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).

ECLAC Executive Secretary Alicia Barcena expressed her deepest condolences and her solidarity with the Haitian victims and the Minustah staff.

Barcena also offered the ECLAC collaboration on the immediate rescue works and later to evaluate the reconstruction process of the country.

Barcena also sent a letter to Haitian President Rene Preval saying that "the ECLAC has supported Haiti on the evaluation of other natural disasters, together with the UN and the World Bank ... and we are ready to give the Haitian people the support needed once more time and to contribute with its prompt recover."

On Tuesday noon a strong earthquake struck Haiti, but so far there are no official reports on the number of victims and damages. According to the press reports, about 100 buildings collapsed including the presidential palace and the United Nations building in Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital.

(Xinhua News Agency January 14, 2010)