Canadian PM to review Haiti relief work

OTTAWA, Feb. 15 (UPI) -- Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper was set Monday to visit Canadian month-old earthquake relief efforts in Haiti, his office announced.

Within two days of the magnitude 7 quake that destroyed much of the country Jan. 12, Harper dispatched 2,000 troops, two warships and a fleet of aircraft and helicopters to Haiti and pledged the government would match every dollar donated by Canadians.

Harper was scheduled to meet with President Rene Preval and Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive in Port-au-Prince in his two day visit, a release from Ottawa said.

Canadian military relief efforts are divided among the northern town of Leogane and the southern town of Jacmel, where the two warships are anchored.

Canada's military mission in Haiti is expected to wind down sometime next month although Harper said overall aid had a much longer agenda.

"We now need to address the long-term challenges of reconstruction, based on the principles of sustainability, effectiveness and accountability," Harper said.

The earthquake killed at least 200,000 people and injured 300,000, and destroyed most of the impoverished country's infrastructure.