Obama pledges 100 million dollars to Haitian relief (3rd Roundup)

By Mike McCarthy Jan 14, 2010, 23:08 GMT

Washington - US President Barack Obama announced Thursday that the United States is providing an initial 100 million dollars in aid to Haiti as military and civilian rescue teams arrived to search for survivors of the massive earthquake.

Obama called the quake that struck Tuesday in Haiti 'nothing less than devastating' and instructed all departments of the US government to make the rescue effort a top priority.

'One of the largest relief efforts in our recent history is moving towards Haiti,' Obama said in a speech at the White House. The 100 million dollars will help pay for the rescue effort as well as provide food, water and medicine, Obama said.

'This investment will grow over the coming year as we embark on the long-term recovery from this unimaginable tragedy,' Obama said.

The scale of devastation remained unclear, but Haitian officials spoke of up to 100,000 dead from the 7 magnitude earthquake, which wrecked the capital, Port-au-Prince, home to 1.9 million people.

To the people of Haiti, Obama said: 'You will not be forsaken. You will not be forgotten.'

An initial force of 100 soldiers from the US Army's 82nd Airborne Division based in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, had already arrived in Haiti to set up camp for an additional 700 soldiers who could arrive in the next few days, Miami-based US Southern Command said.

A Fort Bragg spokesman said it was 'fully possible' the Pentagon will summon the entire brigade, which consists of 3,500 soldiers.

The US Navy was also en route to Haiti. The aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, carrying an array of helicopters, was picking up supplies and heading to the vicinity, expected to arrive offshore early Friday. A Marine unit of 2,200 on three amphibious ships led by the USS Bataan was preparing to deploy. The Pentagon said the Marines could be sent in if the security environment deteriorates.

The USNS Comfort, a hospital ship, is set to arrive off Haiti January 22.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said that a text messaging system set up by the State Department for individuals to donate 10 dollars through the Red Cross has raised 3 million dollars so far.

Several US states have sent search and rescue teams to help pull survivors from the rubble.

Meanwhile, Obama has asked former presidents Bill Clinton and George W Bush to help US efforts and raise money to provide relief to Haiti, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said.

'Both of them have agreed to take part in this,' Gibbs said.

A source close to Bush confirmed that the 43rd president was willing to partner with Clinton.

While in office, Bush tapped Clinton, along with his own father, former president George Bush, to help raise money after the 2004 tsunami that struck South-East Asia.

Obama has asked his two predecessors 'to come together in an effort similar to the one that was done for the tsunami,' Gibbs said.

Clinton has been serving as the special UN envoy for Haiti.

US transportation authorities grounded all Haiti-bound airline flights amid a massive backlog at the Port-au-Prince airport, which became the focal point Thursday of relief deliveries underway after the massive earthquake.

The Haitian government has said it is currently not accepting any more flights into its airspace, forcing the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to ground all flights in the United States, a US government official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.