WASHINGTON (CMC)— The US State Department is urging Americans to stay away from Haiti, due to the increase in cases of kidnapping, crime, civil unrest, and the country’s poor health care infrastructure.

The department issued a Level Four Alert – ‘do not travel to Haiti,’ saying the updated measure reflects the ordered departure of non-emergency US government personnel and eligible family members for the Embassy in Port-au-Prince.

“US citizens in Haiti should depart Haiti as soon as possible by commercial or other privately available transportation options, in light of the current security situation and infrastructure challenges,” the State Department said, urging US nationals to monitor local news and only leave the country when considered safe.

It said kidnapping is widespread, and victims regularly include US citizens.

“Kidnappers may use sophisticated planning or take advantage of unplanned opportunities, and even convoys have been attacked. Kidnapping cases often involve ransom negotiations and US citizen victims have been physically harmed during kidnappings. Victim’s families have paid thousands of dollars to rescue their family members,” the State Department said.

It said violent crime, often involving the use of firearms, such as armed robbery, carjackings, and kidnappings for ransom that include US citizens are common.

“Mob killings against presumed criminals have been on the rise since late April. Travellers are sometimes followed and violently attacked and robbed shortly after leaving the Port-au-Prince international airport,” The US State Department disclosed.

It added: “Robbers and carjackers also attack private vehicles stuck in heavy traffic congestion and often target lone drivers, particularly women. As a result, the US Embassy requires its personnel to use official transportation to and from the airport.”

The State Department said protests, demonstrations, tire burning, and roadblocks are frequent, unpredictable, and can turn violent.

“The US government is extremely limited in its ability to provide emergency services to US citizens in Haiti,” the department said, noting that local police generally lack the resources to respond effectively to serious criminal incidents.

“Shortages of gasoline, electricity, medicine, and medical supplies continue throughout much of Haiti. Public and private medical clinics and hospitals often lack qualified medical staff and even basic medical equipment and resources,” it added.

The department said that US government personnel are limited only to the confined area around the Embassy and are prohibited from walking in Port-au-Prince.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for a robust international force to help combat Haiti’s armed gangs and restore security in the impoverished nation, saying that a UN expert’s estimate that Haiti needs up to 2,000 additional anti-gang police officers is no exaggeration.

At their annual summit held in Trinidad and Tobago earlier this month, Caribbean Community leaders expressed “grave concern over the deep humanitarian, security and governance crisis” in Haiti.

In a statement the regional leaders said they had “deliberated over the complex crisis enveloping Haiti” and noted “the need for the immediate creation of a Humanitarian and Security Stabilisation Corridor under the mandate of a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolution, and agreed to seek support from international partners to help finance its establishment and the strengthening of security in Haiti”.