Canada began today to evacuate its citizens from Haiti with helicopters after civilian flights to Port-au-Prince were interrupted, Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Jolie announced, quoted by AFP and BTA. /p>
The small Caribbean country, which is facing a very serious political and security crisis, has been rocked by a new wave of violence since the beginning of this month after several gangs joined forces to attack strategic locations in the capital Port-au-Prince, and the airport remains closed.
Of the 30 Canadians who requested help to leave Haiti, 18 were transferred by helicopter to the neighboring Dominican Republic, Melanie Jolie said.
The rest should follow in the next few days, she added. In total, there are approximately 3,000 Canadian citizens in Haiti.
"There are no longer ways to leave Port-au-Prince without putting their families in danger," explained the minister.
"Under these circumstances, it is important that we are able to ensure the safety of Canadian citizens. The Dominican Republic is the most direct route for evacuation," she added.
Several other countries have previously announced the evacuation of their citizens from Haiti, including the United States and Germany.
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