Haiti: American State Department issues new travel warning

WASHINGTON, CMC – The United States has issued new travel warning for American citizens travelling to or living in Haiti, cautioning them of a raft of problems plaguing the country from poor infrastructure and security to corruption and violence.



The new warning replaces one issued on January 20, “to consolidate and update information regarding the critical crime level, renewed cholera outbreak, lack of adequate infrastructure - particularly in medical facilities, seasonal severe inclement weather, and limited police protection,” the US State Department said.



The American foreign ministry Americans to consider carefully all travel to Haiti and preferred travel that is “fully supported by organizations with solid infrastructure, evacuation options, and medical support systems in place” to travel in without such support structures in place.



US citizens traveling to Haiti without such support have found themselves in danger in the past. US citizens have been victims of violent crime, including murder and kidnapping, in Port-au-Prince,” the State Department said, adding that some kidnapping victims have been “physically abused, sexually assaulted, shot, and even killed”.



The advisory continued: “No one is safe from kidnapping, regardless of occupation, nationality, race, gender, or age. In a number of cases this past year, travellers arriving in Port-au-Prince on flights from the United States were attacked and robbed shortly after departing the airport.”



It noted that at least two US citizens were shot and killed in such incidents.



The State Department said Haitian authorities have limited capacity to deter or investigate such violent acts, or prosecute perpetrators.



It said while the Haitian National Police (HNP), with assistance from UN Police (UN Pol), are responsible for keeping peace in Haiti and rendering assistance during times of civil unrest, given the possibility and unpredictability of violent protests, the ability of the law enforcement agencies to come to the aid of Americans in distress during disturbances is “very limited.”



The State Department said the US Embassy in Port-au-Prince does not have the capacity or infrastructure to evacuate its citizens and relies on the police to help.



“US citizens in Haiti must, therefore, have well-prepared security plans, including a location to shelter in place stocked with provisions, and a private evacuation strategy given the possibility that violent disruptions could, as in the recent past, make it impossible for them to circulate freely,” it said.



It said medical facilities in Haiti are “particularly weak,” adding that last year's cholera outbreak – exacerbated by inadequate public sanitation – killed thousands of Haitians, “further straining the capacity of medical facilities and personnel and undermining their ability to attend to emergencies.



“While no longer at peak levels, cholera persists in many areas of Haiti, and the risk of contracting it remains,” the statement said, noting that some US citizens injured in accidents and others with serious health concerns have been unable to find necessary medical care in Haiti and have had to arrange and pay for medical evacuation to the United States.



The State Department said travel within Haiti can be hazardous, stating that even American diplomats are under their own curfew and must remain home or in US government facilities during curfew hours.



Downtown Port-au-Prince was among a number of no-go areas for Embassy staff after dark, it said.



The State Department also said that Haiti's criminal-justice system poses “serious challenges to the well-being of US citizens,” stressing that once they enter Haiti they become subject to Haitian law.



“Allegations of bribery of judicial officials, intimidation by court officers, and/or abuse of power by law enforcement authorities pervade across all arrest cases involving US citizens,” the State Department said.



“Oftentimes, once arrested, US citizens find themselves stuck inside the Haitian judicial system indefinitely before their case goes to trial. Prisoners have been known to spend years incarcerated before appearing in court,” it added.