WASHINGTON, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced Wednesday she is to cancel her visit to Papua New Guinea, New Zealand and Australia, and return to Washington to deal with the earthquake in Haiti, according to the U.S. State Department.

    The department said in a short statement that Clinton made the decision because of the devastating quake and its severe aftermath. She is to return immediately to Washington from Hawaii.

 

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton briefs reporters travelling with her on the earthquake in Haiti, in the lobby of a hotel in Honolulu. Clinton on Wednesday said she was canceling the remainder of a trip to Asia to deal with the crisis afflicting Haiti

    The State Department, along with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Department of Defense, bear the brunt of work in the U.S. government's humanitarian relief efforts in Haiti.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton briefs reporters travelling with her on the earthquake in Haiti, in the lobby of a hotel in Honolulu