State Department orders non-emergency personnel to leave Haiti

The U.S. State Department ordered non-emergency personnel to leave Haiti and advised against travel to the country citing the threat of kidnapping and gang violence. File Photo by Orlando Barria/EPA-EFE

July 28 (UPI) — The State Department issued a travel advisory in Haiti, ordering all non-emergency U.S. government personnel and eligible families to leave.

The Bureau of Consular Affairs on Thursday limited all U.S. government personnel in Haiti to the confined area around its Port-au-Prince Embassy and prohibited them from walking in Haiti’s capital.

The agency also raised the travel advisory to its highest level “do not travel” while urging citizens there to leave.

“U.S. citizens in Haiti should depart Haiti as soon as possible by commercial or other privately available transportation options, in light of the current security situation and infrastructure challenges,” a statement from Consular Affairs said.

“Kidnapping is widespread, and victims regularly include U.S. citizens. Kidnappers may use sophisticated planning or take advantage of unplanned opportunities, and even convoys have been attacked.”

The State Department said Haiti’s kidnapping cases often involve ransom negotiations and U.S. citizen victims have been physically harmed. They said the families of victims have already paid thousands to kidnappers to rescue their family members.

“Violent crime, often involving the use of firearms, such as armed robbery, carjackings, and kidnappings for ransom that include U.S. citizens are common,” Consular Affairs said. “Mob killings against presumed criminals have been on the rise since late April.

“Travelers are sometimes followed and violently attacked and robbed shortly after leaving the Port-au-Prince international airport. Robbers and carjackers also attack private vehicles stuck in heavy traffic congestion and often target lone drivers, particularly women.”

Americans have been ordered to avoid using public transportation or taxis, visiting banks and ATMs, driving at night, traveling from 1-5 a.m. and without security measures in place.

The orders come after dozen of families sought refuge at the U.S. embassy from gang attacks as gangs were blamed for the kidnapping of journalist Blondine Tanis.

Police used tear gas to clear families from the embassy’s courtyard after alleged gang activity in Port-au-Prince’s Clercine neighborhood.

In March, the United Nations called for the international community to deploy a specialized force to halt the rising violence in Haiti. Marta Hurtado, spokesperson for the U.N. High Commissioner of Human Rights, Volker Türk, said a force was needed to protect human rights.