First U.S citizens fleed from Haiti and landed safely in Miami
Haiti has been immersed in a conflict for almost a month between the government and many armed gangs, which have taken over critical administrative buildings and police stations and led to the resignation of the prime minister a week ago.
8:22 AM EDT, March 18, 2024
Haitian gangs led by Jimmy Cherizier, a former policeman and now a gangster known as "Barbecue", attacked the airport, police stations, and the largest prisons, releasing about 4,000 prisoners onto the streets.
A week ago, due to the spreading chaos and violence on the streets, including the capital of Haiti, Port-au-Prince, the United States Embassy was evacuated by air. "The air bridge for American staff, a standard practice globally, aims to enhance security for our embassy personnel. It's important to note that no Haitians were onboard the departing planes," announced the U.S. Southern Command, responsible for the evacuation.
Now, the US government has organized an evacuation from Haiti for its citizens on a special charter, which landed safely at Miami International Airport on Sunday with 30 Americans on board. With Haiti's main airport in the capital closed due to gang attacks, the United States is evacuating its citizens at an airport in the quieter part of the country, Cap-Haïtien.
The State Department announced, "We encourage U.S. citizens still in Haiti who seek to depart to contact the Department of State using the crisis intake form on our website if they have not already done so."
Source: NPR
