USA Orders Government Employees and Their Families to Leave Haiti

The U.S. Department of State ordered on Thursday that "government employees who are not engaged in emergency missions and their family members should leave Haiti as soon as possible, due to kidnappings, crime, civil unrest, and weak healthcare infrastructure." The department added, "U.S. citizens who are not employed by the government should also leave Haiti as quickly as possible, using commercial transport options or other available private transport options." The department's travel advisory stated, "Kidnapping is widespread, and U.S. citizens are always among the victims. Kidnappers may use sophisticated tactics. Entire convoys have been attacked." Haiti is struggling to contain violence and chaos, with armed gangs causing a humanitarian crisis that has led to the displacement of tens of thousands, amid recurrent kidnappings for ransom, as well as gang rapes, torture, and murder.