two missions to Haiti to date. End note.) ¶4. Post's Defense Attache told us that he has been thanked face-to-face by MSB Director Helena Lindberg and Swedish Defense Ministry State Secretary Hakan Jevrell. He has also been summoned to meet Swedish Minister of Defense Sten Tolgfors on Wednesday January 27. Sweden has used some of its flying hours to allow other nations (Denmark and Bulgaria, which are not members of the consortium) to send aid shipments on these missions. Sweden was extremely pleased with the assistance provided by the Defense Attache in helping it coordinate the C-17 effort and has requested a third relief mission. Embassy outreach on Haiti -------------- ¶5. Embassy Stockholm has been engaging Swedish media and the public to provide accurate information on the USG effort in Haiti. Ambassador Barzun did an interview with Swedish Radio on USG efforts in Haiti on January 20 while on official travel in northern Sweden. He emphasized the points in President Obama's Newsweek op-ed that the United States would stand with Haiti after the immediate crisis has passed, and that the generosity of the American people is again providing millions for relief and reconstruction. The Ambassador reiterated these themes in multiple interviews with local media, which resulted in extensive coverage. He also reoriented a previously scheduled speaking engagement to address over 150 students at Mid Sweden University on how the U.S. response to the Haiti crisis is an example of the pragmatic, action-oriented approach President Obama has taken during his first year. Post's APAO was interviewed on national television for a special news program about the USG efforts in Haiti. His comments were included in a report also featuring Swedish Foreign Minister Bildt. The Embassy has also distributed daily information about the USG efforts to targeted media, to the over 400 followers of our Twitter feed (many of whom are journalists) and our nearly 740 Facebook fans. Swedish media reporting on USG efforts in Haiti -------------- -- ¶6. Swedish media have given extensive coverage to the Haiti earthquake, the aftermath and USG and U.S. military efforts to assist Haiti. USG and U.S. military efforts have been praised in Dagens Nyheter, Svenska Dagbladet and Sydsvenska Dagbladet, for example: STOCKHOLM 00000038 002.2 OF 002 - "After all the lofty talk about the EU's role as a global player it has thus far been embarrassing to see how weak and vague the Union has acted." - "EU countries should stop daydreaming. They need to realize that there is still just one world power with the capacity and capability to ship large relief efforts across the world. After Haiti, surely even the EU must have understood that this world power in the United States." - "Thank heavens for a superpower because only the U.S. Air force is able to send in hundreds of specialists and equipment to a destroyed airport, and only the U.S Coast Guard is able to rebuild a collapsed harbor." - "When the catastrophe struck Haiti, the U.S. sent the Marine Corps. The Americans quickly took over the airport in Port-au-Prince. They directed and managed; took on the leadership and responsibility; and organized the rescue work." ¶7. Criticism has mainly been leveled at the international community, the United Nations and the EU. Swedish Broadcast media have reported from Port-au-Prince and, most recently, from on-board USS Carl Vinson, on the efforts by the USG to bring relief and restore order. Among the more skeptical commentators there is a discussion on what role the U.S. has or should have in Haiti, but the majority have noted and recognized that not only was the U.S. the only country that could act quickly, but that it did so. ¶8. Swedish Television (SVT) reported from January 20 that the U.S. Military was beginning to restore order and has also covered the arrival of U.S. rescue teams and military troops providing water and food supplies. Swedish Radio (SR) U.S. Correspondent Ginna Lindberg is presently onboard the USS Carl Vinson following the USG assistance efforts. She reported that efforts to distribute food and clean water are intense. In just five days, she noted, 77,000 liters of clean water has been distributed from USS Vinson and Blackhawks are flying in an endless stream delivering assistance. Quoting a Pentagon spokesperson she also noted the aid efforts will be stepped up by the coordination team on Guantanamo, who she reports, is also preparing tents for a possible flood of refugees. ¶9. Swedish print media has reported daily on the chaos in the aftermath of the earthquake with stories of looting, bodies in the street and desperation. However, print media have also repeatedly highlighted the early and fast response by the United States with images of rescue teams and military helicopters. The visit by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former President Clinton was reported as showing that there is strong commitment in the present administration for Haiti. The Swedes have praised the formation of the President's fund with President Obama and former Presidents Clinton and Bush, as well as the generosity of the American people and private institutions. The USG aid pledge (especially compared to the EU) has also been positively noted. BARZUN