The 15-member UN Security Council, "recognising the dire circumstances and urgent need for a response", on Tuesday unanimously backed a request by Ban Ki-moon, the UN chief, to reinforce the 9,000-strong UN force in the Caribbean nation.
Defending the UN on Tuesday against criticism that millions of Haitians still do not have food or water, Ban said "the situation is overwhelming".
But he said that "initial difficulties and bottlenecks" that held up supplies were being overcome and UN relief operations were "gearing up quickly".
"We must do all we can to get these extra forces on the ground as soon as possible so that they can help maintain order and deliver humanitarian assistance," Ban said.
The UN move came as the Haitian government said on Tuesday that the number of people killed in last week’s earthquake had risen to 75,000, with another 250,000 injured and one million left homeless.
Source: Africa Daily