Scepticism in Haiti as Michelle Obama drops in

Michelle Obama has made her first solo foreign trip as America's First Lady, flying unannounced to Haiti, where 230,000 people died in the January 12 earthquake.

After flying over the ruined city of Port-au-Prince, her Blackhawk helicopter landed in the gardens of the heavily damaged presidential palace, only 200 yards from one of the temporary camps where homeless Haitians are living in squalid conditions.

Mrs Obama was accompanied by Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden. The visit appears designed to pacify Haitians who remain surprised that the President Barack Obama himself has not visited, while former presidents Bill Clinton and George Bush have.

However, Western reporters reported scepticism among Haitians who complain that despite the millions donated to charities worldwide, the relief effort is generally slow and ineffectual.

Laura Trevelyan of the BBC, travelling with Mrs Obama, said US troops helping with the relief effort are leaving and Haitians are wondering what comes next.

Peter Beaumont of the Guardian quoted Primrose Delva, who has been living in one of the Port-au-Prince camps with her eight children ever since the quake struck. "Michelle Obama is a Christian," she said. "If I could speak to her, I would tell her how miserable my life is.

"I work in health but I have not worked since the earthquake. The tarpaulin that I have for a shelter was given by a friend. So was the food that I am cooking now. I would tell her that the people here are angry." ·