I heard there were about 50,000 US citizens in Haiti, mostly of Haitian origin, plus dependents, relatives, resident aliens and untold others seeking a visa or other assistance. The crowd was huge and the wait was sometimes several days. When we arrived we found many crowded into waiting rooms, with feces and vomit on the floor, many more crowded into outdoor courtyards within the embassy, and lines outside stretching into the distance. There were injured people, elderly people, pregnant women, and very many children and infants. Some had not eaten in days, many were ill, and all were dehydrated. It was a humanitarian and public health crisis in the making, but we were able to get things sorted out and radically improve conditions there.