The earthquake had rendered both of the two main piers of the Port-au-Prince
seaport as "unusable." JTF-Haiti, with assistance from U.S. Transportation
Command, quickly established a Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore capability to
bring supplies in from the sea. This doubled the number of shipping containers
received in Haiti from pre-quake numbers. Also, JTF-Haiti established a
temporary port capability at the Port-au-Prince seaport through the use of two
contracted Crowley barges. This further enhanced the flow of supplies into Haiti
and reduced some pressure on the international airport.
From the beginning, the focus of JTF-Haiti was to save lives and mitigate
suffering. Security – to protect the people from gangs, looting, and acts of
violence – was also an initial concern. However, JTF-Haiti's close working
relationship with MINUSTAH and the cooperation and professionalism by
MINUSTAH in conducting security operations enabled the JTF to focus its efforts
on humanitarian assistance operations. In the first few days following the
earthquake, General Keen and the MINUSTAH force commander, Major General
Peixoto (Brazil), discussed the necessity and a concept for a safe and secure
environment. Bringing their staffs together on this issue ensured that priorities
and workloads were aligned. It enabled MINUSTAH to provide the requisite
security, while JTF-H could then focus on delivery of food, water, and emergency
medical care. Regular meetings between forces contributed to unity of effort and
mission accomplishment.
Another excellent example of partnering was in the development and execution
of the first major food distribution plan for Operation Unified Response. JTFHaiti, the World Food Program, MINUSTAH, and various UN agencies contributed to this effort through joint and combined planning. The locations for 16 food
distribution sites throughout Port-au-Prince and its surrounding communities
were mapped out, requirements determined, and concepts of operation written,
and then these critical sites were rapidly established and supported – for initial
deliveries and sustained distribution. Through these nodes, and through the
teamwork and communication between these partners (prompted and facilitated by JTF-Haiti), more than two million Haitians received much-needed food
and water on a regular basis.
JTF-Haiti's "Humanitarian Assistance Coordination Center" was the key node for
facilitating the coordination and collaboration between JTF-Haiti and its partners.
This coordination center pulled together, and tracked, the efforts of JTF-Haiti,
MINUSTAH forces, the UN humanitarian community, USAID, and numerous
NGOs. This coordination center was manned by a 30 military personnel,
including one general officer. This center, and the bulk of JTF-Haiti, operated on
unclassified information systems and used commercially available programs/
tools to build a humanitarian assistance common operating picture – shared with
all participants.
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