Haiti's government has handed over to the United States temporary control of its airport in the capital of Port-au-Prince to help relief efforts in the quake-stricken island nation.

"Prime Minister [Jean-Max] Bellerive signed a memorandum of understanding granting airport control to the United States. Obviously we will assume this responsibility as long as its appropriate and to the point where the Haitian government is able and ready to resume that capability," Philip J. Crowley told a daily press briefing.

The 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck Haiti on Tuesday and almost leveled Port-au-Prince. A number of aftershocks followed. The most recent quake, measuring 4.6 on the Richter scale, was registered some 60 km (37 miles) to the south of Port-au-Prince late on Friday night

Aramick Louis, Haiti's secretary of state for public safety, announced that over 140,000 people were killed and some 250,000 injured in Tuesday's earthquake.

The UN asked on Friday night for $562 million from the global community to help Haiti's quake victims.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon told reporters on Friday that up to 50% of buildings in Haiti's capital and surrounding areas have been damaged or destroyed.

WASHINGTON, January 16 (RIA Novosti)