Emergency Situation in Haiti; US Evacuates Non-Essential Embassy Staff

The United States military announced on Sunday that it has evacuated non-essential personnel from its embassy in Haiti and has heightened security measures. The U.S. Southern Command stated in a press release that this action is in line with the military's standard procedure to enhance the security of U.S. embassies worldwide. According to the statement, no Haitian citizens were transferred out of the country during this operation. Last Sunday, as Prime Minister Ariel Henry was in Kenya attempting to implement a UN-backed mission, conflicts in the Caribbean nation intensified, leading to a state of emergency. Kenya had announced last year that it would lead UN forces in Haiti, but months of internal legal disputes have effectively stalled this mission. The U.S. State Department announced on Saturday that Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed the situation in Haiti with his Kenyan counterpart William Ruto, and both parties emphasized their commitment to a multinational mission aimed at restoring order. The U.S. Southern Command also stated in its Sunday release that the U.S. embassy remains focused on supporting the Haitian people, including mobilizing support for the national police, expediting the deployment of a UN-authorized multinational security support mission, and facilitating a peaceful transfer of power through free and fair elections. The U.S. plans to return thousands of Haitian asylum seekers stationed at the border to their country. The UN Secretary-General has stated that the world has entered an 'era of chaos.' Seventeen Christian missionaries and their families were kidnapped in Haiti. The U.S. has accelerated the delivery of aid to earthquake-affected areas in Haiti, where the death toll from a devastating earthquake has reached approximately 2,200. A new Prime Minister, Ariel Henry, a 71-year-old neurosurgeon, has been appointed in Haiti.