Security Council votes to temporarily add 680 international police to UN force in Haiti

UN beefs up international police force in Haiti

UNITED NATIONS — The Security Council has voted unanimously to temporarily add 680 international police to the United Nations peacekeeping force in Haiti.

A resolution adopted Friday by the council said the additional police will primarily focus on building the capacity of the Haitian National Police.

The U.N. force will still have 8,940 troops but its separate police component will increase to 4,391.

Since the Jan. 12 earthquake struck Haiti killing up to 300,000 people and leaving more than 1.5 million homeless, there has been little progress on clearing rubble so people can return to their neighborhoods or building sturdier shelters.

The council reiterated the need for the U.N. force to assist the government in providing protection especially for the displaced, and for supporting humanitarian and recovery efforts.