VZCZCXRO0520
PP RUEHIK
DE RUEHCP #0050/01 0281547
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 281547Z JAN 10
FM AMEMBASSY COPENHAGEN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5456
INFO RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 COPENHAGEN 000050 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/NB, EUR/ERA, HAITI TASKFORCE 3 
USEU BRUSSELS FOR PBROWN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID PREL PGOV DA HA
SUBJECT: TFHA01: DANISH RESPONSE HAS BROAD BACKING 
 
COPENHAGEN 00000050  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
(U)  SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED--NOT FOR INTERNET 
DISTRIBUTION. 
 
¶1.  (U) SUMMARY: The Danish Government is determined to 
allocate as much as needed for Haiti relief efforts. 
Contributions totaled approximately USD 23 million by 
 January 26; distribution is being coordinated closely 
with the UN.  Extensive and successful private 
fundraising activities continue; as of January 22, 
approximately USD 7.7 million had been collected.  The 
Danish Foreign Minister criticized the slow pace of the 
EU response but did not criticize U.S. efforts.  After 
some local criticism of the Danish response, political 
consensus appears to be emerging on the level and pace 
of government contributions.  END SUMMARY. 
 
LARGE-SCALE DANISH CONTRIBUTION TO HAITI RELIEF EFFORTS 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
¶2.  (U) The Danish Government continues to pledge to 
respond to all UN requests for assistance to Haiti. 
In total, the Danish Government's contributions to 
Haitian relief efforts amounted to almost USD 23 million 
as of January 26.  Private donations totaled 
approximately USD 7.7 million as of January 22.  The 
Danish Government response is being spearheaded by 
Minister for Development Cooperation Ulla Toernaes, 
who on January 14 announced the Danish Government's 
initial contribution of USD 1.9 million to UN relief 
operations in Haiti.  Responding to early opposition 
claims that the Government was doing too little too 
late, Minister Toernaes left an important internal 
cabinet seminar to make a strong response in the media 
that the Government stood ready to allocate whatever 
was needed, but insisted on awaiting directions from 
the UN.  The MFA subsequently announced on January 16 
the allocation of an additional USD 7.55 million, half 
or the UN and half to Danish relief NGOs. 
 
GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE REACHES ALMOST USD 23 MILLION 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
¶3.  (U) In addition to USD 1.9 million for 
miscellaneous assistance to NGO programs, Minister 
Toernaes on January 20 announced an allocation of 
USD 3.77 million for UNICEF and UNFPA relief 
programs, which brought the total Government 
allocation to Danish Kroner (DKK) 80 million, 
equivalent to approximately USD 15.1 million.  She 
also announced that the Government made immediately 
available Denmark's annual contribution to the UN 
disaster relief fund and the UNWFP, in the amount of 
DKK 150 million, or USD 28.3 million.  Minister 
Toernaes announced on January 25 that the Government 
has allocated USD 1.14 million for an additional 
tent camp project for UN relief workers jointly 
sponsored with other Nordic countries, plus USD 0.950 
million for special UNFPA projects.  Finally, emerging 
from a coordination meeting with the principal relief 
NGOs on January 26, Minister Toernaes announced the 
allocation of an additional USD 5.65 million for UN 
programs.  The combined Government donations thus total 
nearly USD 23 million. 
 
PRIVATE FUND-RAISING EXCEEDS PUBLIC ALLOCATIONS 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
¶4. (U) By January 22, the estimated combined fund-raising efforts by 
the principal relief and development NGOs 
(Danish Red Cross, UNICEF Denmark, Save the Children, 
Doctors without Borders, etc.) amounted to DKK 41 
million, or approximately USD 7.7 million, which at 
that point was approximately 50% more than the 
total public allocation  (we do not have updated 
figures for private funds raised).  Private 
fund-raising activities continue in close cooperation, especially 
with electronic media organizations. 
The largest corporate donation is an offer by Maersk 
Group to make two ships available free of charge for 
transport of aid to Haiti, in addition to free usage 
of Maersk-operated terminals and containers for aid 
destined to Haiti. 
 
FOREIGN MINISTER CRITICIZES EU EFFORTS, BUT NOT U.S. 
MILITARY 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
¶5.  (U) Emerging from an EU ministerial on January 25 
in Brussels, Danish Foreign Minister Per Stig Moeller 
came out strongly critical of the EU performance, 
specifically that it took a week before the EU 
development ministers convened for their first 
 
COPENHAGEN 00000050  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
planning meeting, and almost two weeks for the EU to 
decide on deploying 350 police officers to help deliver emergency 
supplies.  Explaining that Denmark will 
contribute neither soldiers nor police officers to 
Haiti, he still supported the EU line:  "It is not a 
military task to protect emergency relief. The EU 
therefore wants the UN to take over responsibility from 
the American military," while insisting that this is in 
no way a criticism of the rapid U.S military response. 
 
CONSENSUS BUILDING ON GOVERNMENT ALLOCATIONS 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
¶6. (SBU) On January 20, the Government's initial 
commitments were met with demands from a united front 
of center and left opposition parties that the 
Government allocate at least as much as was given to 
the tsunami relief efforts 5 years ago, which amounted 
to DKK 420 million, approximately USD 80 million.  To 
this, Minister Toernaes responded: "We are far from 
having full knowledge of the extent of the disaster, 
so this does not make sense.  We follow the situation 
closely and are constantly in touch with the UN system 
.... It is not my impression that more money is the 
greatest need right now, rather ensuring that the relief 
gets out."  With no new criticism of the Government on 
this issue since, and considering the additional 
allocation, it appears that broad political consensus is 
being established on the appropriate level of Danish 
Government support. Certainly for now, the opposition is targeting 
its criticism of the Government at other 
issues. 
 
FULTON