U.S. President Barack Obama offered Tuesday to assist quake-stricken Haiti. The U.S. government agencies and the military have begun to prepare for humanitarian mission.

"My thoughts and prayers go out to those who have been affected by this earthquake. We are closely monitoring the situation and we stand ready to assist the people of Haiti," Obama said in a statement released by the White House.

After he was informed of the quake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.0 on Tuesday, the president has asked his staff to make sure that embassy personnel are safe, and to begin preparations in the event that humanitarian assistance is needed.

The Department of State, United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the United States Southern Command have begun working to coordinate an assessment and any such assistance.