Additional US Citizens Arrive in Florida After Escaping Haiti

A plane with 21 Americans escaping Haiti landed in Orlando, Florida on Saturday night. This is part of a series of flights organized by the US to bring people out of the troubled country, which is facing serious issues like gang violence and political instability.

The Florida Division of Emergency Management confirmed the arrival of the plane on Sunday. They mentioned that so far, a total of 35 Americans have been brought to safety through emergency flights coordinated by the state.

According to the agency, people who arrived in Orlando were provided with various resources such as meals, water, accommodation, transportation, basic health screenings, and assistance with replacing phones and IDs.

Executive Director Kevin Guthrie stated in a news release that the Division is working tirelessly to ensure that residents are able to return home. Governor Ron DeSantis has instructed them to address all obstacles and continue until the mission is successfully accomplished.

DeSantis declared a state of emergency in Florida on March 15 due to the high number of Floridians stranded in Haiti.

According to State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel, there are still hundreds of US citizens in Haiti. As of March 19, nearly 1,000 individuals have submitted crisis intake forms. These forms are for those who either wish to return home or need more assistance from US authorities.

Last week, the first flight organized by Florida brought 14 people from Haiti to Orlando Sanford International Airport. Guthrie mentioned on Wednesday that around 360 Floridians are still in Haiti.

Federal officials have also been busy evacuating American citizens. On March 17, the State Department flew dozens of Americans from Cap-Haitien, a city on Haiti's north coast, to Miami. The State Department announced on Wednesday that more than 30 Americans are expected to be able to board the US government flights each day they are chartered.

Americans on these flights will need to reimburse the US government for the cost, which will not exceed the price of a regular commercial flight before the crisis. Governor DeSantis mentioned that passengers on the plane arriving in Florida will not be charged.

Conditions in Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince, have severely worsened due to the recent violent attacks, leading Prime Minister Ariel Henry to announce his resignation. Criminal organizations have cut off the city's access to food, fuel, and water, as well as blocked the port and roads, forcing residents to stay indoors while gang violence escalates on the streets against the Haiti National Police.

Most Haitians do not have the opportunity to leave their country.

Only a privileged few, such as wealthy foreigners and diplomats, can afford to hire private helicopters for evacuation. According to several pilots interviewed by CNN last week, hundreds of individuals have signed up to escape Port-au-Prince via air travel, with some private flights costing as much as $10,000.

The capital's usually bustling streets are now deserted, resembling ghost towns as residents stay indoors to avoid the violence, as reported by CNN crews. Additionally, attacks and arson have forced thousands of people to flee their homes and seek refuge in overcrowded displacement camps throughout the city.

With essential food and water supplies running low, the United Nations has announced plans to establish an air bridge between Port-au-Prince and Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, in order to deliver much-needed supplies to the city.

CNN’s Colin McCullough, Alisha Ebrahimji, Jillian Sykes, Denise Royal, Carlos Suarez, Caitlin Hu, David Culver, Evelio Contreras, Michael Conte, and Kylie Atwood contributed to this report. Inside the Haitian capital, gangs are battling for control, leading to a severe shortage of food.

Editor's P/S:

The article