WASHINGTON, United States, Friday March 6, 2020 – The US Department of State has increased its travel warning on Haiti to the highest ‘Level 4 – Do not travel’ level, citing a spike in violent crimes in the French-speaking Caribbean nation.
The advisory, updated yesterday to reflect the change, stated: “Do not travel to Haiti due to crime, civil unrest, and kidnapping.”
This replaces the Level 3 “reconsider travel” advisory that was issued on June 11, 2019.
“Violent crime, such as armed robbery and carjacking, is common. Kidnapping is widespread. Kidnappers may use sophisticated planning or take advantage of unplanned opportunities. Victims have included US citizens,” the updated travel advisory stated.
And amid political unrest in the country, the US government also maintained its previous note that demonstrations, tire burning, and roadblocks are frequent, unpredictable, and can turn violent; local police may lack the resources to respond effectively to serious criminal incidents; and emergency response, including ambulance service, is limited or non-existent.
The last time the US State Department issued a Level 4 travel warning for Haiti was just over a year ago – on February 7, 2019 – amid civil unrest.
