On Thursday, the State Department made an official announcement, requiring non-emergency U.S. personnel and their eligible family members to leave Haiti. This decision was prompted by the existing security issues and ongoing infrastructure challenges in the country. Furthermore, the State Department reissued its highest-level travel advisory, cautioning against all travel to Haiti. The advisory urged U.S. citizens present in Haiti to depart immediately due to recent armed conflicts between criminal groups and the police in Port-au-Prince.

Earlier in the week, a considerable number of Haitians, displaced from their homes, sought refuge in front of the U.S. embassy. Many of these individuals resided in close proximity to the embassy or its housing compound. Their primary reason for camping out in front of the embassy was a plea for assistance from the United States. Some of them expressed dissatisfaction, claiming that the embassy appeared unresponsive to their needs, stating, “the embassy doesn’t want to do anything for us.”

One anonymous man, cited by the Miami Herald, seated on the sidewalk, lamented the lack of security, comparing it to the police presence that U.S. officials enjoy when they go home. The situation highlighted the distressing reality that the Haitian citizens felt left to fend for themselves without adequate support or protection.

Haiti Hebdo