Fierce fighting in Port-au-Prince’s wealthier districts prompts the State Department to organize airlifts for Americans in danger.

The United States has initiated helicopter evacuations for its citizens from Haiti, where fighting has intensified in the capital, Port-au-Prince. The State Department confirmed on Wednesday that government-chartered aircraft are ferrying evacuees to the Dominican Republic, following violent clashes between gangs in the capital. The evacuations come amid reports of ongoing violence in some of the city’s wealthiest areas, where gang warfare has escalated.

State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel stated that the decision to begin the evacuation process came after nearly 1,600 US citizens requested assistance. He emphasized that while the security situation is high-risk, the operation would not have been carried out if the department did not believe it was safe to do so. “The violence on the ground in Port-au-Prince has been dire,” Patel noted, adding that the situation is constantly evolving.

Gang-related violence in Haiti has worsened in recent months, with heavily armed gang members launching an insurrection against the government on February 29, 2024. The US government’s priority is ensuring the safety of its citizens, and evacuation flights will continue on a day-to-day basis, depending on security conditions.