US citizens evacuate Haiti on first State Department charter flight

US nationals have been evacuated from Haiti due to criminal activity and political unrest, leaving streets empty and supplies scarce.

According to the State Department, the aircraft took off on Sunday from Cap-Haitien on the country’s north coast and touched down at Miami International Airport. According to a State Department spokesman, government representatives are currently “assisting with next steps” for the more than thirty US individuals who were on board.

As long as “commercial options remain inaccessible, and the safety situation permits us to do so,” the department will assist US residents who want to flee Port-au-Prince, according to the spokeswoman.

Cap-Haitien is located over one hundred miles from Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti, where gangs have besieged the airport and there has been surrounding violence between clans and police.

The State Department issued a statement on Saturday notifying the flight and alerting people to the dangers on the land path from Port-au-Prince to Cap-Haitien, stating that “the security situation in Port-au-Prince is unexpected and dangerous.”

The message advises considering the Cap-Haitien trip only if you expect to arrive safely at the airport, as land transportation from other Haitian regions is not available.

According to security sources, opposing gangs started causing coordinated devastation at the beginning of this month, which escalated the problem in Port-au-Prince. Prime Minister Ariel Henry has been under pressure from the gangs to step down. Last week, Henry announced that he will do so when a transitional council was established, although the council has not yet been constituted.

According to UN estimates, gangs currently hold 80% of Port-au-Prince and are significantly restricting the city’s access to gasoline, food, and water supplies. Block by block, the National Police of Haiti are still fighting to retake territory.

However, police have few resources and are frequently the focus of violence; in the last two weeks, many police stations have been set on fire or attacked.