HAITI EARTHQUAKE / UN HAITI BRIEFING P1
FTG FOR COVERAGE OF THE DEVASTATING 7.0-MAGNITUDE EARTHQUAKE THAT HIT NEAR THE CAPITAL OF PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI WHICH DESTROYED BUILDINGS AND LEFT THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE DEAD
John Holmes, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator
12:09:12 desperate need for medical help, teams, supplies, hospitals badly effected
12:09:22 overwhelmed by injured and injuries. clean water is an urgent need too. absence of properly functioning water supply. food, shelter needed
12:09:43 many on streets unable to go home. many needs -- expect to increase and making major effort and NGO's to gear up to mobilize to give help as quickly as possible
12:10:05 many offering help. US, France, Canada, etc. many already offered help, already on the way in terms of planes. significant international response on the way.
12:10:28 Major humanitarian crisis and needs will be extremely great
12:10:37 do have humanitarian agencies on the ground functioning. we have a head start, all agencies including ourselves are mobilizing extra staff and teams asap
12:11:04 trying to coordinate in usual was as best can. issue flash appeal in next few days, don't know breakdown too early to say. Will issue as quickly as can on basis of knowledge we have.
12:11:30 we've committed 10 million and will release more as required by situation. Assistance already on way from WHO and others, unicef and NGO's WFP, airlifting 86 metric tons from el salvador in form of high energy biscuits, feed 30,000 for 7 days.
12:12:10 taking interest in water and sanitation which will be a particular problem. significant international effort underway. w working as hard as can in UN system and humanitarian community
12:12:39 Haiti is very poor country, many disasters in past, little capacity to tackle itself so particularly in need of international need.
12:13:01 question (can't hear)
12:13:12 don't have any news, believe his deputy is under rubble of hotel Christopher, concerned about them. Don't have reliable figures for other deaths even for peacekeepers. Can't control them, not disputing them.
12:13:42 Hope end of day advances
12:13:48 Question -- secy general
12:13:54 I think 50-100 in that building, but if add number unaccounted for figure rises to near 150.
12:14:12 don't think we have anything for hotel montano. Know that some UN staff lived there, I don't have exact figures at the moment.
12:14:30 Question -- death toll in thousands, tens of thousands?
12:14:37 I don't have a good idea, possible will be in thousands, large buildings not surprising but I don't have anything reliable to say
12:14:56 question -- secretary general spoke of bill clinton, what's his role?
12:15:16 Talking to president clinton and staff about role, extremely valuable asset in this. will want to be part of flash appeal and long term recovery.
12:15:37 for flash appeal try to get best fix on extent of damage...overall figure will need to be revised, and also breakdown of needs of food, medical aid, etc. that's how it's put together, we make an assessment and do best can in situation
12:16:18 question -- airport, is administered by peacekeepers. Aid flown into Haiti or Dominican repub?
12:16:35 I understand airport is functioning but not in control of anyone -- questions of peace keeps can take over. moment it's a bit wild, but is operating and as best we can.
12:17:11 we assume air traffic control can be replace, want t o use airport for search and rescue teams and for arriving aid. will need to use dominican republic as well. reports the port is partly damaged too.
12:17:42 question -- general phrazer from centcom said I was talking about the airport, said the tower was being fixed by american military. do you have confirmation?
12:18:09 I don't have confirmation, conversation about whether US or UN should do it -- it's unclear discussing now.
12:18:25 Question -- will be deterioration in security to make situation worse? breakdown further?
12:18:38 concern about security, local law and order forces in state of disorder. Lacking top leadership t moment because of those trapped in Hotel Christopher. Also another deputy in control
12:19:19 military part of ministry is still functioning, working hard, secure main infrastructure and routes. Think security will be an issue, maintaining will be important
12:19:46 Question -- any looting?
12:19:50 haven't seen anything substantial. Not major phenom at this stage
12:20:02 Question -- how many bodies?
12:20:03 have recovered some bodies. From Christopher, 5 this morning, but no good accurate numbers. and more still under the rubble.
12:20:35 Question --
12:20:39 can't confirm -- these people are unaccounted for.
12:21:22 don't think they're good enough, have some supplies in Haiti in NGO's. Limited supplies in Dominican republic. and panama, will mobilize all of those as fast as possible. What's on the spot won't last very long frankly.
12:21:54 question -- communication vital. Didn't mention of any need, satellites and cell phones. Have we worked out strategy to make more efficient?
12:23:10 communications are vital, have satellite links ourselves, have been using so in touch w/people there and mission and military. And with our agencies when can get through.
12:23:31 major problem until phone lines get back up. Organization is deploying people, world food program will look at what they can do. Others working on it too -- so plenty of effort to get communication up.
12:24:02 Issues of looking after themselves and rest of UN presence, but to max extent will be used to help broad population and maintain security and keep port and airport open. Not my mandate, but doing as much as can. Discussion between headquarters and acting force commander there. And contributors as well to decide in detail how they can be used and deployed.
12:24:54 Question -- Has UN been in touch w/leadership in Haiti. And is anybody running the country at this point? appears from what UN said that Minister has troops out at the port, the airport patrolling. Is the extent of whose in control of the country. Double check on figures of people mission, quite clear from what Mr. Larousse said this morning that there were more than 100 people under the UN headquarters, and then someone got up and talked about 38 people mission. Need some clarification
12:26:11 have been in touch indirectly w/president preval, we know he's alive. military beginning to get its act together.
12:26:38 on the figure, I know 50-100 under the rubble. 38 mentioned mission from UNDP, and another UNDP annex building collapsed. Extremely fluid, so some people just not accounted for. Some may be at home and we can't contact them, or they could be trapped. We don't know.
12:27:50 know a number of them in lower floors got out, that's why believe 50-100 still trapped.
12:28:06 Some people were able to escape and some of those people re the logistics base near the airport, that's why they're accounted for. Some point some may have been expected to leave and some were still inside.
12:28:40 The force commander was out of the country at the time, these are all the figures we're trying to compare. Don't want to give inaccurate figures because that's worse.
12:29:04 Question -- how many unaccounted for?
12:29:09 not sure.
12:29:22 Question -- Video teleconference w/John Gingham and someone else
12:29:50 Aware that we've been working to make happen, whether we can because that channel is needed for relief efforts, aware that's a window on what's happening trying to make that happen. I just received some points phoned through from headquarters. Coming from acting spokesperson of minister.
12:30:36 Earthquake major damage. National palace, cathedral, ministry of justice, etc. destroyed. h hotels, schools, penitentiary extensive damage. Casualties can't be estimated. Unknown number have suffered damaged
12:31:14 Haitians slept in streets feared houses would collapse on the,. Transportation disrupted by cracks, smashed cars, fallen trees
12:31:36 appealed for supplies, assistance, rescues, etc. Other UN offices in addition to christopher hotel -- 10 mission from UNDP compound houses (lists what houses), UN personnel seriously injured evacuated overnight to airport
12:32:34 other search and rescue teams arriving, will be deployed to govt buildings and hospitals.
12:32:48 UN police helping maintain order.
12:32:56 earthquake felt in lucave in SW and danave in North. In Capital destruction is massive and broad, while Haitian services aren't able to cope. UN agencies at hotel christopher have regrouped at mission space at airport.
12:33:34 that's fresh from the mission. acting spokesperson.
12:34:14 my predecessor -- she was traveling here, don't know anything else. Nothing further, I know you're interested, know her well. Will give you info as we get it.
12:35:16 asses in disasters what is the capacity of the country, what is the infrastructure like. More we can rely on national capacity the better. We know it's limited here. Know from hurricanes a few months ago, so assume intl community will have to be heavily engaged.
12:35:58 for example, was large earthquake in Indonesia -- has better resources so easier. These will have to be provided more from the outside in this case. Having equipment big problem in search and rescue operations. Trying to get that lifting equipment from the US, dominican republic.
12:36:50 Question -- Can international staff have families in certain place, hotel christopher had it passed UN muster or not? Search and rescue, how did Chinese search and rescue get there so quickly?
12:37:22 not sure if family duty station, I don't' know. can't answer question about exact status about compliance of building.
12:37:52 Chinese team came from Beijing, so quickly because Chinese delegation in the rubble.
12:38:10 Question --
12:38:17 Cuba has record of help, but we haven't been in touch directly. Talking to many governments around the world for providing assistance. As you know Mr. McGuire will be briefing today.
12:39:04 Man w/pink tie leaves, another man sits down, reads announcement
12:39:25 announcement -- following on earthquake that hit Haiti yesterday
12:39:35 citing president of general assembly is convening at 4pm today. Briefing by secretary general will follow situation coordinates with secy general. We have online statement made during night from pres of gen statement.
12:40:12 secy general will speak to media after he has briefed the general assembly. May need to shift the briefing, will figure it out.