US orders government personnel, family members to leave Haiti
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[July 28, 2023]
(Reuters) -The U.S.
State Department on Thursday ordered non-emergency government personnel
and family members to leave Haiti as soon as possible, citing
"kidnapping, crime, civil unrest, and poor health care infrastructure."
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A man carries his belongings after officers
of the Haitian National Police fired tear gas to clear a camp of people
escaping the threat of armed gangs, in front of the U.S. Embassy, in
Port-au-Prince, Haiti July 25, 2023. REUTERS/Ralph Tedy Erol/File Photo |
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.
Haiti has struggled to contain violence and chaos as heavily
armed gangs drive a humanitarian crisis that has displaced tens
of thousands amid frequent kidnappings for ransom, gang rapes,
tortures and murders.
The Caribbean nation has not elected a new leader since
President Jovenel Moïse was assassinated on July 7, 2021.
(Reporting by Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Tom Hogue, Robert Birsel)
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