Sean Penn visits Haiti

Jan 25, 2010, 10:43 GMT

Sean Penn has visited disaster-stricken Haiti to highlight the need for more help.

The Oscar-winning actor flew out to the Caribbean island - which has been left devastated by two earthquakes in the past two weeks, leaving over 150,000 people dead - insists continued international aid is crucial as the country attempts to recover.

Penn said: "It can also be said that Haiti's quite used to having the spotlight come off of them. It has had needs for a long time. But I hope that it will refocus, that this is one of our (America's) neighbours."

The 49-year-old star - who is filming a documentary for FOX News Channel's 'Geraldo at Large' - is amazed by the efforts so far but knows more needs to be done.

Penn said: "The military that I've been dealing with, the 82nd Airborne, are people that got me aspiring to a new level. However, the mission is still contained, it's focused in the public epicentre. And yet there's masses of people in the outlying areas that are still phase one.

"It's still phase one injuries and traumas. And where broken legs are suddenly becoming compound, where bones are breaking out of the skin and infections are coming. And this is happening on a daily basis. People are dying by the thousands a day."