A second State Department-sponsored flight evacuating Americans from Haiti landed in Miami on March 21 amid increasing unrest and violence in the Caribbean nation, according to multiple reports.
The flight, carrying more than 80 U.S. citizens, departed from Cap-Haitien, a port city on the north coast of Haiti, and landed at Miami International Airport, Florida television station WSVN reported.
The Epoch Times has contacted the State Department for further comment.
It comes as major U.S. carriers, including American Airlines and JetBlue Airways, halted commercial flights between Haiti and the United States in March amid escalating violence that saw armed gangs target the Toussaint Louverture International Airport, along with the nearby seaport, the Miami Herald reported.
The latest flight marks the second U.S. government evacuation of Americans from Haiti to South Florida after a chartered plane transported more than 30 individuals to the United States on March 17.
The U.S. government issued a Level 4 warning for Haiti in March 2020 due to the “unpredictable and dangerous” situation in the nation, and Americans have been warned for months to leave as the security situation rapidly deteriorates.
However, gang violence and widespread looting have reached unprecedented levels in recent weeks, with armed men setting fire to police stations and attacking the main prison in Port-au-Prince, helping thousands of inmates escape.
More than 360,000 people are internally displaced in Haiti, according to U.N. estimates.
As the situation worsened, Haiti declared a state of emergency on March 3. Meanwhile, the country’s former prime minister—whose leadership repeatedly came under criticism— has announced he will resign once a transitional presidential council has been established and an interim prime minister named.
More Flights Planned, White House Says
Speaking during a press conference on March 21, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stressed that Haiti has been under a Level 4 “Do Not Travel” warning since 2020 because of the “ongoing instability caused by the gangs.”
Ms. Jean-Pierre urged American citizens still in Haiti to leave as soon as possible.
“We’ve been stressing that the United States government cannot guarantee American citizens will all be evacuated given the treacherous situation on the ground,” she said. “That said, we have informed Americans who are registered with the State Department that we’re exploring various options to help them depart from Port-au-Prince and also from Cap-Haitien.”
The White House press secretary also noted the U.S. government organized helicopter flights to transport 15 Americans from Port-au-Prince to Santo Domingo, the capital of the neighboring Dominican Republic, on March 21.
The Biden administration hopes to organize more helicopter flights for U.S. citizens in Haiti in the coming days, so long as circumstances permit, Ms. Jean-Pierre noted.
“The United States government has no higher priority than the safety of Americans who are overseas. All of our contingency planning and assistance, however, must take into account the security environment, and that’s what we’ve been doing since the end of February,” she added.
Nearly 1,000 Americans have already filled out a “crisis intake form” seeking assistance to leave Haiti, the State Department has said.
American citizens taking the U.S. government-coordinated flights must sign a promissory bill agreeing to reimburse the government.
From The Epoch Times
