U.S. orders embassy staff and citizens to leave Haiti

(CMR) The United States has ordered non-emergency staff at its embassy in Port-au-Prince to leave Haiti after an escalation in gang violence led dozens of Haitian families to seek refuge outside of the embassy compound this week.

On Thursday, the State Department said U.S. citizens not working for the government should also leave Haiti as soon as possible “by commercial or other privately available transportation options.”

“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 in a travel advisory.

“As is always the case, the safety and security of U.S. personnel serving abroad is one of the highest priorities from the Department of State,” Brian A. Nichols, assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere at the State Department, told the Miami Herald on Friday.

Earlier this week, dozens of Haitians fleeing their homes decided to seek refuge in front of the U.S. embassy, calling for the U.S. to help. In response to the situation, a specialized unit of the Haitian police on Tuesday used tear gas to disperse the crowd gathered outside the embassy. Among those who were tear-gassed reportedly included were children and pregnant women.

With embassy staff now ordered to leave, Haitian nationals seeking to renew their U.S. tourist visas, or get permission to be reunited with family already in the United States will have to wait longer for applications to be processed. The embassy was already struggling to process such requests due to the high level of kidnappings and armed violence by gangs, which led to a similar order last fall, the Miami Herald reported.

Haiti has asked the international community for help to deal with the gang violence plaguing the country; however, despite promises, help has not been forthcoming.

Last month Jamaica suspended consular services in Haiti after the location which housed its offices was attacked.