January 20, 2010
Thank you
First, let me reiterate that the Government of Canada and the Canadian Forces join with all Canadians in extending our continuing support to the Haitian people. As we move ahead with Op HESTIA, our mission in Haiti, our thoughts continue to be focused on the many people in Canada, Haiti and around the world who are living with the effects of this tragedy every day.
Much has happened in Haiti over the past 24 hours. Canadian Forces members remain engaged in the humanitarian assistance efforts in Haiti. HMC ships Halifax and Athabascan arrived in Haitian waters yesterday and stationed off shore from Jacmel and Léogâne respectively. The vessels immediately began offloading vital drinking water, equipment, and people and began reconnaissance of the immediate areas. Due to the damage sustained to the ports, the humanitarian support assistance teams are using the Navy’s rigid hull inflatable boats (RHIB) to shuttle between the ships and shore.
In Jacmel the reconnaissance team focused on the area near the jetty and the surrounding town in order to assess where best to commence clearing roads and debris and assist in delivery of aid. The team confirmed 80 to 90 per cent destruction in the area. In Léogâne the shore team began assisting with setting up the first aid centre.
I have been advised that through the exceptional efforts of the CF men and women on the ground in the Jacmel area, the Jacmel airfield will become a fully functional airport within the next 24 hours. This achievement is crucial, as it will allow the Canadian Forces access to a viable landing strip 24 hrs a day, making it easier to ensure a continuous flow of aid supplies and equipment. Although this airfield lacks radar capability, HMCS Halifax off the coast at Jacmel has the capability and will be a valuable asset in the execution of airfield operations. Once this airstrip has been cleared for use, the CF will be in a position to control/manage the airspace in that region of Haiti to allow our aircraft to move into and out of Haiti and avoid the congestion we’ve seen at the Port-au-Prince airport.
These efforts are made easier by an agreement that we have reached with the Government of Jamaica to allow the Canadian Forces to use Norman Manley Airport as an air bridge to improve and enhance the movement of equipment and people into and out of Haiti. It also helps reduce some of the strain on the airport in Port-au-Prince, by diverting CF air traffic.
With this air bridge, we will be able to use our C-17 Globemaster aircraft to carry people, supplies and equipment between CFB Trenton and Kingston, Jamaica. From there we will use our CC-130 Hercules aircraft for the short haul flights between Jamaica and the Jacmel airstrip in Haiti.
This agreement is made possible by the strong ties between the Government of Canada and the Jamaican Government as well as a history of the Canadian Forces working cooperatively with the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF). This is a relationship that is important to Canada’s contribution to the security pillar of the Government’s Americas Strategy in the Western Hemisphere. For decades we have maintained a close working relationship between the CF and the JDF - members of the CF and JDF have trained together in both Canada and Jamaica, and we cooperated in two major military exercises held in Jamaica in 2008. As well, a JDF exchange officer recently returned from a six-month deployment to Afghanistan with the Canadian Forces. We are very pleased that Jamaica has agreed to support Canada’s efforts in Haiti.
I am proud that Canadians were among the first on the ground and into action following the earthquake but individual Canadians are in key leadership roles in support of the international community’s efforts.
I cannot emphasize enough that the primary focus of our mission is to support the people of Haiti during this very difficult time. To date, the Canadian Forces have airlifted over 530,000 pounds of aid into Haiti, bringing the total to more than 290,000 pounds in relief goods alone, in addition to equipment and supplies transported into theatre.
Also in the past 24 hrs, DART medical efforts have treated 100 people at the Jacmel Hospital, 15 individuals at the multi-national field hospital, and 25 people at the Canadian Embassy.
Now an update on the CF assets committed to support this massive humanitarian assistance effort include:
- The Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART), including engineering, medical, logistical, and defence and security personnel;
- A Naval Task Force, made up of a destroyer and a frigate, and a CH-124 Sea King helicopter;
- Six CH-146 Griffon helicopters;
- One light infantry battalion, standing by to deploy;
- CC-177 Globemaster and CC-130 Hercules airlift support;
- Medical facilities; and
- Four water purification systems including three NOMAD sand-water systems and one reverse osmosis water purification unit (ROWPU) - an advanced water treatment system capable of purifying any water source found in the world including fresh, brackish or seawater, bringing our clean water production capacity to over 139,000 gallons of water per day.
We must not lose focus on the fact that this is a tragedy of unspeakable proportions and that Canada and the Canadian Forces want to be there to do whatever is possible as part of the international response. Our hearts continue to be with the Haitian people. Their strength has been tested beyond what we can ever imagine and it is our duty to do what we can to assist them in their time of need.
