Certainly. The United States and various diplomatic missions have initiated the evacuation of their personnel from Haiti due to the escalating gang violence in the capital city, Port-au-Prince. Amidst the security concerns, an evacuation operation involving staff from the German and European missions had to reject requests for assistance from others on Sunday, revealing heightened apprehension within the diplomatic community about the unpredictable nature of gang attacks and their potential targets.
On Sunday, the US military announced that it carried out an operation to evacuate non-essential personnel from the US embassy in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The objective of the operation was also to enhance the security of the US mission in the capital. Port-au-Prince has been experiencing a series of well-coordinated gang attacks targeting law enforcement and state institutions. These attacks pose a significant threat to the stability of the government and have resulted in the displacement of tens of thousands of people who have had to flee their homes.
The US State Department coordinated an overnight evacuation 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 Sunday. According to the US Southern Command, this evacuation aligns with the “standard practice for Embassy security augmentation worldwide.” It’s important to note that no Haitians were on board the military aircraft involved in the evacuation.
The US Southern Command stated on Sunday that, “Our Embassy remains focused on advancing US government efforts to support the Haitian people.” The statement emphasized that the evacuation was undertaken to ensure the safety of embassy personnel and to enable the continuation of the mission operations despite the challenging security situation in Haiti.
President Joe Biden approved the operation, as confirmed by a spokesperson from the National Security Council. The President continues to express deep concern about the situation in Haiti amid the ongoing security challenges and evacuation efforts.
The German and European Union missions in Port-au-Prince have conducted helicopter evacuations, successfully removing diplomatic staff, including their respective ambassadors. This information comes from two sources familiar with the situation. CNN has attempted to contact both missions for official statements.
A notable evacuation flight on Sunday included German ambassador Peter Sauer and European Union ambassador Stefano Gatto. The operation, led by the European Union, required several days of meticulous planning and coordination across both sides of the Dominican-Haitian border, as disclosed by a source actively involved in the operation.
Haiti’s international airport is currently closed due to security concerns, and on March 8, the main container port terminal, managed by Caribbean Port Services, was subjected to an attack and looting.
While Haiti faces airspace restrictions from the Dominican Republic, an unusual exception was made by Dominican authorities. They permitted a small commercial helicopter to traverse from their territory into Port-au-Prince and back, conducting at least two rapid trips in succession, as reported by the source.
The journey utilized a dirt landing strip situated at a military base on the Dominican side of the border, bypassing helipads in Santo Domingo to maximize speed, according to the sources.
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As word spread about the evacuation plan, organizers had to decline several requests from others wanting to leave Haiti due to the limited capacity of the small aircraft. In total, approximately a dozen people were successfully moved out of Haiti during the operation, as per the source.
The decision to evacuate was driven by the increasing violence observed in Port-au-Prince in recent days. The source cited credible intelligence indicating that the gangs, which had previously targeted Haitian government institutions and police, might shift their focus towards Petionville. Petionville is a hilly, affluent area housing several luxury hotels and embassies, raising concerns about potential security threats in the area.
The escape of several thousand prisoners from Haiti’s National Penitentiary, leading to the Haitian government declaring a state of emergency last Sunday, was also a significant factor in the decision to evacuate, according to the sources.
The source highlighted that numerous diplomatic missions in Port-au-Prince lack the robust defensive military capabilities that the US embassy possesses. Beyond the potential threat of danger, the situation had become untenable due to the ongoing chaos. Basic necessities like food were in short supply, and there were challenges with intermittent electricity and communication, making it increasingly difficult for diplomatic missions to operate effectively in the current circumstances.
Another source, familiar with the operations, informed CNN that there have been a minimum of 12 helicopter evacuation flights into Port-au-Prince over the past three days. All these flights were focused on evacuating diplomatic and humanitarian staff. Notably, these evacuation flights were conducted as commercial charters, rather than military operations.
On Saturday, at least one flight included US, Canadian, and French nationals among its passengers. Nevertheless, the viability of ongoing evacuation flights has been called into question due to shots fired in close proximity after the last flight took off on Sunday, according to the source.
A statement released on Sunday by the EU delegation in Haiti announced the temporary closure of its offices and a reduction in its presence in the country. The statement noted, “We will return as soon as security conditions permit.”
Haitian gang leader Jimmy Cherizier has declared his intent to persist in his efforts to remove Prime Minister Ariel Henry, issuing a warning of “a civil war that will end in genocide” if the prime minister refuses to step down.
Cherizier, a former police officer who leads an alliance of gangs, has been subject to sanctions from both the United Nations and the US Department of Treasury. The prevailing chaos has compelled tens of thousands to evacuate their homes in recent days, further exacerbating the displacement crisis, which already includes more than 300,000 individuals affected by gang violence.
The situation is also impacting the distribution of essential supplies by aid organizations. The World Food Programme, in response to the prevailing instability, has suspended its maritime transport services in Port-au-Prince, hindering the distribution of aid across Haiti.
The healthcare system in the country is on the brink of collapse, with many medical centers compelled to scale back operations due to violence, staffing shortages, and a lack of essential supplies, as stated by Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General and OCHA. Doctors in Haiti are urgently seeking assistance as they grapple with shortages of oxygen and water, highlighting the critical challenges facing the healthcare sector in the midst of the ongoing crisis.
Public frustration, which had been growing due to Prime Minister Ariel Henry’s perceived inability to quell the unrest, reached a tipping point when he did not resign last month, citing the escalating violence as a reason.
The prime minister has encountered challenges in returning to the country since departing for Kenya two weeks ago to finalize an agreement for a Kenyan-led multinational mission aimed at restoring security in Haiti.
It is now reported that he is in Puerto Rico, according to two sources familiar with Henry’s movements in the Caribbean island. This follows the Dominican Republic’s refusal to allow his flight to land.
CARICOM (the Caribbean Community and Common Market), a regional bloc consisting of 25 countries focused on economic integration, security, and social development, is scheduled to convene a meeting on Haiti in the Jamaican capital of Kingston on Monday, as per information from the