The United States announced on Monday, August 4, that it was forced to temporarily close its embassy in Haiti due to intense gunfire in the vicinity of the diplomatic compound located in the Tabarre district, northeast of the Haitian capital.
The U.S. State Department stated in a security alert posted on the social media platform X that embassy personnel were immediately placed on lockdown and all movement outside the embassy complex was suspended due to the heavy gunfire near the facility.
A Capital Paralyzed by Violence
Just over a month ago, the U.S. government had issued a travel advisory urging American citizens not to travel to Haiti and to leave the country as soon as possible using commercial or private transportation.
Since 2023, the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince has significantly scaled back its operations due to the deteriorating security situation, including limiting consular services and appointments.
Tabarre, a commune in northeastern Port-au-Prince, is grappling with an unprecedented security crisis. Armed gangs, who now control much of the metropolitan area, continue to carry out violent attacks, making travel in and around certain areas extremely dangerous.
According to the United Nations, at least 3,141 people were killed in Haiti between January 1 and June 30. The number of internally displaced people has also surged to approximately 1.3 million, further worsening an already dire humanitarian crisis.
The gangs are expanding their influence beyond the capital, particularly in the Artibonite and Centre departments, intensifying their violence.
Haitian authorities continue to make promises to the population, while the international community struggles to provide concrete support.
As the crisis deepens on multiple fronts, hope for a return to normalcy in Haiti grows fainter by the day, with the population bearing the brunt of a seemingly unending catastrophe.
