PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti, CMC—The Brazilian government on Wednesday facilitated the evacuation of seven Brazilian citizens and a German woman from the French-speaking Caribbean Community (CARICOM) member state, prompted by worsening security conditions and the closure of the country’s main airport.
The evacuees were transported via helicopter flights to Jimaní, a border city in the Dominican Republic, and subsequently transferred to Santo Domingo, the capital.
Apart from the seven individuals who opted to leave Haiti, there are an additional 59 Brazilians, identified by the Embassy, who have chosen to either remain in Haiti or depart independently. An elderly German woman was also included in the rescue mission “for humanitarian reasons” and at the request of the German government.
The Foreign Ministry expressed gratitude to the authorities of Haiti and the Dominican Republic for their assistance and attributed the evacuation to the deteriorating security situation in Haiti and the prolonged closure of the Port-au-Prince international airport.
In recent weeks, thousands of individuals have fled Port-au-Prince to escape the violence perpetrated by criminal gangs that have significant control over much of the capital.
The UN Office for Human Rights warned at the end of March that the situation amounts to a “cataclysm,” with over 1,500 deaths attributed to these groups thus far in the year. Urgent and decisive action is called for to address this crisis.
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