The U.S. Embassy also reports that road repairs are taking place to allow truck passage into the interior of the country, and that the number one priority continues to be the identification and provision of relief supplies to the remote villages. According to the American Red Cross, most shelters that house displaced persons are overcrowded, low on potable water, and in need of proper sanitation. These shelters and other affected communities are in danger of malaria, cholera, dengue, conjunctivitis, diarrhea, and acute respiratory infections. Infrastructure damage includes schools, hospitals, health clinics, homes, and municipal water systems. However, electrical power and potable water are now available in much of Santo Domingo.
Telephone services are also limited throughout the country, but functional in the capital.
The commercial airport continues to operate at less than full capacity with service available only to military aircraft and non-commercial flights. In addition, no new crop production is anticipated for at least four months. The actual death toll in Haiti may never be known due to the country's poor communication network and lack of infrastructure. Port au Prince was left relatively unscathed, except for flooding in the low-lying area of Cite Soleil and damage to the main commercial port. Jacmel, Cap-Hatien, Gonaives, and the north are also in less immediate need than other parts of the country.