Haiti is planning to house 400,000 earthquake survivors¹ in new tented villages outside the capital, Port-au-Prince, officials have announced.

海地政府计划在首都太子港外围新建的帐篷村落安置40万地震灾民。

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At least 500,000 people are living in improvised camps in Port-au-Prince

Interior Minister Paul Antoine Bien-Aime said 100,000 people would initially³ be sent to 10 settlements near the suburb郊区，边缘 of Croix Des Bouquets⁴.

He gave no timeframe, but said the moves would start as soon as possible.

An estimated 1.5 million people were left homeless by the 7.0-magnitude震级 quake, which killed as many as 200,000.

At least 75,000 bodies have so far been buried in mass graves, the government has said. Many more remain uncollected in the streets.

At least 122 people have been saved by international search-and-rescue teams, according to the US government, but hopes are now fading that anyone will be found alive underneath⁵ the rubble碎石，碎砖.

A Florida-based team is reported to have left, along with others from Belgium, Luxembourg and the UK.

"You have to be realistic and after nine days, reality says it is more difficult to find people alive. But it's not impossible," said Chilean Army Major Rodrigo Vasquez at the site of the collapsed⁶ Montana Hotel.

Improvised shelters

On Thursday, Mr Bien-Aime said public buses had already been sent out to take survivors in Port-au-Prince to the south and north of the country, where tented settlements able to accommodate供应，容纳 10,000 people each would eventually be built.

"The government has made available to people free transportation. A large operation is taking place," he told reporters.

At least 500,000 people are currently living outdoors in 447 improvised临时准备的 camps in Port-au-Prince, according to the International Organisation⁷ for Migration⁸ (IOM).

Of the 350 settlements assessed by the IOM, its partners and the Haitian government, only 179 had improvised shelter material and tents, and only three had access to potable water饮用水, the IOM said.

The Geneva-based UN body said it was distributing tents, blankets and plastic sheeting provided by the US, Japan and Turkey, but warned that more permanent永久的，永恒的 shelter would soon be needed.

"Tents will not work in May when the long rainy season begins and later when hurricane season starts, but at this point there is not much choice," said IOM Chief of Mission Vincent Houver.

"Assessments⁹ must take place and best construction methods and durable耐用的，持久的 materials need to be discussed," he added.