Foreigners trapped in Haiti wait desperately for a way out

Richard Phillips, a 65-year-old man from the Canadian capital, Ottawa, packs his suitcase in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Friday, March 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)

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Many foreigners, including numerous individuals from the United States and Canada, find themselves stranded in Haiti, desperately seeking a way out of the violence-ridden nation where anti-government factions are clashing with law enforcement and have effectively shut down both of the country’s international airports.

Their reasons for being in Haiti vary, from adoptions to missionary and humanitarian endeavors. Currently, they are confined to hotels and residences, with no means of departure by air, sea, or land due to the chaos and the gangs’ insistence that Prime Minister Ariel Henry step down.

Richard Phillips, a 65-year-old from Ottawa, Canada, who has made over thirty trips to Haiti for projects with the United Nations, USAID, and a local nonprofit organization called Papyrus, expressed the dire situation.

After arriving in late February to teach agricultural skills in Les Cayes, Phillips found himself stranded in Port-au-Prince when his flight was canceled due to the escalating violence.

The ongoing gang attacks since February 29 have resulted in numerous casualties and over 15,000 individuals displaced.

Despite the government’s efforts to impose a state of emergency and curfew, the violence persists, with gangs targeting police stations, freeing thousands of prisoners, and even attacking the main airport in Port-au-Prince, leaving the prime minister stranded abroad.

Numerous individuals have lost their lives in the gang assaults that commenced on February 29, and over 15,000 individuals have been displaced due to the violence.

Earlier this week, the government of Haiti extended a state of emergency and imposed a nightly curfew in an attempt to suppress the violence, but the attacks persist.

Gangs have set fire to police stations, freed over 4,000 inmates from Haiti’s two largest prisons, and targeted the main airport in Port-au-Prince, which remains closed.

Consequently, the prime minister has been unable to return home after a visit to Kenya to advocate for the U.N.-supported deployment of a police force from the East African nation.

Phillips mentioned that he has explored all possibilities for leaving Haiti by air, but faced obstacles such as a helicopter operator being unable to obtain insurance for the flight and a private plane pilot deeming the approach too risky.

While considering trekking to the neighboring Dominican Republic, Phillips acknowledged the potential dangers involved.

 Despite being stranded, Phillips expressed his composure, citing his previous experiences with violence in Haiti.

Yvonne Trimble, a long-time resident of Haiti, is one of the U.S. expatriates unable to depart. She and her husband are currently in Cap-Haitien, awaiting a private evacuation flight for missionaries that had been canceled once before.

Trimble described the situation as complete anarchy, highlighting a recent incident where a mob surrounded the airport in Cap-Haitien due to a false rumor.

She and her husband are set to depart next week with the assistance of Missionary Flights International, a Florida-based organization. Roger Sands, the company’s vice president of administration, mentioned that they have received numerous inquiries from individuals seeking to leave or return.