The acting head of the UN mission in Haiti has said reconstruction in the country will take several decades, following the devastating earthquake two weeks ago. Edmond Mulet said the logistics of the relief effort were a nightmare, with Haiti's inadequate infrastructure destroyed and a shortage of vehicles.<br/><br/>Mr Mulet said reconstruction was not starting at zero, but "below zero". As many as 200,000 people died in the earthquake on 12 January, while an estimated 1.5 million are now homeless. The UN has estimated that 75 per cent of the capital, Port Au Prince, will have to be rebuilt. Salvage crews have begun to clear the rubble. <br/><br/>On Thursday, the UN held a memorial service in the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, to remember dozens of its staff who were killed. People hugged each other as the list of 85 confirmed UN fatalities, including mission head Hedi Annabi, was read out. Dozens are missing. Later, Mr Mulet said that all of Haiti's recent development had been undone.
News On AIR | January 29, 2010 7:21 PM
Haiti reconstruction to start from "below Zero": Edmond Mulet