TORONTO (AP) — Canada will send an additional 1,000 troops to support relief efforts in Haiti in the wake of the devastating earthquake.
Defense Minister Peter MacKay said Sunday that Canada has a moral imperative to do all it can. MacKay says the security situation remains volatile as desperation escalates.
The troops will serve as engineers, medics and security forces.
The soldiers will complement an additional 500 soldiers on board two Canadian Navy vessels that are expected to reach Haiti’s shores Monday, as well as more than 200 members of Canada’s Disaster Assistance Response Team.
Officials say eight Canadians have died in the earthquake and 1,115 are unaccounted for.
More than 100,000 people of Haitian descent live in Canada, most of whom live in Montreal.