New York - Haiti's crime rate has dropped significantly in the past five years with a capable police force patrolling its streets, but the country still faces a big challenge in providing food to the population, a UN Security Council delegation said Thursday.

A police force of 14,000 officers is now functioning in some of the most crime-ridden areas, according to the delegation headed by Costa Rica's UN Ambassador Jorge Urdina that visited Haiti last week.

"A successful anti-violence programme had brought stability to formerly lawless urban areas," the delegation said. The programme was put together with the help of the UN mission in Haiti and the UN Development Programme.

The delegation said security measures had been enhanced with new sea and air patrols at borders, resulting in goods moving easily between Haiti and neighbour Dominican Republic. It said Haiti has been encouraged to continue strengthening new border control crossings to ensure greater tax revenue for the government.

The delegation said Haiti was moving forward with judicial reform, including a strategic plan to build more prisons, assess living conditions in existing ones and update justice regulations to shorten detention time for those awaiting trial.

The delegation met with Haitian President Rene Preval and government officials. It said the country has limited potential to develop its economy, seriously hurt by consecutive hurricanes last year.

It said extreme poverty is widespread with 80 per cent of the population living on less than 2 dollars a day.

The council delegation visited Haiti one day after UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and former US President Bill Clinton held talks with Preval in a renewed efforts to help Haiti overcome its economic and development problems. (dpa)