The US military has begun airdropping food and water supplies into earthquake-hit Haiti. Some 14,000 ready-to-eat meals and 15,000 litres of water were dropped north-east of the capital Port-au-Prince, the US said. It had earlier said airdrops were too risky but congestion at the airport has hampered aid distribution. The US is now considering airdrops across Haiti. More than 2,000 US Marines are set to join 1,000 US troops in Haiti. They are equipped with heavy-lifting and earth-moving equipment, a dozen helicopters and medical support facilities. Their arrival comes amid widespread violence and looting. However, UN humanitarian chief John Holmes played down worries over security, saying that despite incidents of violence, the overall situation was calm. And the leading US general in Haiti, Lt Gen Ken Keen, said there was currently less violence in the capital Port-au-Prince - already a troubled city - than there had been before the earthquake. Earlier, Gen Keen said up to 200,000 people might have died in the disaster, which he said was of "epic proportions". Aid workers are starting to expand their efforts to earthquake-affected areas outside the capital, including Leogane, Gressier, Petit-Goave and the coastal town of Jacmel.