U.S. Authorities Are Urging Americans Not to Travel to One Caribbean Country
The island nation has been under a Level 4 "do not travel" advisory for more than two years.
If you're planning to travel to Haiti in the near future, the US Embassy in Haiti is strongly encouraging not to do so at the moment.
The country has been under a Level 4 "do not travel" travel advisory for a while now, but due to recent events, the US Embassy in Haiti is currently reiterating that it is strongly urging citizens not to travel there. The reasons behind this are many, including the threat of kidnapping, crime, civil unrest, poor healthcare infrastructure.
In the past few weeks, though, gang violence has grown exponentially, which prompted the Haitian country to declare a state of emergency just last week. As CNN reported Tuesday, due to such events, Haiti's leader Ariel Henry just announced his resignation.
"The US State Department’s Travel Advisory for Haiti remains at Level Four: Do not travel to Haiti," reads the security alert issued by the US Embassy in Haiti this week. "The current security situation in Haiti is unpredictable and dangerous. We are aware that there are few or no commercial options to depart Haiti safely at this time. As they become available, we urge US citizens to take advantage of them."
Because of its current inability to facilitate travel out of Haiti and to further assist US citizens, should some of them be still located in the Caribbean country, the embassy is allowing them to record their presence in Haiti and to provide updated contact information via a crisis intake form.
According to the advisory, citizens who are still in Haiti and are unable to depart should follow a few rules for security purposes. More specifically, they should:
- Avoid crowds
- Monitor local media for updates and avoid areas where violence, demonstrations, or disruptions are reported to be happening.
- Keep a low profile
- Be aware of your surroundings
- Be prepared to shelter in place for an extended time period
- Avoid being outside after dark
- Stay alert in areas frequented by foreign visitors
- Review your personal security plans
- Have travel documents up-to-date and easily accessible
- Carry proper identification
You can read more about the current travel advisories the State Department has issued for international destinations right here.