Haiti’s prime minister officially resigns amid violent crime surge

Former Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry on Thursday published a resignation letter on social media he also sent to the country’s government. The letter, dated April 24, said he was withdrawing from his post and its responsibilities.

Why is this happening? Haiti has been experiencing a surge in violent crime and gang activity, much of which dates back to the July 2021 assassination of then-President Jovenel Moïse. The U.S. State Department has warned U.S. citizens not to travel to the area and encouraged U.S. citizens in the country to leave as soon as possible. The advisory cites the prevalence of violence and kidnappings and says that local police lack the resources to respond to crime effectively. Florida’s Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday said that his state helped evacuate more than 700 Americans from Haiti.

Dig deeper: Listen to Paul Butler’s report on The World and Everything in It podcast about a Christian radio program seeking to keep believers in the country connected.