A spokeswoman for Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly announced that 18 Canadians were evacuated from Haiti by helicopter. Initially, Joly had stated that the evacuation had already occurred, but Global Affairs Canada clarified that it was postponed due to bad weather. The Canadians were flown to safety in the Dominican Republic after the weather conditions improved. This evacuation plan was announced by Joly on Monday as Haiti faces food shortages and escalating violence from armed gangs. The minister was informed about the postponement after her press conference when she spoke to reporters.
Global Affairs Canada stated that the 18 individuals were safely lodged overnight, and additional evacuations are expected to continue. The plan involves airlifting small groups of Canadians through helicopters to the Dominican Republic at no cost, although they will have to cover their own accommodation and travel expenses back to Canada. This evacuation is exclusively for Canadian passport-holders, but Joly is striving to include relatives of citizens and permanent residents in the evacuation plan. Additionally, the Canadian Embassy in Port-au-Prince can provide emergency documents to those with missing or expired passports.
As of Monday, around 3,000 individuals with ties to Canada had voluntarily registered their presence in Haiti. Among them, fewer than 300 individuals had requested assistance to leave the country, with less than 100 being Canadian citizens with valid passports. Only about 30 of these individuals were considered as “travel-ready,” according to officials. The evacuation plan aims to assist those Canadians who are in need of help amid the challenging situation in Haiti.
The Canadian government is coordinating with officials in the Dominican Republic to facilitate the evacuation of Canadian citizens, their relatives, and permanent residents. The evacuation plan provides a safe passage from Haiti to the neighboring country through helicopter airlifts. The Canadian Embassy in Haiti is working to provide emergency documents to those in need, ensuring that they can safely leave the country. The evacuation efforts come as Haiti faces growing turmoil with food shortages and violence from armed gangs.
Overall, the evacuation plan for Canadians in Haiti involves using helicopters to transport individuals to the Dominican Republic, where they will have to cover their own accommodation and travel expenses back to Canada. The plan aims to assist Canadian citizens, their relatives, and permanent residents in leaving Haiti amid the challenging circumstances in the country. With the assistance of the Canadian Embassy in Haiti, emergency documents are being provided to facilitate the safe evacuation of individuals who are in need of assistance, ensuring their well-being and return to Canada.
