The number of United Nations officials confirmed dead in Haiti's earthquake has risen to 49, UN spokesman Martin Nesirky said Wednesday.
A 7.0 magnitude earthquake devastated the impoverished Caribbean nation on January 12, with estimates of the number of dead ranging up to 200,000. An estimated three million people have been left without shelter and countries around the world are sending aid.
"The number of confirmed dead is forty-nine at this point and we have more than 300 unaccounted for," Nesirky told journalists.
A new earthquake measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale hit Haiti Wednesday morning.
Fearing aftershocks, thousands of people have been sleeping in streets since the January 12 quake.
Russian doctors in Haiti have treated more than 100 earthquake survivors in the past few days.
UN Development Program Administrator Helen Clark said Wednesday the UN has started an employment project for Haitians who will be paid $5 a day for work to clear rubble and restore infrastructure.
As of now, 400 people have been employed, and the number is to reach 700 by the end of the week. Clark said there are plans to ultimately employ 220,000 people. The UNDP and the Spanish government have allocated $5 million to the project.
UNITED NATIONS, January 21 (RIA Novosti)
