The United States will provide $10 million in relief aid to Haiti to help the Western Hemisphere's poorest country recover from four devastating storms, the White House announced Wednesday. The Caribbean country was hit by several storms in less than a month, including Hurricanes Gustav, Hanna, and Ike. The storms killed hundreds of people and flooded large areas of Haiti. “Our highest priority is to help deliver urgently needed relief supplies to communities which are now cut off from overland access,” spokeswoman Dana Perino said. “Of this amount, $5 million is new funding pledged or programmed in the past week.” The U.S. aid will include relief supplies as well as assistance with damage assessments, transportation, and logistics, Perino told reporters. A U.S. Navy helicopter carrier arrived off Haiti's coast this week and is delivering aid by air.
