The decision coincides with the appointment of a new prime minister in Haiti, a country grappling with severe poverty and escalating gang violence….reports Asian Lite News
The United States imposed a one-month ban on civilian flights to Haiti on Tuesday after gunfire struck a Spirit Airlines plane approaching Port-au-Prince, forcing it to divert to the Dominican Republic.
On the same day, a JetBlue Airways flight returning from Port-au-Prince was found with bullet damage after arriving in New York, Xinhua news agency reported.
The decision coincides with the appointment of a new prime minister in Haiti, a country grappling with severe poverty and escalating gang violence.
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Following the incident, the U.S. urged Haitian leaders to set aside personal interests and focus on stabilizing the nation.
“The immediate needs of the Haitian people require the transitional government to prioritize governance over personal political ambitions,” said State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller.
Haiti has faced prolonged instability, worsened by the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse.
The situation deteriorated further in February when armed groups launched coordinated attacks to oust then-Prime Minister Ariel Henry. Despite a Kenyan-led mission’s arrival in June to support the nation, violence continues to surge.
All UN flights suspended
All UN flights to Haiti have been suspended after commercial jetliners were struck by gunfire and violence worsened in the country, a UN spokesperson said.
According to the UN partners, armed groups took to the streets in the capital, with at least 20 armed clashes reported and several roadblocks erected, limiting movement across the city, Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN Chief, told reporters on Tuesday.
The Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince has been closed until November 18. The port remains open from the sea, but road access to the port is currently not possible, he added.
As a result, all UN flights have been suspended, limiting the flow of humanitarian staff and resources, the UN Spokesperson said.
The delivery of 20 trucks of food and medical supplies to the south was also postponed.
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs warned that escalating violence is worsening an already dire humanitarian situation.
The UN partners reported that all schools in the Haitian capital have been closed. Additionally, operations providing cash assistance to 1,000 people had to be cancelled amid the ongoing violence.
Dujarric called for an end to the escalating violence, to allow for safe, sustained, and unimpeded humanitarian access, as well as the protection of people.
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