Many Haitians still waiting for food aid

UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 30 (UPI) -- Major concerns remain over the distribution of food aid despite steady progress in Haiti earthquake recovery efforts, United Nations officials say.

Considerable logistical restraints have meant large numbers of people suffering from the impact of the devastating Jan. 12 earthquake have not yet received the aid they need, U.N. humanitarian chief John Holmes told reporters at U.N. Headquarters in New York Friday.

"We have a long way to go before we can feel satisfied about that," Holmes said, adding that potable water is being shipped to the people who need it but there are still big problems in food distribution.

He said the World Food Program has reached around 600,000 destitute Haitians so far, distributing the equivalent of 16 million meals. Those efforts will be greatly scaled up to reach 2 million people in the next two weeks through food distribution sites.

"This will involve the distribution of some 10 million kilos of rice to over 400,000 households, which is the equivalent of 2 million people. This is just in the Port-au-Prince area," Holmes said, adding that food deliveries are also slated to be trucked directly to around 400 orphanages and hospitals during that period.