PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti (CMC) — The United States (US) says while routine domestic commercial air travel has resumed between several airports in Haiti,  US citizens should only seek to leave the French-speaking Caribbean Community (Caricom) country “when they feel it is safe to do so”.

In a statement, the US embassy said that Americans should also seek to leave the country by commercial or other privately available transportation and that they “should monitor local news and check regularly with travel agencies and commercial transportation providers’ offices and webpages to find departure options that suit their needs”.

“We are aware of US citizens travelling to Cap Haitien via helicopter from sites other than commercial airports; those flights involve potential risks citizens should assess before flying,”  the embassy said.

Criminal gangs in Haiti seeking to overthrow the government have been targeting various airports and the embassy said that US government personnel are not authorised to travel on commercial flights into or out of Port-au-Prince because of Federal Aviation Administration restrictions and potential risks to air traffic.

“The US government does not endorse private nor commercial carriers,” the embassy said, urging Americans not to travel to the troubled country.

“If you are a US citizen in Haiti, depart Haiti as soon as possible by commercial or other privately available transportation options. Avoid crowds (and) monitor local media for updates and avoid areas where violence, demonstrations or disruptions are reported to be happening.”

The embassy is also urging Americans in Haiti to keep a low profile and said they should be “prepared to shelter in place for an extended time period”, and avoid being out after dark.

Earlier this week, the United Nations (UN) said that violence against children in war zones surged to “unprecedented levels” in 2024, with the report documenting 41,370 grave violations, the highest since global monitoring began nearly 30 years ago, in several countries including Haiti.

The UN also reported that powerful gangs that control much of Haiti are increasingly ruthless and better armed despite a weapons embargo.

“With the absence of an effective government response, gangs continue to have free rein to conduct attacks with impunity and expand their territorial control,” the report said.