A wave of relief swept through Miami International Airport on Sunday as a charter flight carrying U.S. citizens fleeing from Haiti’s gang violence touched down. This event marks a critical juncture in the ongoing crisis that has enveloped the Caribbean nation, prompting the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince to advise Americans to depart “as soon as possible.”
The flight, a lifeline for more than 30 Americans, arrived amid escalating violence that has shuttered Haiti’s main airport in Port-au-Prince. Gang attacks have plunged the nation into deeper chaos, pushing the populace toward famine and prompting looting of aid supplies. In response, the U.S. State Department organized limited charter flights from Cap-Haïtien, a less tumultuous northern city, despite the inability to provide ground transportation to the airport.
Among the passengers was Avlot Quessa, a Boston resident who had visited Haiti for what was meant to be a week-long trip to see his mother. The trip was extended due to the deteriorating conditions. Speaking to the Miami Herald, Quessa depicted the severity of the situation. “It’s just terrible… The suffering, you can only imagine,” he said, expressing the pain of witnessing his homeland’s distress.
Passengers became aware of the U.S.-sponsored flight through an email from the State Department, emphasizing its ongoing efforts to assist U.S. citizens in Haiti. Despite the successful evacuation, the situation in Haiti remains dire, with gangs nearing total control of Port-au-Prince, home to over a million people. The violence has forced residents to remain indoors, and the threat of starvation grows as aid operations become increasingly difficult.
Marie Lucie St. Fleur, 69, from West Palm Beach, shared her sorrow upon arrival in Miami. “I don’t feel well at all. I would like to live in my country, and I can’t,” she lamented, echoing the sentiment of many who feel torn away from their homeland by forces beyond their control.
The State Department confirmed the flight’s arrival, noting that officials were assisting passengers with their next steps. A spokesperson highlighted the continuous effort to aid U.S. citizens, stating, “We will continue to assist U.S. citizens as long as commercial options remain unavailable and the security environment permits us to do so.” This underscores the fluidity of the situation and the government’s commitment to the safety and security of its citizens abroad.
The urgency of the crisis is underscored by the nearly 1,000 Americans who have sought help through the State Department’s crisis intake form. The department’s spokesperson, Vedant Patel, described the situation as one of the world’s most dire humanitarian crises, pointing to the unyielding gang violence that makes the security situation in Haiti untenable.
“Gang violence continues to make the security situation in Haiti untenable, and it is a region that demands our attention,” Patel reiterated. Recent attacks, including the killing of at least 12 people in a suburb of Port-au-Prince and the looting of homes in upscale neighborhoods on Monday, have only heightened the urgency for a resolution. The news of bodies strewn across the streets of nearby Pétionville, collected by ambulances as residents looked on in horror, serves as a grim reminder of the challenges facing the Haitian people.
With no end in sight yet, the global gaze is on Haiti, hoping for stability and safety for its beleaguered residents, even as the diaspora in places like Miami grapples with the heartache of displacement and the longing for a peaceful homeland.
