The UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon, has expressed sympathy for the Haitian earthquake victims in a statement on Tuesday night:
My heart goes out to the people of Haiti after this devastating earthquake. I am receiving initial reports and following developments closely.
UN Undersecretary, Alain Le Roy, added:
For the moment, a large number of personnel remain unaccounted for.
The Department of Peacekeeping Operations is still in the process of gathering information on the extent of the damage and the status of UN personnel.
Meanwhile, the World Food Programme has mobilised to distribute biscuits from its stores in Haiti and is due to airlift a further 86 metric tons of food from an emergency store house in El Salvador. Donations to help the effort can be given through the WFP. WFP is part of the United Nations system and is voluntarily funded.