Santo Domingo.- Americans currently in Haiti who plan to travel to the Dominican Republic should depart by September 14 or find alternative travel options. This advisory is in response to President Luis Abinader’s announcement about border closures, which may impede the United States’ ability to assist with departures. The US diplomatic mission issued the warning in Haiti due to recent conflicts between both nations on the island of Hispaniola.
The alert highlights the ultimatum given by the Dominican Government to close all air, sea, and land borders with Haiti starting on Thursday, September 14. This closure will be in addition to the existing closure of the Dajabón-Ouanaminthe and Elías Piña-Belladere border crossings due to the diversion of the Masacre or Dajabón riverbed.
The diplomatic mission emphasizes that if this closure is implemented, US citizens planning to travel from Haiti to the Dominican Republic from September 14 onwards will not be able to do so through the closed border crossings. They must make alternate arrangements as the US Embassy cannot facilitate entry into the Dominican Republic through closed border points.
The conflict stems from the construction of a canal, a private project initiated by Haitian businessmen to transport water to their farms. President Abinader clarified that the Haitian Government, led by Ariel Henry, is not involved in this project.
In addition, as a result of the water dispute, the Dominican Republic has decided to suspend the entry of all parties involved in the conflict and suspend the issuance of visas to Haitian citizens indefinitely.
Haiti has been grappling with a systemic crisis marked by escalating violence for over a year, warranting a Level 4 travel advisory from the US State Department. This advisory urges all U.S. citizens in Haiti to promptly leave the country using the safest commercial means available.
The travel advisory, last updated in July, also discourages travel to Haiti due to concerns such as kidnappings, high crime rates, civil unrest, and lack of health infrastructure. On July 27, the State Department instructed family members of U.S. government employees and non-emergency personnel to depart Haiti.
The United States government advises its citizens in Port-au-Prince to stay informed through local news and only travel when it is deemed safe. Additionally, it notes that flights from Haiti to the United States and various destinations in the Dominican Republic are still operating normally, but availability may be limited, and seats often fill up quickly, sometimes weeks in advance.