International mail service is set to partially resume in Haiti as the country recovers from a devastating January earthquake, officials said.
The Universal Postal Union, one of the UN's specialized agencies, said late Monday it had informed the United States and France that they could now release mail destined for Haiti.
The resumption would mark a partial resumption of international mail services for the first time since the January earthquake ravaged much of the country's national institutions, including the post office.
"The resumption of postal exchanges with the international community is essential because millions of Haitians living abroad have been longing to send aid to their compatriots, who were affected by the catastrophe," said Edouard Dayan, UPU director general.
Full resumption of mail exchanges between Haiti and other countries is expected soon, according to UPU. The agency is building a 600-square meter (6,400 square foot) structure in an industrial park near the airport in the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince. The structure will operate as an international mail exchange office.
The 7.0-magnitude quake, according to some estimates, killed between 250,000 and 300,000 people, and devastated much of the nation's infrastructure.
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