The missions of the United States, Germany and the European Union have begun evacuating staff from their embassies in Haiti as gang violence intensifies in Port-au-Prince. This is reported by CNN.
According to the US military, the embassy employees were evacuated by military aircraft during the operation. In a post on March 10, the US Embassy said the State Department had ordered the evacuation at night due to “increased gang violence” in the vicinity of the embassy and airport.
According to the White House, President Joe Biden approved the evacuation and is “deeply concerned” by the situation.
Germany and the EU have also evacuated their embassies from Port-au-Prince. The German ambassador and the EU ambassador were on the plane. According to CNN sources, the operation was planned for several days. The Dominican Republic, which has closed its airspace to Haiti, made an exception and allowed a commercial helicopter into the country, which made at least two flights, the sources added.
Tensions have risen in Port-au-Prince over the past few days. A few days ago, the gangs attacked the prisons, as a result of which more than 4,000 prisoners escaped. Tens of thousands of people have fled their homes in recent days due to the chaos created in the country. Earlier, more than 300,000 people had already been displaced due to the increase in gang violence.
Gang leader Chimi Cherisier has announced that he will continue his efforts to oust Prime Minister Ariel Henry, warning that if the Prime Minister does not resign, there will be a “civil war that will end in genocide.”
Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry is currently in Puerto Rico, according to various reports, because his plane was not allowed to land in the country on his way back from Kenya.
#German #Embassies #Haiti #Evacuate #Staff #Due #Gang #Violence
