CHICAGO, USA (CMC) - United States Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama has called for more aid for Haiti which has been battered by successive storms over the past few weeks that have killed more than 600 people.

"My thoughts and prayers are with the hundreds of thousands of Haitians struggling to survive the floods and devastation caused by the hurricanes and tropical storms of the past six weeks, and I extend my deepest sympathies to those affected by the loss of more than 500 lives," Obama said.

"Time is of the essence in helping Haiti cope with this humanitarian crisis and begin to recover. Tens of thousands of Haitians have been displaced and left without shelter," Obama said, noting that Haiti's already-struggling agricultural sector had also been devastated.

Haitian government officials said about one million people have been left homeless following the passage of four storms in recent weeks.

President René Préval said Haiti needs a "flood of helicopters, at least 25 with pilots," to help the country get food to storm victims.

"This is Katrina in the entire country, but without the means that Louisiana had," Préval said as Washington and Venezuela announced plans to provide relief to the Caribbean Community (Caricom) country.

Obama also urged Washington to collaborate with Preval and the new Haitian government and with key stakeholders, including United Nations Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), the Inter-American Development Bank, the World Bank and the Organisation of American States, to immediately assemble a task force on reconstruction and recovery in Haiti.

"Together, we can help Haiti recover from this terrible series of storms and renew efforts to bring hope and opportunity to the people of Haiti," he said.
Meanwhile, the United Nations (UN) said it was deeply concerned over the crisis in Haiti.

"The UN is already distributing food and potable water," said Elizabeth Byrs, a spokesperson for the UN Office of the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

She said the World Food Programme (WFP) has distributed a substantial amount of aid to the country "but we are very worried because some parts of the city are completely flooded".

Byrs also reported that a humanitarian crisis is emerging in the city of Camak, where many Haitians have taken refuge as floods inundated almost 85 per cent of nearby Gonaïves.

"We have a logistical nightmare because of the destruction of the roads," she said, stating that the two major roads to Gonaïves were blocked by fallen trees and debris, and a bridge collapsed on the only road which was accessible to light trucks.

Hédi Annabi, the head of the UN mission to Haiti - known as MINUSTAH - who visited Gonaïves over the weekend, said the city's residents were paralysed for 48 hours because of the scale of the disaster.

"I came here to express my sympathy, my solidarity, solidarity of MINUSTAH and the UN system towards the people of Gonaïves," he said.

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