US embassy in Haiti works against clock to clear visa backlog

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Feb. 9 — The US embassy in Haiti is working as fast as it can to clear a 10-day backlog of visa applications by Haitians seeking to leave the Caribbean island nation after the January 12 earthquake.

"Only a 10-day period immediately after the event was missed," Donald Moore, US consul general in Haiti told a press conference at the embassy.

He said the embassy had failed to attend appointments from January 13 to February 3 in part because many staff, including himself, had lost homes and many were sleeping in their offices or on the embassy grounds.

The magnitude-7.3 temblor has killed more than 212,000 people and injured more than 200,000 others. (PNA/Xinhua)

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