Up to 10,000 US troops are to be sent to Haiti to help distribute aid and prevent potential rioting among desperate earthquake survivors, the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff has said. Admiral Mike Mullen said the total US presence in and around the beleaguered country could rise beyond that figure as his military officers determine how much assistance may be needed in the days ahead. The announcement came as the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) reported that the death toll from the earthquake may be as high as 50,000 to 100,000 people, "A variety of sources are estimating the numbers [at] between 50,000 and 100,000," Jon Andrus of PAHO, the Americas arm of the World Health Organisation, said on Friday. Barack Obama, the US president, said Tueday's earthquake had inflicted "heartbreaking" losses and pledged Washington would do what it takes to save lives and get the country back on its feet. "The scale of the devastation is extraordinary ... and the losses are heartbreaking," Obama said at a news conference from the White House. He also urged Americans to have patience with the relief operation, saying there would be "many difficult days ahead". Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary general, said he would travel to Haiti "very soon" to show solidarity with earthquake victims and the staff of the devastated UN mission there.
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