US evacuates 20 embassy employees from Haiti after violent attack

US evacuates 20 embassy employees from Haiti after violent attack

Violence in Haitis capital Port-Au-Prince is increasing this week. A UN helicopter was shot at with shots, and two gangs seem to be targeting vehicles from the US message.

security situation tightens

A security source informed CNN on Tuesday that two armored vehicles from the US embassy in Haiti were shot at by the criminal groups "400 Mawozo" and "Chen Mechan". Nobody was injured, but it is assumed that the US vehicles have been targeted.

evacuation of the diplomatic employees

The attacks and the increasing gang activity in the surrounding area of ​​the message caused the embassy officials to initiate the process for evacuation of up to 20 diplomatic employees from the capital, another source reported on Thursday.

The evacuation of the "not urgently needed" diplomatic employees should take place in the "coming days", according to the second source.

UN helicopter under fire

On Thursday, a humanitarian helicopter of the UN World Food program (WFP) was also hit by heavy fire during the overflight via Port-Au-Prince. As a result, the agency had to cancel the flights planned for Friday.

In pictures that were made available CNN, at least eight bullet holes can be seen in the fuselage of the helicopter and what is apparently its rotor system. The helicopter, which was clearly marked as a UN aircraft, promoted 18 people when he was hit, a WFP spokeswoman said.

Need for humanitarian air transports

Nobody was injured in the incident and the plane could land safely, WFP spokeswoman Shaza Moghraby told CNN and added that the agency continued to try to clarify the exact circumstances of the incident.

"Humanitarian air transport is crucial for the implementation of aid measures in Haiti," emphasized the WFP declaration. Many streets in the Caribbean country are too dangerous for land transport due to gear coatings and roadblocks.

previous incidents and effects on air traffic

This is not the first time that a helicopter of the WFP will be under fire. Last July an apparently wandering ball hit a helicopter while it was parked at Toussaint Louverture Airport in Port-Au-Prince.

The shots on the helicopter on Thursday will "most likely" lead to the fact that US airlines will set their operations again in Port-Au-Prince, said the second source CNN.

gear in Haiti

Gang violence in Haiti has increased in recent years, the attacks are becoming more and more violent and more violent. Gangs control a large part of the capital, and the continuing violence has made almost 700,000 Haitians homeless in recent years. The UN report that since January 3,661 humans. were.

brutal attacks on civilians

At the beginning of this month, three toddlers among the numerous victims were also counted in a brutal attack in the central Haiti. Members of the "Gran Gran" passage killed at least 70 people and drove 6,000 people with automatic rifles, UN agency back then.

The reporting was supported by CNNS Caitlin Hu and Tara John.