The United States Embassy in the Dominican Republic and Haiti has reiterated their advisory for their citizens to “not travel” to Haiti. This is due to the border closure ordered by the Dominican Government. The closure is a result of the construction of an irrigation canal that aims to divert water from the Massacre River.
The travel advisory for Haiti is at Level 4, which is “Do Not Travel.” U.S. citizens currently in Haiti are strongly encouraged to leave immediately through commercial means. It is important to note that flights from Haiti to the United States and other destinations, besides the Dominican Republic, are operating normally.
The United States Embassy has clarified that they cannot facilitate entry into the Dominican Republic through the closed border crossing. Therefore, citizens still in Haiti must make alternative arrangements to depart.
Furthermore, the Embassy stresses that US citizens should avoid traveling to Haiti due to reasons such as kidnappings, crime, civil unrest, and inadequate health infrastructure.
On July 27, 2023, the State Department ordered the non-emergency departure of family members of U.S. government employees and U.S. government employees themselves.
Those wishing to leave Port-au-Prince are advised to stay updated on local news and should only do so when it is determined to be safe.
President Luis Abinader has announced the closure of the entire border by sea, land, and air starting at 6:00 a.m. on Friday, September 15. This decision was made due to the refusal of Haitians to halt the construction of the irrigation canal.