BLITZER: And joining us now, the ambassador to the United States from Haiti, Ambassador Raymond Joseph.

Mr. Ambassador, thanks for coming in.

RAYMOND JOSEPH, HAITIAN AMBASSADOR TO THE U.S.: Thank you for inviting me again.

BLITZER: Is the situation, based on everything you're hearing from your government, getting worse on the ground in terms of tensions and devastation?

JOSEPH: Yes. Right now, after 48 hours, almost 48 hours, people start to be impatient, especially that some rescue a little bit slow. And some aftershocks are still being felt. For example, in the city of Kai (ph) -- that's in the southwestern tip, southwestern tip of Haiti -- there were aftershocks this morning. And the hospital there, the main hospital, collapsed.

BLITZER: The whole hospital?

JOSEPH: The whole hospital. That's the information we have.

BLITZER: And is there looting going on? Is security a problem?

JOSEPH: So far there is no looting. They started to have some people who want to take advantage, and saying, "Here it comes, here it comes," so people rush out of their houses and they grab a few things. But I understand that the police have been doing an admirable job.

BLITZER: What will be the role of the U.S. military? Because the 82nd Airborne is going in, Marines are coming in. What do you want the U.S. military to do?

JOSEPH: I think that their first job would be bringing in the heavy equipment and help clearing the streets, clearing the roads, because what's going to happen to us very soon is that the Port-au- Prince airport is going to be overloaded with supplies coming from abroad, and there's no way of distributing it to the people that really need it.

BLITZER: Because the roads are blocked.

JOSEPH: The roads are blocked. So I think that's major issue now. And I have asked, you know, sort of almost on my knees, saying let's get the roads open.

BLITZER: You've asked who?

JOSEPH: Friends. They know who they are.

BLITZER: What do you mean, like, the U.S. government?

JOSEPH: The U.S. government, our friends in the Dominican Republican have offered. But they need to work together with the U.S. I have to say...

BLITZER: You're sounding a little frustrated that some governments are not responding as you would like.

JOSEPH: It's not that they are not responding. It's that the speed with which people would like things to happen is not happening like that. And I don't think it is anybody's fault.

Some of the equipment may not have been next door to Haiti. Right inside Haiti, we do have heavy equipment. The government of Haiti does have quite a few large equipment that they've been using on road building. But they are out of Port-au-Prince. And how do you bring it in Port-au-Prince when the roads are blocked?

BLITZER: But do I sense some tension between Haiti and the Dominican Republic?

JOSEPH: No. We don't have -- this time, I have to say the Dominican Republic has been really exemplary in the way it has worked. And now there are a lot of produce, equipment, even, at the border. The Dominican Republican expecting some authorization to come across.

BLITZER: To come in.

What's your message to the hundreds of thousands of Haitian- Americans, Haitians who are living in America right now who are so worried about their loved ones?

JOSEPH: Well, I say a little patience. Before, about 24 hours ago, nobody could get through to Port-au-Prince on the telephone. Right now, at least one of the telephone companies, Voila Comcel, has about 75 percent of the calls coming in.

There are two other major telephone companies, Haitel and Digicel. I don't know what's happening for them. Perhaps most of their towers fell. But Voila Comcel has restored 75 percent of the calls.

BLITZER: Well, that's encouraging.

JOSEPH: That's very encouraging.

So, I'm telling the people here, Haitian-Americans who have felt frustrated because they could not reach their people in Haiti, keep trying again.

BLITZER: Yesterday when we spoke you thought a hundred thousand dead in Haiti was unfortunately realistic. Has that number changed over the past 24 hours?

JOSEPH: I have not gotten any update on that. As I said, it's about that number, and I'm not saying all of them are dead. Unaccounted for also.

BLITZER: Missing.

JOSEPH: Missing.

BLITZER: Mr. Ambassador, good luck.

JOSEPH: Well, thank you very much. I think the Haitian people are very sturdy and they are fighters. And I think we will live through this.

BLITZER: We hope so.

JOSEPH: Thank you.

BLITZER: Thank you.