MIAMI – The airport in Port-au-Prince remains closed as gangs control the area, leading to the first official evacuation flight bringing 30 Americans to Miami on Sunday.
The sudden evacuation plan was not in place late last week, signaling a rapid response to the escalating situation.
“An assessment was made by us of the situation on the ground, both in terms of security and the availability of commercial options, which led us to believe it was in the interest of American citizens to make their way to Cap-Haitien,” said State Department Spokesman Vedant Patel.
Details about future flights remain uncertain, with flights operating out of Cap-Haitien, located 100 miles from Port-au-Prince, on a highway made perilous by armed gangs.
U.S. Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Florida, emphasized the need for a more aggressive stance to restore order in Haiti, a sentiment echoed by South Florida congressmen and women who support a multinational force intervention.
“We need to take a more aggressive stance and restore order in Haiti,” he said in part at a press conference Monday.
“We will not tolerate in our backyard for gangs to take any government,” said Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, D-Florida, on last Sunday’s episode of This Week in South Florida.
Meanwhile, private efforts, including those led by Florida Congressman Cory Mills, an Army combat veteran and defense contractor, have successfully evacuated dozens, including missionaries using helicopter connections.
Patel noted that about 1000 people desperate to leave Haiti have filled out a crisis intake form, with official evacuations scheduled to occur “as the security environment permits.”