U.S. Embassy in Haiti again urges Americans to leave

The U.S. Embassy in Haiti issued a security alert saying its Port-au-Prince office would be conducting only limited operations Thursday, and was canceling all appointments through March 12. The embassy again urged U.S. citizens in Haiti to leave the country, and warned U.S. citizens against traveling to Haiti. On Thursday the Haitian government also said it was extending a curfew it had put in place earlier this week.

Why is it doing that? Gang violence has erupted in Haiti in recent days. Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry visited Kenya last week to sign a deal with Kenyan President William Ruto securing the deployment of 1,000 troops to help quell the violence. The United Nations approved the mission last year.

Where is Prime Minister Henry now? Back in Haiti? White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Wednesday told reporters that Ariel Henry is in Puerto Rico. She said his travel arrangements are his own, and the United States is not pressuring him to resign amid the violence in Haiti.

What is the United States doing to help with the situation in Haiti? Jean-Pierre said the Biden administration was talking to non-governmental groups like Carribian Community, or CARICOM, to bring humanitarian assistance to Haiti.

Dig deeper: Read my report in The Sift from earlier this week about gangs seeking to storm Haiti’s main airport.