US Citizens Evacuated from Haiti Amid Escalating Crisis
Amid escalating gang violence and political instability in Haiti, dozens of US citizens have been evacuated on a State Department charter flight. The country's streets are deserted, and essential supplies like food and gas are in short supply.
Dozens of US citizens have been brought back from Haiti on a special flight organized by the State Department due to the recent surge in gang violence and political unrest. The situation in Haiti has led to empty streets and shortages of essential items like food and gasoline.
The charter flight took off from Cap-Haitien in northern Haiti and safely landed at Miami International Airport on Sunday, according to the State Department.
Over 30 US citizens were on the flight, and government officials are now helping with their next steps, according to a spokesperson from the State Department.
The department will keep assisting US citizens who want to leave Haiti as long as there are no commercial options available and the security situation allows for it, the spokesperson added.
Evelio Contreras
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Cap-Haitien is located over 100 miles away from Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince. Due to ongoing conflict between gangs and police in the vicinity, the airport in the capital has been closed.
On Saturday, the State Department issued a statement declaring the security situation in Haiti as unpredictable and dangerous. This announcement was made in relation to the flight schedules.
The statement advised that the overland journey from Port-au-Prince to Cap-Haitien is risky. It suggested considering a flight to Cap-Haitien if you feel confident about reaching the airport safely. They also mentioned that overland travel from other areas of Haiti to Cap-Haitien is not available.
The first evacuation flight out of Cap-Haitien, Haiti, landed at Miami International Airport on Sunday. Francius St. Alma of Miami was among the passengers.
The first evacuation flight from Cap-Haitien, Haiti, arrived at Miami International Airport on Sunday. Among the passengers was Francius St. Alma from Miami.
The crisis in Haiti started to get worse at the beginning of this month. Security sources said that rival gangs were causing chaos together. They wanted Prime Minister Ariel Henry to step down. Last week, Henry said he would resign once a transitional council was set up, but it hasn't happened yet.
According to the United Nations, gangs now control eighty percent of Port-au-Prince.
Police are working hard to combat the violence, but they are struggling due to limited resources. Unfortunately, they have also become targets themselves, with multiple police stations being attacked or set on fire in the last two weeks.
Please note that this is an ongoing story and more updates will be provided.
Editor's P/S:
The recent escalation of gang violence and political turmoil in Haiti has reached an alarming level, as evidenced by the State Department's decision to evacuate US citizens
