Haiti is experiencing a "catastrophe", President Rene Preval has said after the country was hit by three storms in quick succession.

The storms have killed some 170 people and forced thousands from their homes.

The storms have killed some 170 people and forced thousands from their homes.

Some parts of the country are under several metres of water, and in some cases residents have been forced to climb onto roofs.

Many crops have been destroyed, threatening a food crisis in the coming days.

UN peacekeepers and aid workers have struggled to reach stranded survivors and say they cannot rescue anyone because of the severity of the damage.