Bill Clinton assumes Haiti relief role

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti, Feb. 6 (UPI) -- Former U.S. President Bill Clinton has arrived in Haiti to perform his expanded role as United Nations coordinator of quake relief efforts, officials said.

U.N. officials said Clinton landed in Port-au-Prince Friday and immediately pledged to see the tasks through to its successful conclusion "long after the television crews have gone and emergency response teams have returned to their home countries."

A statement issued on the Clinton Foundation Web site quoted the former president as saying, "Flying into Port-au-Prince for the second time since the earthquake, I was pleased to see continued signs of an expanding relief effort."

Clinton was quickly brought up to speed by U.N. staff about the current situation on the ground following the Jan. 12 quake, which killed up to 200,000 people, injured many others and left 2 million in need of aid, a U.N. statement said.