The raging water, triggered by Tropical Storm Jeanne over the weekend, killed more than 600 people in the poor Caribbean nation, which had already suffered at least 1,700 deaths in devastating floods and mudslides last May.

"It is a tragic situation, very localised ... hitting a population that is already very vulnerable and very affected," said Elisabeth Byrs, spokewoman for the United Nations' Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

"A very serious factor is that the affected region harvests the most agricultural products (in Haiti)," she told a regular news conference in Geneva, where the United Nations has its European headquarters.

Asked about the sort of food affected by the flooding, Byrs told AFP that cereals and onions were grown in the area, that is largely submerged under flood water.

No one knew the condition of the crops, but they were probably badly damaged, she said, adding: "We will have a big feeding problem."

The latest floods were thought to have killed at least 500 people in the northern town of Gonaives alone, a UN official in the area said on Monday.

Another 56 people were killed in Port de Paix, 18 in Chansolme, 14 in Gros-Morne, nine in Pilate and eight in Ennery, officials said. The towns are located in the north and northwest.

In a worrying twist, authorities were without news from the country's second largest outlying island, La Tortue. UN officials could not find the island of 26,000 people while flying over the region by helicopter on Sunday.

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