Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva expressed his "deep concern" late Tuesday over the earthquake that shook Haiti hours earlier, believed to have left hundreds of dead, reported dpa. Lula ordered that as much aid as possible be sent to the Caribbean country, the Brazilian Foreign Ministry said in a statement issued in Brasilia. Lula spoke of his fears over the situation of both the Haitian people and the over 1,000 Brazilians who are active in the troubled nation as part of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH). MINUSTAH"s military contingent is led by Brazil and also comprises hundreds of soldiers from Uruguay, Argentina and Chile, among several South American nations. Nepal and Sri Lanka are also key elements on which the force rests and contribute hundreds of soldiers. The statement added that Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim informed Lula late Tuesday of the situation in Haiti, based on the account of Brazil"s charge d"affaires in Port-au-Prince, Claudio Campos. Campos told Brazilian officials that the Brazilian embassy in the Haitian capital had suffered "serious" damage in the quake, but noted that none of its personnel had died. The diplomat was still trying to find out the whereabouts of Brazilian troops in the country, however, in the face of reports "that some UN military facilities suffered damage." The Brazilian Foreign Ministry set up a permanent group to follow events in Haiti, which was to assist relatives of Brazilians currently in Haiti 24 hours a day.
