Leaders at the Unity Summit will no doubt be aware of Haitian President Rene Preval's recent announcement saying the death toll from the January 12th earthquake could reach as high as 300-thousand people.

Haiti's President Rene Preval gestures as he attends the opening ceremony of a meeting of leaders in a hotel in the outskirts of Playa del Carmen, Mexico, Sunday, Feb. 21, 2010. [CCTV]

Preval says more than 200-thousand bodies have been collected off the streets so far. If those still trapped under the rubble are counted, the number might reach 300-thousand. That would make Haiti's earthquake one of the most lethal natural disasters in modern history.

The Inter-American Development Bank estimates the cost of rebuilding the impoverished country could be as high as 14 billion US dollars.

Preval is encouraging Latin American countries to step up investments in industry to help Haiti free itself from dependence on international aid.