U.S. launches massive assistance to Haiti over quake disaster

WASHINGTON, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- Responding to the deadly earthquake disaster in Haiti, the United States has offered "both civilian and military disaster relief and humanitarian assistance" for saving lives in the devastated country.

ADMINISTARTION'S REACTION

"I have directed my administration to respond with a swift, coordinated and aggressive effort to save lives," U.S. President Barack Obama said Wednesday morning, adding that the first three U.S. search and rescue teams would arrive in Haiti in 48 hours.

More rescue and medical equipment and emergency personnel are being prepared.

Obama has asked the departments of state and defense, as well as U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), to bear the brunt of work in the relief effort, which is coordinated by Director of USAID Rajiv Shah.

"The people of Haiti will have the full support of the United States in the urgent effort to rescue those trapped beneath the rubble and to deliver the humanitarian relief that Haitians will need in the coming days," said the president.

Also on Wednesday, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who is in Hawaii and is scheduled to travel to Papua New Guinea, New Zealand and Australia from Jan. 14 to Jan. 19, has decided to shorten the trip after exchanging opinion with Obama in order to deal with affairs related to the relief efforts in Haiti.

TRAVEL ALERT

Early on Wednesday, State Department issued a two-month-long travel alert, urging U.S. citizens to avoid traveling to Haiti after the country was struck by a strong earthquake. The alert expires on March 13.

The department suggests U.S. citizens in Haiti remain in shelter, avoid damaged buildings, and obey all instructions from local authorities, urging them to contact friends and relatives outside of Haiti if possible.

Thousands of people are feared dead and many are missing in a 7.0-magnitude earthquake, which struck Haiti at about 4:53 p.m. local time (2153 GMT) Tuesday. International Federation of the Red Cross estimated that some 3 million people may have been affected by the earthquake.

There are 45,000 U.S. citizens in Haiti. According to the department, the U.S. Embassy in Port-Au-Prince is working to identify U.S. citizens in Haiti who need urgent assistance and to identify sources of emergency help.

CIVILIAN ASSISTANCE

In a special briefing held in the State Department, Director of USAID Rajiv Shah told reporters that a 15-member USAID team and two urban search-and-rescue units, which compose of up to 72 personnel, six search and rescue canines and up to 48 tons of rescue equipment, have been dispatched to Haiti.

"The goal of the relief effort in the first 72 hours will be very focused on saving lives," said Shah, adding that apart from sending rescue teams, the agency is also thinking about "critical needs in the area of health and food, water, transportation, infrastructure, and other advanced planning that needs to take place now."

"We will do everything we possibly can with the capabilities we have to make sure that we're serving the Haitian people and that we're serving American citizens in that environment and trying to save lives," said Shah.

"If that means more active and aggressive and fast about trying to secure commitment and support from other countries and trying to coordinate that effort, we're prepared to do that," he added.