Honduran nationals in Haiti to be evacuated with Dominican support

Tegucigalpa, Honduras.- At least 20 Honduran nationals, who were employed in Haiti, are set to be evacuated, possibly within this week, with the assistance of the Dominican Republic, announced the Foreign Minister of Honduras, Eduardo Enrique Reina.

Speaking to Channel 5 television in Tegucigalpa, Reina disclosed that efforts to repatriate the Hondurans from Haiti are being coordinated with the Honduran ambassador to the Dominican Republic, Sonia de Aspra. Describing the situation in Haiti as “very complex,” Reina emphasized that the only viable means of exit is through helicopters.

“The Dominican authorities will be providing us with the necessary support,” stressed Reina, adding that they are endeavoring to facilitate the direct evacuation of 16 Hondurans, along with a German citizen and a French woman who are married to Hondurans.

To execute the evacuations, we had to conduct four helicopter trips, which incurred a significant cost of approximately $12,000 per aircraft. However, the Dominican Republic is assisting us, and we anticipate completing the evacuations from Haiti within this week,” stated the diplomat.

Since late February, the metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti, has witnessed an unprecedented surge in violence characterized by attacks on civilian infrastructure, schools, universities, and public buildings.

This armed violence in the metropolitan area has compelled over 53,000 individuals to flee Port-au-Prince, according to a report released on Tuesday by the United Nations Office for Migration (IOM).

The agency highlighted that 61% of these displaced individuals have relocated to the southern regions of the country, posing a heightened risk of exacerbating food insecurity in these areas if immediate action is not taken.

Source: EFE