Canada has decided to temporarily withdraw non-essential staff from the Canadian Embassy in Haiti late Thursday evening.
Key personnel will continue to provide support to Canadians in Haiti.
“The security situation in Haiti is deteriorating rapidly and is exacerbated by a persistent fuel shortage. Consequently, Global Affairs Canada is temporarily withdrawing from the Canadian embassy all family members of Canadian embassy employees as well as all non-essential Canadian employees, ”said the Minister of Global Affairs.
The Caribbean country has been in a very unstable geopolitical situation for years, marked by political reversals and natural disasters. For some time, gangs have been sowing terror there and engaging in hostage-taking in order to obtain ransoms.
“To ensure the safety of Canadians, our embassy in Port-au-Prince remains open. Representatives of consular services are able to provide assistance to Canadians in need of emergency assistance, ”the ministry added in a statement.
You can contact the Consulate at 011 (509) 2-812-9000 or by email at [email protected]. All Canadians in Haiti are encouraged to regularly consult Travel Advice and Advisories and to register for the Registration of Canadians Abroad service.
Canadians can also contact Global Affairs Canada’s 24/7 Emergency Watch and Response Center by phone at 1-613-996-8885, by email at [email protected] and by text messaging (SMS) at 1-613-686-3658.
“As a long-time friend of the people of Haiti, Canada remains firmly committed to helping Haiti achieve a more democratic, secure and prosperous future. Canada will always be ready to help the Haitian people, as it has done in the past, ”said Global Affairs Canada.
The department advises Canadians to avoid all non-essential travel to Haiti.