A Chinese rescue team arrive at the airport in Haitian capital Port-au-Prince on Jan. 14, 2009. (Xinhua/Xing Guangli) Photo Gallery>>>

    BEIJING, Jan. 14 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese emergency rescue team arrived in Haiti's capital Port-au-Prince early Thursday local time, to help the rescue operation after an earthquake in which up to 100,000 people are feared dead and eight Chinese are still missing.

    Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Jiang Yu told a regular press briefing four of the missing Chinese were peace-keepers while the other four were from a six-member working group of the Ministry of the Public Security.

A Chinese emergency rescue team arrives at the airport in Haitian capital Port-au-Prince on Jan. 14, 2010. The rescue team arrived here early Thursday local time, to help the rescue operation after an earthquake in which up to 100,000 people are feared dead and eight Chinese are still missing. (Xinhua/Yuan Man) Photo Gallery>>>

    The eight Chinese were holding peacekeeping consultations with U.N. staff in the headquarters of the UN Stabilization Mission in Port-au-Prince when the quake occured, according to a statement from the Ministry of Public Security.

    Other Chinese in Haiti including more than 130 peacekeepers and those working for China's trade office, enterprises and other organizations in Haiti, were safe, said Jiang.

Chinese emergency rescue team members set up maritime satellite after arriving at the airport in Haitian capital Port-au-Prince on Jan. 14, 2010. The rescue team arrived here early Thursday local time, to help the rescue operation after an earthquake in which up to 100,000 people are feared dead and eight Chinese are still missing. (Xinhua/Yuan Man) Photo Gallery>>>

    The Chinese peacekeeping unit has mobilized 53 police peacekeepers and more than 400 local people to search for the missings before the rescue team arrived.

    One armored vehicle, three off-road vehicles as well as one minibus have been sent to the collapse venue.

    International rescue teams from the United States, Iceland and Puerto Rico have also arrived in Haiti to join the rescue effort at the UN building. Heavy excavating equipment have been put in use to search for the missings.

    To date, China had sent a total of 142 police peacekeepers to Haiti.

Chinese emergency rescue team arrives at the airport in Haitian capital Port-au-Prince on Jan. 14, 2010. The rescue team arrived here early Thursday local time, to help the rescue operation after an earthquake in which up to 100,000 people are feared dead and eight Chinese are still missing. (Xinhua/Yuan Man) Photo Gallery>>>

    Since a 24-hour hotline was launched immediately after the quake by the Center for Consular Assistance and Protection under China's Foreign Ministry, it had taken more than 300 inquiries, said the spokesperson.

    "We will closely follow the disaster and aid information, and try our best to offer assistance to overseas Chinese in Haiti," said Jiang.

    The Chinese rescue team of more than 60 people left Beijing Wednesday evening along with 10 tons of food, equipment and medicines. China's Red Cross Society has pledged 1 million dollars in emergency aid.

    Haitian President Rene Preval on Wednesday pleaded for assistance after Tuesday's devastating 7.0-magnitude earthquake, which brought about an "unbelievable catastrophe."

    The headquarters of the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti and other UN buildings in Port-au-Prince collapsed in the quake, and around 150 UN workers are buried under debris.

China sends rescue team to quake-hit Haiti, donates one million dollars

Members of a Chinese rescue team with sniffer dogs are ready to board a plane leaving for quake-hit Haiti, at the Capital International Airport in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 13, 2010. A 7.0-magnitude earthquake hit Haiti on Tuesday local time, collapsing a hospital and damaging government buildings in its capital city of Port-au-Prince. (Xinhua/Xing Guangli) Photo Gallery>>>

    BEIJING, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- China sent a 60-member Chinese search and rescue team to quake-hit Haiti on Wednesday evening and the Red Cross Society of China has decided to donate one million U.S. dollars of emergency aid to the Caribbean country.

    A 7.0-magnitude earthquake hit Haiti on Tuesday local time, collapsing a hospital and damaging government buildings in its capital city of Port-au-Prince.  Full story

World Bank to provide additional emergency aid to Haiti

    WASHINGTON, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- The World Bank said Wednesday it will provide an additional 100 million U.S. dollars in emergency grant funding to support recovery and reconstruction in Haiti in response to a magnitude-7.0 earthquake that caused extensive damage and casualties in the Caribbean nation on Tuesday.

    "This is a shocking event and it is crucial that the international community supports the Haitian people at this critical time," a World Bank press release quoted bank group President Robert B. Zoellick as saying. Full story

16 UN staffers confirmed dead in Haiti: Ban

UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said here Wednesday that 16 UN staffers were confirmed dead in Haiti in the wake of Tuesday's devastating earthquake.

The 16 include 11 Brazilians, one Argentine, three Jordanian police officers, and one Chadian officer, said Ban. Full story

"Scale of catastrophe in Haiti is very high," says UN peacekeeping chief

    UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations deals with humanitarian crises all the time but the devastating earthquake in Haiti has stricken especially close to home, said the head of UN peacekeeping forces Alain Le Roy here Wednesday.

    With the number of fatalities among UN staff members rising, LeRoy said the emotion is "extremely high." Full story

ECLAC calls on int'l community to aid quake-hit Haiti

    MEXICO CITY, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) on Wednesday called on the international community to send urgent humanitarian aid to Haiti, which was hit by a magnitude 7 earthquake.

    In a statement issued on Wednesday in Mexico, ECLAC also expressed its solidarity with the Haitian people, adding that the earthquake left thousands of deaths and hundreds of missing people, including staff of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (Minustah). Full story

Major quake rocks Haiti, many nations ready with assistance

Scared people stand nearby a collapsed building after the 7.0 magnitude earthquake in Port-Au-Prince of Haiti, Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2010.(Xinhua/AFP Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    MEXICO CITY, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- A major earthquake rocked Haiti on Tuesday and "catastrophic" casualties were feared although no official reports are currently available.

    The magnitude-7.0 quake, the strongest ever recorded in the area, collapsed a hospital in a hillside district of Port-au-Prince, according to local media reports. Full story