United States urges citizens to avoid travel to Haiti

[March 06, 2020]    PORT-AU-PRINCE (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department on Thursday raised its travel advisory on Haiti to "do not travel" from "reconsider travel" citing risks of crime, civil unrest and kidnapping on the impoverished Caribbean island nation.

Haitians have been struggling with a prolonged economic and political crisis, including weeks of violent protests and a three-month lockdown of shops and other businesses. Violence still flares sporadically.

The new travel advisory puts Haiti on a par with Syria, scarred by a long-running civil war, and China, which is grappling with the coronavirus outbreak that has killed more than 3,200 people worldwide.

"Demonstrations, tire burning, and roadblocks are frequent, unpredictable, and can turn violent," it said in a statement. "Local police may lack the resources to respond effectively to serious criminal incidents."

It said violent crime, such as armed robbery and carjackings, was common and kidnapping was widespread in the Western Hemisphere's poorest nation.

Haitian Prime Minister Joseph Jouthe promised on Wednesday during his first public appearance since his appointment by presidential decree that he would focus on fighting insecurity and inequality while boosting the economy.

(Reporting by Andre Paultre; Editing by Stefanie Eschenbacher and Peter Cooney)

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