UN mission to Haiti badly damaged by quake

The headquarters of the UN stabilization mission in Haiti was badly damaged in Tuesday's major earthquake and many members of the mission were unaccounted for, the United Nations said.

The headquarters of the UN stabilization mission in Haiti was badly damaged in Tuesday's major earthquake and many members of the mission were unaccounted for, the United Nations said.

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Here are some facts about the mission:

Current size (as of November 2009)

9,065 total uniformed personnel

7,031 troops

2,034 police

488 international civilian personnel

1,212 local civilian staff

214 United Nations Volunteers

Contributing countries

Military personnel:

Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Ecuador, France, Guatemala, Jordan, Nepal, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, South Korea, Sri Lanka, United States and Uruguay.

Police personnel:

Argentina, Bangladesh, Benin, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Canada, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Columbia, Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Croatia, Egypt, El Salvador, France, Guinea, India, Jamaica, Jordan, Madagascar, Mali, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Romania, Russian Federation, Rwanda, Senegal, Serbia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Togo, Turkey, United States, Uruguay and Yemen.

Mandate

The mission was authorized by the UN Security Council in 2004 to try to bring about stability in Haiti after President Jean-Bertrand Aristide was overthrown in a rebellion by gangs and former soldiers. Known as the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), the mission has supported democratic processes including elections, run programs to disarm armed groups and helped the Haitian police. Haiti has been led by President Rene Preval since May 2006, when the country returned to constitutional rule.