U.S. citizens in Haiti have been urged to leave the violence-wracked Caribbean nation at the soonest opportunity.
The U.S. State Department issued the warning on March 6, just days after Haiti declared a state of emergency.
The country issued a nighttime curfew after gangs besieged two of the country’s largest prisons and helped scores of inmates escape from the facilities.
Further attacks were made on multiple government institutions, including police stations and the international airport.
The U.S. embassy in Haiti notified Americans via its website about the situation and encouraged people to observe local news for further security information. The notice is the second issued since March 3.
“U.S. citizens in Haiti should depart Haiti as soon as possible by commercial or other privately available transportation options, in light of the current security situation and infrastructure challenges,” the notification reads.
“U.S. citizens wishing to depart Port-au-Prince should monitor local news and information on security conditions from commercial transportation providers and should arrange to leave Haiti when security conditions and commercial transportation options permit doing so.”
However, an attempt by gangs to seize control of the country’s airport earlier this week led to the temporary closure of the airport, making possible routes out of the country inaccessible.
In addition to this, the land route leading to the neighboring Dominican Republic is also currently under the control of gangs, and an exit by sea is also not possible due to the lack of active ports in the country.
The 72-hour state of emergency was put in force on March 3, with a subsequent curfew in place from 6 p.m. to 5 a.m. amid efforts by the Haitian government “to restore the order and to take appropriate measures in order to regain control of the situation,” according to a press release, as reported by ABC.
This 3-day state of emergency was later extended to a month.
According to the Haitian government, the situation has become particularly intense in the metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince, where excessive armed gang violence has led to the displacement of citizens.
After prisons were stormed by heavily armed criminal gangs last weekend, more than 3,900 of the 4,000 inmates reportedly escaped, according to officials. Most of them were serving time for serious offenses, including kidnapping and murder.
The violence has paralyzed the country, kidnappings and assassinations are rife, and there are continued attacks on women and children, on top of looting and theft of private property.
According to ABC, a Haitian law enforcement source said that dozens of gunmen breached the perimeter wall of the Toussaint Louverture International Airport, which is located just outside the country’s capital, Port-au-Prince, where they clashed with police and military.
According to the source, the attempted takeover of the main building was unsuccessful, however.
The armed attack at the airport on Monday caused multiple deaths and injuries on both sides, although the exact number of attackers killed is unknown. One police officer reportedly died as a result of the attack.
Earlier this week, the U.S. embassy announced limited operations, with all services and appointments suspended through March 12.
“Embassy operations may be further affected during the week because of gang-related violence and its effects on transportation and infrastructure,” according to the notice.
“Persons with scheduled appointments should NOT attempt to come to the Embassy until further notice; conditions may not allow the U.S. Embassy to admit persons who arrive through March 12.”
While the situation is being closely monitored, there are no immediate plans to evacuate U.S. embassy officials or U.S. citizens from the country.
Meanwhile, those who have to travel to Haiti are advised to avoid crowds, keep a low profile, be prepared to shelter in place for an extended time period, and have all travel documents up to date and easily accessible.
