Tensions continue to rise in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, as violent clashes have erupted once again, sending residents into panic and forcing many to seek refuge from the chaos.
The medical organization Doctors Without Borders reported a serious incident where police and vigilantes attacked one of their ambulances, slashing its tires, deploying tear gas on medical personnel, and executing at least two patients.
While Haiti has long struggled with instability and violence, this past week has seen an intensification, with gangs seizing the political turmoil as an opportunity for a power grab. On Sunday, the country’s transitional council dismissed interim Prime Minister Garry Conille, appointing businessman Alix Didier Fils-Aimé as his replacement.
Adding to the unrest, gangs reportedly targeted three U.S. airline planes from Spirit, JetBlue, and American Airlines, opening fire as they landed and took off from Port-au-Prince. A Spirit flight attendant sustained injuries, and the airline’s plane suffered bullet damage.
In response, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration imposed a 30-day flight restriction on U.S. airlines flying to Haiti. American Airlines has since announced a suspension of its flights until February. The United Nations has also temporarily halted its flights to Port-au-Prince, severely limiting humanitarian aid access and personnel on the ground.
As the violence isolates Haiti further, the country faces critical shortages of humanitarian aid, with the nation teetering on the brink of famine.
“We call for an end to the escalating violence, to allow for safe, sustained, and unimpeded humanitarian access,” U.N. spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric urged on Tuesday.
