US Reinforces Haiti Embassy, Evacuates Some Staff In Overnight Airlift Mission
America could be on the verge of losing another embassy on President Biden's watch.
We’re about to lose another embassy on Biden’s watch.
— Joey Mannarino (@JoeyMannarinoUS) March 10, 2024
Haiti is in total crisis.
They’re now evacuating the US Embassy.
Is this all we do under Biden?
Rinse and repeat. pic.twitter.com/fhQAIm9Tkx
Haiti is quickly accelerating into greater chaos and violence by the day. The US military was forced this weekend to fly in reinforcements to the US embassy in the country's capital, Port-au-Prince, where the area outside the embassy has been transformed into a warzone.
The late-night operation also included emergency evacuations for non-essential embassy personnel:
"The airlift of personnel into and out of the embassy is consistent with our standard practice for embassy security augmentation worldwide, and no Haitians were on board the military aircraft," US Southern Command wrote in a statement, as quoted by the newspaper Miami Herald.
Earlier this month, more than 4,500 inmates escaped from the Caribbean nation's two largest prisons. Armed gangs who orchestrated the twin jailbreaks have demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry.
"In the past week, the political crisis in Haiti, combined with escalating violence and civil unrest, has created an untenable situation which threatens the country's citizens and security," US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told Newsweek on Friday.
Haiti has collapsed. The President is no longer in the country. The ports are officially closed. Cannibal gangs are besieging the national palace in Port-au-Prince. pic.twitter.com/xm2T5Scc5o
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) March 10, 2024
🚨🇺🇸🇭🇹 BREAKING: U.S STARTS TO EVACUATE EMBASSY IN HAITI
— Dare Lawal (@Lawal4Dare) March 10, 2024
Non-essential staff have begun to leave the embassy as the security situation in the country continues to get worse.
"Heightened gang violence in the neighborhood near U.S. embassy compounds and near the airport pic.twitter.com/UzY5EABWsM
Haitian authorities began a state of emergency last Sunday and extended it on Thursday as fierce battles continue across Port-au-Prince.
Kenya and Haiti sign agreements to try and salvage plan to deploy Kenyan police to battle gangs. pic.twitter.com/C0o1yBW3kg
— CITIZINS (@citizins) March 10, 2024
The US embassy wrote on X that it will "remain open" despite "heightened gang violence in the neighborhood near US embassy compounds and near the airport."
The U.S. Embassy in Haiti remains open. Heightened gang violence in the neighborhood near U.S. embassy compounds and near the airport led to the State Department's decision to arrange for the departure of additional embassy personnel. All arriving and departing passengers work…
— U.S. Embassy Haiti (@USEmbassyHaiti) March 10, 2024
Haiti is "on the cusp of even greater chaos and violence," campaign group Human Rights Watch said last week, adding the political and economic crisis is driving a major humanitarian emergency.