Haiti Crisis : Western nations begin evacuation of their citizens
Amidst the ongoing violence perpetrated by criminal gangs that continue to paralyze Haiti, the European Union announced on March 11th its decision to reduce its activities on the island and relocate its personnel from the capital « to a safer location ».
Over 30 American citizens were evacuated from Haiti, which is plunged into chaos by gang violence, aboard a chartered flight arranged by the government, landing in Florida on Sunday, March 17th, as announced by the State Department.
Last Monday, the European Union also announced the evacuation of all its personnel from the Caribbean island, expressing extreme concern over the escalating insecurity linked to the gangs.
The United States evacuated part of its embassy staff on Sunday and reinforced the security teams. The American plane departed from the country’s second-largest city, Cap-Haïtien, where the airport is periodically open, according to the US embassy.
« The State Department facilitated the safe departure from Cap-Haïtien of over 30 American citizens aboard a US government charter flight », announced a State Department spokesperson on Sunday evening.
The passengers are now safe in Miami, Florida, where representatives of the US government are assisting them with the next steps. Several other countries and the European Union have also evacuated their diplomatic personnel due to the instability on the island, with the UN evacuating its non-essential staff.
« In response to the dramatic deterioration of the security situation, we have decided to scale back our activities on the ground and have moved the staff of the EU delegation in Port-au-Prince to a safer location outside the country (…). Currently, we have evacuated all EU personnel from Haiti », stated Peter Stano, spokesperson for EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, on Monday, March 18th, 2024.
