Update on Austrian Aid to Haiti

UNCLAS VIENNA 000107

SIPDIS

STATE FOR HAITI EARTHQUAKE TASK FORCE (ROSSER),WHA/FO (WILLIAMS),
USAID FOR AID/A (O'NEILL),DCHA/OFDA, UNAID/OFDA, EUR/EX, EUR/NB

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID ECON PGOV PREL PREF HA AU
SUBJECT: Update on Austrian Aid to Haiti

REF: VIENNA 69


1. Austria's total (public and private) assistance to Haiti has
risen to about EUR 10 million, making Austria one of the more
generous countries in the EU on a per capita basis(after Norway,
Sweden and Denmark).


2. Government Aid: This week Foreign Minister Spindelegger
announced that the GoA would contribute an additional 2 million
Euros to its earlier contribution of EUR 600,000 in emergency funds
and EUR 200,000 in supplies - making the government's total
contribution Euros 2.8 million Euros. Provincial governments have
also pledged aid to Haiti: EUR 500,000 from Vienna and EUR 350,000
from Tyrol.


3. Private Aid: Private donations have far exceeded government
donations. "Nachbar-in-Not" (Neighbors-in-Need),the umbrella
organization for Austrian aid groups reported this week that is has
received EUR 6.7 million in donations for Haiti. There are also
various business associations collecting smaller amounts. On a
political note, our Interior Ministry contact reports that there are
now two small NGO teams of Austrians in Haiti: one is from the
Austrian Red Cross and is sponsored by the conservative People's
Party (OeVP),the other is from the Austrian Samaritans and is
sponsored by the Social Democratic Party (SPOe).


4. Aid Shipments To Date: According to Christian Krol at the
Interior Ministry, three shipments of aid supplies for Haiti have
been sent/arranged:
- 19 January: 2 Interagency Emergency Health Kits (IEHKs) left for
Port-au-Prince on board an IL76 along with a Red Cross water
purification equipment and hygiene parcels;
- 24 January: 400 family tents left for St. Domingo on board a joint
transport arranged by the GoA along with assets from Slovenia and
Hungary.
- End January (pending): 10 additional IEHKs which will be shipped
by Caritas (a Catholic NGO) probably through St. Domingo.

EACHO