VZCZCXRO8279
PP RUEHQU
DE RUEHPU #1511/01 3031659
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 291659Z OCT 08
FM AMEMBASSY PORT AU PRINCE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9046
INFO RUEHZH/HAITI COLLECTIVE
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 2102
RUEHMN/AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO 0256
RUEHSG/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO 2437
RUEHMT/AMCONSUL MONTREAL 0346
RUEHQU/AMCONSUL QUEBEC 1287
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
RUCOWCV/CGDSEVEN MIAMI FL
RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM J2 MIAMI FL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 PORT AU PRINCE 001511 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR WHA/CAR, WHA/CCA, S/CRS/ INR/IAA 
SOUTHCOME ALSO FOR POLAD 
STATE PASS AID FOR LAC/CAR 
TREASURY FOR MAUREEN WAVER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL EAID HA VE CU
SUBJECT:  GONAIVES STILL DIGGING OUT AFTER FLOODING 
 
PORT AU PR 00001511  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
¶1.  This message is sensitive but unclassified-please protect 
accordingly. 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) Gonaives continues to dig out from mud that covered the 
city in tropical storm flooding in August and early September.  The 
World Food Program plans to continue mass feeding programs, which 
benefit most city residents, until Christmas.  Finding alternative 
shelter for 33,000 displaced persons as schools used as shelters are 
emptied for the opening of classes is the biggest challenge facing 
international aid organizations.  The Venezuelans funnel their 
assistance directly through the mayor.  MINUSTAH suspects he diverts 
some of it.  There have been demonstrations accusing the mayor of 
corruption.  The security situation is calm, although crime is 
returning to normal levels.  The Argentinean battalion responsible 
for Gonaives is now completely focused on humanitarian operations. 
End summary. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Ambassador visited the northeastern city of Gonaives 
October 22 to view the extent of the damage sustained in four 
hurricanes and tropical storms in August-early September.  She was 
accompanied by PolCouns, an Embassy USAID economic growth official, 
and the Haiti Program Directors of IOM and CHF. 
 
¶4. (U) These storms inflicted worse damage and more fatalities 
(almost 500) on Gonaives than on any other city in Haiti.  The city 
which is barely above sea level, lies at the end of an extensive 
coastal mud flat at the end of the Artibonite valley.  Decades of 
watershed degradation and hillside erosion make Gonaives vulnerable 
to flooding during heavy rains.  The city still lies under a layer 
of dried mud up to one meter deep.  Main thoroughfares have been 
partially cleared but remain covered by hard-pack mud.  Mud cleared 
from these roads lies in piles along the side of the road awaiting 
removal.  Most side streets remain covered in mud and remain 
impassible by vehicle traffic.  People were shoveling mud from their 
dwellings and depositing it in the street.  Since virtually all 
vehicular traffic is concentrated on a few central arteries, these 
are choked with traffic.  Dump trucks loading and transporting mud, 
or stalled in deep holes obscured by water, are a major traffic 
obstruction.  Stretches of liquid mud and standing water continue to 
obstruct short stretches of road.  The most efficient means of 
transport in Gonaives is the motorcycle and bicycle. 
 
The Assistance Picture 
---------------------- 
 
¶5. (U) World Food Program (WFP) representatives reported they are 
feeding virtually the entire city of Gonaives, and plan to do so 
until Christmas.  This requires 4,500 tons of food.  More was needed 
for areas outside of Gonaives.   Coordinating with community block 
leaders WFP, is transitioning from dispersed food distributions to 
recipients in multiple localities to mass distributions in eight or 
ten central distribution points, each targeting 25-30,000 people. 
WFP plans to phase out mass food distributions in December and 
target the most needy (especially children and pregnant/lactating 
women) and schools; also, to undertake nutritional activity and 
initiate food for work programs.  MINUSTAH's civil affairs 
representative in Gonaives, Jens Kristensen, reported that food 
distribution was effective and being coordinated with community 
leaders, who have not diverted donated items. 
 
¶6. (U) WFP reported that shelter is a looming problem. 
Approximately 33,000 people remain in shelters, of which 23,000 are 
sheltered in schools.  The latter, however, have to be cleared if 
school in Gonaives is to begin on the target date of November 10. 
(Note:  the school year in the rest of Haiti began over one month 
late, on October 6, due to hurricane damage.  End note.)  WFP lacks 
the tents or accommodations in other buildings to house these 
displaced persons.  WFP was thinking of giving them a ''return 
package'' of equipment to help people return to still-unrepaired 
homes. 
 
¶7. (SBU) The WFP representatives complained that the Government of 
Haiti places the full burden of the humanitarian response on the 
international community.  The GOH has no plan to feed or shelter its 
displaced citizens.  No one in the GOH is ready to assume 
 
PORT AU PR 00001511  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
responsibility.  WFP met with school directors in an unsuccessful 
attempt to coordinate the movement of persons out of schools used as 
shelters.  Nevertheless, these directors, anxious to get their 
buildings ready for the opening of school, often expelled their 
homeless residents with little notice.  Once gone from shelters, 
these victims are difficult to locate and target with follow-on 
assistance. 
 
¶8. (U) Overlaying the assistance picture is the cleanup challenge. 
Roads, public buildings and homes have to be cleared of mud.  WFP 
said the means at hand were insufficient.  They estimated it will 
take 200 trucks nine months to clear the city of mud. 
 
Return to Normalcy as Political Tensions Rise 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶9. (SBU) Kristensen said MINUSTAH is observing a return to relative 
normalcy in Gonaives.  Security is improving to the point that WFP 
is considering replacing MINUSTAH troop security escorts for food 
distributions with a less visible security presence, such as UN 
Police units.   Some assistance foodstuffs are turning up in local 
markets, but not in large quantities.  It is considered normal that 
people would sell some of their donated food to purchase other 
goods.  On the other hand, MINUSTAH also observes a significant but 
not large-scale revival of crime and demonstrations against mayors 
suspected of influencing food distributions.  There is an increase 
in reported rapes, 4-5 being reported in the previous two weeks. 
MINUSTAH has seen only one reported rape in a shelter. 
 
¶10. (SBU) MINUSTAH's Kristensen and an aide reported that the influx 
of assistance has created fodder for conflict between mayors and 
authorities in the Artibonite Department, and between Principal and 
Deputy Mayors.  (Note:  Haitian municipalities elect a mayor and two 
deputies.  End note.)  The Departmental Delegate (Note:  an official 
appointed by the central government to monitor the use of national 
funds by local elected officials.  End note) accused the Mayor of 
Gonaives of corruption in the use of Government of Haiti assistance 
funds.  Kristensen stated that Gonaives Mayor Stephen Moises 
personally supervised the offloading, storage, and distribution of 
food and other donations from Venezuela.  Rumors persisted that he 
diverted some of these goods for his own purposes.  The Mayor has no 
influence over the much greater food and non-food assistance 
provided by other donors, but neither does he try to coordinate use 
of the Venezuelan aid with UN and other relief agencies. 
 
¶11. (SBU) An aide to Kristensen reported that the influx of 
emergency appropriations from the Government of Haiti has created 
conflict between mayors and deputy mayors in many municipalities in 
the Artibonite Department.  Currently, the Ministries of Interior 
and Planning required that mayors, but not their deputies, sign 
agreements on use of these funds.  MINUSTAH thought that requiring 
the co-signature of at least one deputy mayor would encourage mayors 
and their deputies to agree. 
 
MINUSTAH Troops Primarily Focused on Humanitarian Work 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
 
¶12. (SBU) The Artibonite Department, of which Gonaives is the 
largest city, is under the responsibility of an Argentinean 
Battalion.  Battalion Commander Lt. Col. Ricardo Secotaro told the 
Ambassador that the local population is civil and respectful toward 
his troops, albeit not overtly friendly.  He assessed the security 
situation as ''calm, with no serious problems.''  There are no 
kidnappings.  Areas outside Gonaives are quieter.  The Haitian 
National Police (HNP) is present in some areas of the Department but 
has been largely absent in the aftermath of the hurricanes.  Now the 
Pakistani Formed Police Unit (FPU) and UN Police work with the HNP. 
(Note:  Ambassador observed only one HNP officer in the course of 
the day in Gonaives.  End note.)  The overriding problem in the area 
is the obstruction of roads.  Secotaro's battalion is focused 
predominantly on humanitarian work by providing medical assistance 
to the local population.  They had carried out scores of medical 
rescues and evacuation of the severely injured.  His troops had 
carried out over 500 evacuations by land, air and sea, including 
evacuation of 19 Cuban doctors.  They had helped distribute over 2.5 
million food rations and 250,000 liters of water. 
 
Gonaives Mayor:  More Aid Needed 
 
PORT AU PR 00001511  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶13. (SBU) Gonaives Mayor Stephen Moises greeted the Ambassador by 
reading a florid speech commending the work of the U.S. and the 
international community in Gonaives.  In the following conversation 
with the Ambassador, he said there was much left for the 
international community to do.  The central government has given 
Gonaives heavy equipment, which it was using for cleanup.  Three 
million cubic meters of mud had to be removed.  The Mayor noted that 
food assistance was going well and that 90 percent of the food 
problem was solved, but he complained that the mayor's office was 
''excluded'' from the assistance process.  (Comment:  We believe the 
mayor would like to share in the political - and possibly the 
material - benefits of having a hand in the distribution of 
international assistance.  End comment.) 
 
USAID Projects Visited 
---------------------- 
 
¶14. (U) Ambassador visited the La Quinte River Bridge, where the 
river overflowed its banks and began the flooding of the city.  The 
IOM Director explained a program that will begin soon to re-open an 
irrigation canal from the La Quinte River that will irrigate rice 
and corn fields. However, massive work to restore the watershed 
above the river is needed if future flooding is to be prevented. 
Ambassador also visited the Sisters of Charity clinic, which 
receives WFP food rations.  With USAID funding, IOM refurbished the 
800 meter-road leading to the clinic. 
 
¶15. (U) Because of extreme traffic congestion and mud in the center 
of town, the Ambassador was unable to visit the Gonaives hospital 
that is being cleaned up by CHF, or visit the Raboteau community, 
one of the city's large slum communities that have generated crime 
and gang activity. 
 
Sanderson