VZCZCXRO5827
OO RUEHIK
DE RUEHC #6918/01 0222316
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 222309Z JAN 10
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 STATE 006918 
 
SENSITIVE SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PREF EAID ECON HA
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE REQUEST: HAITI: U.S. HUMANITARIAN 
ASSISTANCE TO HAITI 
 
REFS: A) STATE 5871 
      B) STATE 4854 
      C) PORT AU PRINCE 54 
 
STATE 00006918  001.2 OF 004 
 
 
-------------------------- 
Summary and Action Request 
-------------------------- 
 
¶1. (SBU) Posts are instructed to demarche host governments 
at the highest appropriate level at the earliest 
opportunity to: 
 
-- underscore that the U.S. is actively supporting search 
and rescue, relief, recovery and reconstruction efforts in 
Haiti at the request of the Government of Haiti (REF C); 
 
 
-- emphasize that the Haitian Government is driving relief 
and recovery efforts and the United States is fully 
supporting and collaborating with it; 
 
-- emphasize that the U.S. is fully supporting and closely 
collaborating with the United Nations in the field in 
Haiti, as well as at UN Headquarters in New York and in 
other UN bodies, to ensure a robust and well-coordinated 
response by the international community; 
 
-- underscore that U.S. civilian agencies and the military 
are working to assist in the delivery of large-scale, 
humanitarian logistical support in Haiti; and 
 
-- thank nations for support (as appropriate) and urge 
support of the international community's efforts to assist 
Haiti in this critical time of need (REF B). 
 
¶2. (SBU) These points should also form the basis of wider 
outreach by Embassy officers with local media and contacts 
and additional resources for engagement and updated 
talking points can be found on Infocentral.  (See REF A) 
Posts may provide the talking points (para 3) to host 
governments as a non-paper and may also share a copy of 
the U.S.-Haiti Joint Communique (para 4).  Posts should 
report back immediately responses to this demarche to the 
Department and USUN.  Response to the Department should be 
slugged for the Haiti Earthquake Task Force 
(1TFK@state.gov), as well as WHA/CAR (V de Pirro) and 
IO/UNP (B Naranjo and M Garuckis).  End summary and action 
request. 
 
-------------- 
Talking points 
-------------- 
 
¶3. (U) In presenting this demarche, posts may provide a 
copy of the following non-paper: 
 
-- In the wake of the horrific earthquake that struck 
Haiti, the international community has shown strong 
solidarity with the people and Government of Haiti in 
their time of need.  The United States joins all nations 
in lamenting the unbearable losses endured by the Haitian 
people, as well as the historic loss of life suffered by 
the United Nations. 
 
 
-- The Haitian Government is coordinating relief and 
recovery efforts as much as possible despite operating 
under the most difficult of circumstances and suffering 
its own substantial losses.  President Obama pledged to 
the Haitian people and President Preval on January 15 that 
the United States would actively support these efforts in 
full partnership with Haitian authorities, the United 
Nations, and the international community. Our commitment 
to assist Haiti was reconfirmed on January 17 in a joint 
communique by President Preval and Secretary of State 
Clinton, in which President Preval also requested the United 
States to assist as needed in augmenting security in support 
of the Government and people of Haiti and the United Nations, 
international partners and organizations on the ground. 
 
-- The UN peacekeeping mission, MINUSTAH, has the primary 
international responsibility for security, which is essential 
to search and rescue, relief, recovery, and reconstruction 
efforts.  In keeping with President Preval's request to the 
United States for assistance to augment security, the U.S. is 
providing every possible support focusing primarily on the 
search, rescue, and relief mission and is in no way 
supplanting the UN's role.  President Obama has personally 
conveyed this message to the Secretary General of the United 
Nations, as well as to President Lula of Brazil -- the country 
which has contributed the largest number of forces to 
MINUSTAH, including the operational commander of all MINUSTAH 
forces on the ground. 
 
-- We are working as swiftly as we can in a difficult 
environment.  The needs are extensive, infrastructure is 
devastated, and the logistical challenge is substantial. 
In an effort to overcome these challenges, we are using 
the unique transport and logistical resources of the 
United States military to help build the supply chain and 
distribution networks needed by the Government of Haiti, the 
UN and the international community to care for the people of 
Haiti.  In one early success, U.S. military personnel, working 
in close coordination with the Government of Haiti and the 
United Nations, have expanded the capacity of the 
international airport at Port-au-Prince to handle more than 
100 relief flights during around-the-clock operations. We and 
others have already distributed hundreds of thousands of food 
and water rations, and continue to ramp up our efforts.  With 
every passing day, we are making more progress and 
reaching more people. 
 
-- To date, the U.S. has committed over $100 million in 
humanitarian assistance to respond to this disaster.  Our 
support includes: a Disaster Assistance Response Team, 
tasked with coordinating our efforts on the ground; U.S. 
Coast Guard cutters and planes; the aircraft carrier Carl 
Vinson with 19 helicopters as well as the U.S. Navy hospital 
ship Comfort and other naval vessels; more than 400 U.S. urban 
search and rescue personnel; over 250 medical personnel; 
and other resources and personnel.  We will continue 
delivering 600,000 daily rations over the next several 
days. 
 
-- The UN Security Council held emergency consultations on 
January 18 to discuss the urgent efforts to save lives and 
provide desperately needed assistance to the people of 
Haiti. Working closely with fellow UN Security Council 
Member States, the U.S. drafted and presented a resolution 
to endorse the UN Secretary-General's recommendation to 
increase the force levels of MINUSTAH to support immediate 
recovery and stability efforts.  On January 19, the UN 
Security Council unanimously adopted this resolution. 
 
-- This is a broad international effort.  The United 
States is pleased to participate alongside our 
international partners from countries across the Americas, 
including Canada, the Dominican Republic and Haiti's other 
Caribbean neighbors, and from around the world. Given the 
remarkable outpouring of support and resources, donor 
coordination and consultation with the Haitian government 
and the UN will be critical not only for teams on the 
ground in Haiti, but also for UN Member States in New 
York, in UN bodies, and at future donor coordination 
meetings. 
 
-- As we coordinate and focus on the immediate 
humanitarian relief efforts, we also need to begin 
coordinating for the longer term.  Haiti was making 
impressive progress before the earthquake.  This calamity 
only deepens the U.S. commitment to Haiti, including a 
sustained international focus on development, 
reconstruction and lasting economic support to build a 
better, stronger Haiti.  The U.S. urges other nations to 
join in the international community's response to support 
the Government of Haiti, assist the Haitian people, and 
collaborate with the UN in these endeavors. 
 
-- We are ready to continue working with the government of 
Haiti, the UN and all the other countries that have stepped 
forward to support this effort to do all that is necessary to 
address the immediate crisis in Haiti as well as its long-term 
reconstruction. 
 
--------------------------- 
U.S.-Haiti Joint Communique 
--------------------------- 
 
¶4. (U) Begin Text: 
 
JOINT COMMUNIQUE OF 
THE GOVERNMENTS OF HAITI AND THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 
ISSUED AT PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI 
JANUARY 17, 2010 
 
President Rene Preval of Haiti and Secretary of State 
Hillary Rodham Clinton of the United States of America met 
in Port-au-Prince in the wake of the catastrophic 
earthquake of January 12, 2010 and its tragic aftermath, 
and issued the following joint communiqui: 
 
Recognizing: 
 
the long history of friendship between the people of Haiti 
and the people of the United States and their mutual 
respect for each other's sovereignty; 
 
the grievous suffering of the people of Haiti, including 
the massive loss of life, widespread injuries, and 
extensive damage to public infrastructure and private 
property; 
 
the urgent need for an immediate response to the requests 
by the Government of Haiti and the paramount importance of 
safe, swift and effective implementation of rescue, 
relief, recovery, and reconstruction efforts; 
 
the current, unprecedented challenges facing the Haitian 
Government; and 
 
the January 15, 2010 conversation between President Obama 
and President Preval underscoring the urgency of the needs 
of Haiti and its people, President Obama's pledge of the 
full support of the American people for the Government and 
people of Haiti in relation to both the immediate recovery 
effort and the long-term rebuilding effort, and the two 
Presidents' commitment to coordinate assistance among the 
various parties, including the Haitian Government, the 
United Nations, the United States and the many international 
partners and organizations on the ground; 
 
President Preval, on behalf of the Government and people 
of Haiti, welcomes as essential the efforts in Haiti by 
the Government and people of the United States to support 
the immediate recovery, stability and long-term rebuilding 
of Haiti and requests the United States to assist as 
needed in augmenting security in support of the Government 
and people of Haiti and the United Nations, international 
partners and organizations on the ground; Secretary Clinton, 
on behalf of the Government and people of the United States, 
reaffirms the intention of the United States, through its 
assistance, to stand by the Haitian people in this time of 
great tragedy; and President Preval and Secretary Clinton 
jointly reaffirm that the Governments of Haiti and the United 
States will continue to cooperate under this shared 
understanding to promote the most safe and effective rescue, 
relief, recovery and reconstruction efforts possible. 
 
End text. 
 
¶5. (U) On January 22, The United States and the United 
Nations agreed to a Statement of Principles that will help 
guide on-the-ground coordination.  Guidance on the Statement 
follows: 
 
-- United States Ambassador Merten and Edmond Mulet, the 
Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General 
in Haiti have signed a Statement of Principles on field 
coordination between the United Nations in Haiti and the 
United States Government in the Haitian earthquake response 
effort. 
 
-- The Statement reaffirms the primary responsibility of the 
Government of Haiti for the response to the earthquake of 
 
-- 12 January 2010, but notes that the scale of the disaster 
and the urgency of the humanitarian relief needs require a 
comprehensive and coordinated international response. 
 
-- The United States Government and the United Nations 
Stabilization Mission in Haiti committed to supporting the 
Haitian Government in carrying out its responsibilities, and 
will coordinate their respective activities at regular joint 
meetings of senior United States and United Nations staff. 
 
-- The Statement also reaffirmed that, in consultation with 
the Haitian government, the United Nations is coordinating the 
international response to the Haitian earthquake, consistent 
with its mandate as established by the United Nations Security 
Council. 
 
-- This agreement formalizes the already excellent working 
relationship between the United States and the United Nations 
on the ground, and ensures that this smooth cooperation will 
continue. 
 
-- The United States will continue to assist the people and 
government of Haiti in every way we can. 
 
IF ASKED:  Are U.S. military forces under the command and 
control of the United Nations in Haiti? 
 
-- United States military forces are operating under United 
States chain of command, but are committed to coordinating 
with the United Nations and will seek to support priority aid 
requirements as identified by the United Nations in their 
response activities. 
 
¶6. Minimized Considered. 
CLINTON