The United States has ordered non-emergency government personnel to leave Haiti, as the Caribbean nation continues to reel under widespread gang violence, kidnappings, and political instability.
In a travel advisory issued late on Thursday, the US State Department ordered the departure of non-emergency personnel and their family members, and said US citizens in Haiti should leave “as soon as possible”.
“Kidnapping is widespread, and victims regularly include US citizens,” the statement said, adding that violent crimes including armed robbery and carjackings are also common.
“Protests, demonstrations, tire burning, and roadblocks are frequent, unpredictable, and can turn violent. The US government is extremely limited in its ability to provide emergency services to US citizens in Haiti,” it said.
Gang violence has surged in Haiti and the capital, Port-au-Prince, particularly after the July 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moise. And the country’s virtually non-existent government system has made stemming attacks even more difficult.
Original from www.aljazeera.com