US and European Embassies Take Action Amid Escalating Violence in Haiti

The United States and other diplomatic missions are starting to evacuate their personnel from Haiti. This is because gang violence in the capital city of Port-au-Prince is getting worse.

One evacuation operation, which included staff from the German and European missions, had to refuse requests to help evacuate others on Sunday. A source involved in the operation shared this information with CNN. Some members of the diplomatic community in Port-au-Prince are concerned about the potential targets of future gang attacks.

The US military conducted an operation on Sunday to airlift non-essential personnel from the US embassy in the capital, Port-au-Prince. The aim was to bolster the security of its mission as the city has been experiencing a series of highly coordinated gang attacks on law enforcement and state institutions. This has raised concerns about the stability of the government and led to tens of thousands of people fleeing their homes.

The US State Department organized the evacuation overnight in response to the "heightened gang violence in the neighborhood near US embassy compounds and near the airport," as stated in a post by the embassy on X early Sunday.

The US Southern Command stated that the action was in line with the usual practice for enhancing security at embassies worldwide. There were no Haitians on the military aircraft, according to the statement.

In a message on Sunday, the US Southern Command emphasized that the Embassy's main goal is to aid the Haitian population. The evacuation was necessary to ensure the Embassy can carry on with its operations.

President Joe Biden approved the operation, according to a National Security Council spokesperson, and remains “deeply concerned” about the situation.

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Helicopter evacuation

The German and European Union missions in Port-au-Prince have evacuated their diplomatic staff, including ambassadors, as confirmed by two sources familiar with the situation. CNN has contacted both for their comments.

On a recent evacuation flight, German ambassador Peter Sauer and European Union ambassador Stefano Gatto were among the passengers. The operation was led by the EU and involved several days of detailed planning and coordination on both sides of the Dominican-Haitian border, according to a source who was part of the operation.

Haiti's international airport is currently closed due to security concerns. Additionally, the main container port terminal in Haiti, which is operated by Caribbean Port Services, was recently attacked and looted on March 8.

Despite the closure of Haiti's airspace by the Dominican Republic, there was a rare exception made by Dominican authorities. They allowed a small commercial helicopter to make two swift trips between their territory and Port-au-Prince, providing much-needed assistance.

The trip organizers decided to use a dirt landing strip at a military base on the Dominican side of the border instead of helipads in Santo Domingo to save time. They wanted to be as fast as possible.

As word spread about the plan to leave Haiti, the organizers had to decline several requests to join the flights because the aircraft was small. In the end, about twelve people were successfully moved out of Haiti.

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The decision to leave was driven by the increase in violence in Port-au-Prince recently. Reliable information indicated that gangs, who have been targeting Haitian government buildings and police, might start targeting Petionville, a prosperous area with luxury hotels and embassies.

Another factor in the decision was the escape of thousands of prisoners from Haiti's National Penitentiary. This event led the Haitian government to declare a state of emergency last Sunday.

Many diplomatic missions in Port-au-Prince lack the strong military protection that the US embassy has, according to the source.

The source also mentioned that working in the current chaotic situation has become difficult, with shortages of food, sporadic electricity, and communication problems.

According to another source familiar with the operations, there have been 12 helicopter evacuation flights into Port-au-Prince in the last three days. These flights were for diplomatic and humanitarian staff, and they were commercial charters, not military.

One of the flights on Saturday carried individuals from the US, Canada, and France.

The viability of continuing the evacuation flights has been called into question due to shots fired nearby after the last flight took off on Sunday, according to a source.

On Sunday, the EU delegation in Haiti announced that it has temporarily closed its offices and reduced its presence in the country. A statement from the delegation mentioned that they will return as soon as security conditions permit.

Haitian gang leader Jimmy Cherizier has issued threats, stating that he will persist in his attempts to remove Prime Minister Ariel Henry from office. He has warned of potential consequences, including the possibility of a civil war that could result in genocide, if the prime minister does not resign.

Cherizier, a former police officer who leads a group of gangs, has been sanctioned by both the United Nations and the US Department of Treasury.

The recent chaos has caused tens of thousands of people to leave their homes in the last few days, adding to the over 300,000 individuals who were already displaced due to gang violence.

The distribution of essential supplies by aid organizations is being impacted as well. The World Food Programme had to stop its maritime transport services in Port-au-Prince, which was used to distribute aid throughout Haiti, because of the instability.

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According to Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General and OCHA, the country's health care system is on the brink of collapse. Many medical centers have had to scale back their services due to ongoing violence, lack of staff, and shortages of essential medications. This has left doctors in Haiti feeling desperate for assistance, especially with the critical shortages of oxygen and water.

Public frustration with Henry has been growing due to his inability to control the unrest. This frustration reached a boiling point when he did not resign last month, despite the increasing violence.

The prime minister has faced challenges in coming back to the country after traveling to Kenya two weeks ago to finalize an agreement for a multinational mission led by Kenya to bring back security in the country.

He is currently believed to be in Puerto Rico, according to two sources familiar with Henry's whereabouts in the Caribbean island. This comes after the Dominican Republic denied permission for his flight to land.

CARICOM, a regional grouping of 25 countries that focuses on economic integration, security, and social development, is set to convene a meeting on Haiti in Kingston, Jamaica on Monday. This information was confirmed by the United Nations.

CNN’s Priscilla Alvarez contributed reporting.

Editor's P/S:

The deteriorating situation in Haiti