Flights at Port-au-Prince airport in Haiti’s capital have faced consecutive disruptions due to heavy gunfire nearby. The Caribbean nation contends with escalating gang violence and political turmoil.
The US Embassy in Haiti issued a security alert on Friday, cautioning about gunfire and traffic disruptions near the airport terminals and surrounding areas, including a hotel and the Central Directorate of the Judicial Police.
“The US Embassy is temporarily halting travel of official US personnel to the airport and instructing any US personnel at the airport to remain there,” the embassy said.
The disruptions at Port-au-Prince airport continue after a series of shootings rocked Haiti’s capital, resulting in flight cancellations and claiming the lives of at least four individuals in an assault on a police station.
American Airlines announced on Thursday the suspension of its daily service between Miami and Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince.
“We will continue to monitor the situation with safety and security top of mind and will adjust our operation as needed,” spokesperson Laura Masvidal said.
Haitian airline Sunrise Airways told CNN that it suspended “all flights until further notice to ensure the safety of passengers, ground crews, and aircraft.”
Sunrise Airways informed CNN of its decision to suspend “all flights until further notice” to prioritize the safety of passengers, ground crews, and aircraft.
The airline cited rapid gunfire near the airport causing damage to some aircraft and endangering users of the domestic terminal.
Additionally, a US flight carrying numerous Haitian deportees was canceled, as confirmed by a source familiar with the operation and a lawyer representing one of the deportees.
Immigration lawyer Philip Issa revealed that his client was removed and returned to detention facilities after boarding the plane in Miami on Thursday.
“It’s baffling that we’ve continued to deport people to Haiti when the conditions are so dire,” he said, while also complaining that US authorities had failed to provide food to the detainees or let them out since 4 p.m. the previous day.
Surging Gang Violence
Haiti has been engulfed by a surge of turmoil and gang violence in recent years.
Warring gangs exert control over significant portions of Port-au-Prince, cutting off vital supply routes to the rest of Haiti. The metropolitan population has endured terror at the hands of these gangs, prompting around 200,000 individuals to flee their homes amidst a barrage of indiscriminate violence including killings, kidnappings, arson, and sexual assault.
The United Nations reported that January alone witnessed approximately 1,100 people killed, injured, or kidnapped, marking it as the most violent month in two years.
The UN Integrated Office in Haiti (BIUH) documented over 8,400 victims of such violence throughout the previous year.
The escalation of crime and violence in Haiti followed the assassination of former President Jovenel Moise in 2021. Prime Minister Ariel Henry has faced mounting public frustration for his inability to quell the unrest, particularly after failing to hold elections as scheduled the previous month due to the escalating violence.
During a regional summit on Wednesday, Henry assured leaders of other Caribbean nations that elections would be conducted no later than August 31 of the following year, marking his first concrete commitment regarding the timing of the forthcoming vote.
Leaders from the CARICOM regional bloc, comprised of 20 developing countries and mostly island states, have agreed to dispatch a team to evaluate Haiti’s electoral requirements.
A prominent Haitian gang leader, Jimmy Cherizier, known as “Barbecue,” asserted that the gun battles in Port-au-Prince on Thursday aimed to overthrow Prime Minister Ariel Henry’s government, as reported by multiple media outlets.
Cherizier claimed in a video circulated on social media that the conflict would not only oust the Henry administration but also usher in systemic change, although ithe source cannot independently verify the video’s authenticity.
Meanwhile, an assault on the Bon Repos Police Station, situated north of Port-au-Prince, resulted in at least four fatalities and three injuries, according to a security source.
Three additional individuals sustained injuries in separate incidents across the capital. One was injured at the airport, another near a prison in downtown Port-au-Prince, and a third inside the prison, as confirmed by a security source.
International Support
The outbreak of fighting coincides with Prime Minister Henry’s visit to Kenya, where he is finalizing details with Kenyan President William Ruto for the anticipated deployment of a multinational security support mission to Haiti.
A source has reached out to the Haitian government for comment. The UN-authorized security mission, viewed as crucial by the international community to address the situation in Haiti, is set to involve Kenya as the lead nation.
Kenyan officials signed an agreement on Friday to dispatch 1,000 police officers to Haiti as part of this mission.
“From Kenya, we are ready for this deployment, and I request all the other partners across the globe to step up so that we can provide a response in good time,” Ruto said.
Prime Minister Henry expressed gratitude to Kenya for agreeing to lead the mission, emphasizing that after six months of refinement, the agreement has been finalized, marking the last step in the process.
The signing of the deal aims to fulfill a court ruling from Kenya’s High Court, which previously delayed the deployment of troops in January, citing the necessity of a reciprocal agreement with Haiti.
The United States has committed to contributing $200 million to the multinational security support mission, as stated by Secretary of State Antony Blinken last week.
This support will assist the Haitian national police with planning, intelligence, airlift capacity, communications, and medical equipment and services.