U.S. Navy tries to repair Haiti’s port

WASHINGTON — The Navy is going to try to get the wrecked seaport in Haiti’s capital up and running.

A Navy commander said the salvage ship Grasp is en route to Port-au-Prince with divers and underwater construction personnel to assess the damage to piers and other port facilities.

Rear Admiral Victor Guillory said today the Navy will help build temporary piers and other facilities. Guillory is Navy commander for the U.S. Southern Command.

For now, the Navy is moving supplies from the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, and sailors are helping to move supplies from Haiti’s airport to distribution centers, Guillory said.

Denis McDonough of the National Security Council said the destroyed port makes it harder to distribute aid.