Events:  Given the recent armed clashes between gangs and the police and the high threat of violent crime and kidnapping throughout Port-au-Prince, the Department of State urges U.S. citizens to make plans to depart Haiti as soon as possible via commercial means. The most recent violent clashes have particularly affected the neighborhoods of Vivy Michel, Tabarre, Torcel, Tapage and Trutier.  The U.S. government is extremely limited in its ability to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in Haiti.  Please see information on What the Department of State Can and Can’t Do in a Crisis.

Haiti has the highest (Level 4) Travel Advisory (“Do Not Travel”) for kidnapping, crime, and civil unrest.  The travel advisory for Haiti, available at travel.state.gov, notes that kidnapping is widespread and victims regularly include U.S. citizens.  Kidnapping cases often involve ransom negotiations and U.S. citizen victims have been physically harmed during kidnappings. Local police generally lack the resources to respond effectively to serious criminal incidents.

The U.S. Embassy urges U.S. citizens who travel to Haiti despite this warning to register their trip with the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program.  STEP is a free service that  allows U.S. citizens and nationals traveling and living abroad to enroll their trip with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate so that we can provide important security and other information to the U.S. citizen community in Haiti.

Actions to take: