US Announces Plan To Evacuate American Citizens Stranded In Haiti

Authored by Jack Phillips via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

The State Department confirmed that it will try to evacuate Americans who are still stranded in Haiti as the country’s security situation continues to deteriorate.

On March 16, the U.S. Embassy in Haiti stated that it will organize a charter flight for U.S. citizens who still remain in the country, coming months after the embassy issued a warning that Americans should leave.

“We are arranging a charter flight for U.S. citizens from Cap-Haitien to the United States, assuming the security situation in Cap-Haitien remains stable,” the embassy said in a security alert issued over the weekend, noting that the airport in the city is “opened periodically for departing flights.”

But, it warned, the “overland trip from Port-au-Prince to Cap Haitien is dangerous,” and the embassy recommended that people head to Cap-Haitien only if they believe they can reach the airport safely.

“We cannot provide overland travel from other parts of Haiti to Cap-Haitien,” the statement reads. “We continue to work on options for departures out of Port-au-Prince and will let you know about them as soon as we are able to safely and securely arrange them.”

It also states that U.S. citizens who choose to depart using federal government-backed flights have to sign a statement agreeing to pay the U.S. government back for the flight’s cost.

“The security situation in Haiti is unpredictable and dangerous. Travel within Haiti is conducted at your own risk. The U.S. government cannot guarantee your safety traveling to airports, borders, or during any onward travel,” the embassy warned on March 16. “You should consider your personal security situation before traveling anywhere in Haiti. Only attempt to depart Haiti or travel within Haiti if you believe it is safe for you to do so.”

The statement from the embassy comes about two weeks after U.S. military officials confirmed that it evacuated some embassy personnel in the country. Weeks before that, Haiti declared a state of emergency because of escalating violence from armed gangs while then-Prime Minister Ariel Henry was in Nairobi, Kenya, seeking a deal for a long-delayed U.N.-backed security mission. He resigned last week.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said a transition council would be named, after which Mr. Henry would step down.

“This is never going to be smooth and never going to be linear,” Mr. Blinken told reporters during a visit to Austria. “So that’s a work in progress, but we’ve seen that move forward.”

U.S. aid chief Samantha Power announced $25 million in humanitarian assistance for Haiti on March 15 to cover food, essential relief supplies, relocation support, and emergency health care. That was on top of the $33 million announced on March 11.

But some analysts say the transition plan isn’t working.

“It’s starting off very, very badly,” Frederic Boisrond, a sociologist at McGill University, told Radio-Canada, pointing to the dissent within the groups proposed for the transition council by leaders in Jamaica, reported Reuters.

“Elections are very long-term prospect.”

He pointed to the need to, after restoring security, recreate an electoral roll and reappoint mayors, senators, and deputies.

“This is a huge machine to reinstall. Haiti is in year zero of democracy,” Mr. Boisrond said.

Gang Leader Issues Warning

Over the weekend, a powerful gang leader in Haiti, Jimmy “Barbecue” Cherizier, issued a threatening message aimed at political leaders who would participate in a planned transition council, as fires broke out amid a fresh surge of violence in the Caribbean nation’s capital.

“Don’t you have any shame?” said Mr. Cherizier, directing his remarks at politicians who he said were looking to join the council. “You have taken the country where it is today. You have no idea what will happen.

“I'll know if your kids are in Haiti, if your wives are in Haiti ... if your husbands are in Haiti. If you’re gonna run the country, all your family ought to be there.”

In his remarks, Mr. Cherizier said the resignation of Mr. Henry was only “a first step in the battle” for the island nation of about 11 million.

Nearby countries have bolstered their border security and withdrawn staff from embassies, while plans to send a long-awaited international security force remain uncertain, Reuters reported.

Reuters contributed to this report.