"Ready To Evacuate Indians If Required": Centre As Violence Rages In Haiti

After violence and looting loomed in the Caribbean nation, India on Friday established a control room and emergency helpline number for the Indian nationals to evacuate them from Haiti.

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal said that India is ready to evacuate its citizens from Haiti if the need arises as the Caribbean nation's Prime Minister Ariel Henry has tendered his resignation to step down from his post following an emergency meeting of regional nations, where gangs have been attacking government structures and social order is on the brink of collapse.

"As you know, there is a crisis in Haiti. And if required, we will evacuate. We are ready to evacuate. And if required, we will do that," Mr Jaiswal stated.

During a weekly media briefing, Mr Jaiswal said "We have established a control room here in the Ministry of External Affairs. We have emergency helpline numbers."

Addressing concerns over the safety of Indian nationals in Haiti, Jaiswal assured that the Indian Embassy in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic, which holds accreditation for Haiti, has also sprung into action.

"Our embassy in Santo Domingo is monitoring the situation and the ministry also is fully monitoring the situation," said Jaiswal.

With an estimated 50 to 80 Indian community members currently in Haiti, the Indian Embassy remains in constant communication with them, "The embassy is in touch with all of them. We are monitoring the situation," assured Jaiswal.

Given the ongoing developments in Haiti, the Ministry of External Affairs provided the contact details of the Control Room in a press release on Friday, that has been set up to monitor the situation and provide information and assistance.

The contact details of the Control Room are: 1800118797 (Toll-free), +91-11-23012113, +91-11-23014104, +91-11-23017905, +91-9968291988 (Whatsapp), situationroom@mea.gov.in

"The Embassy of India in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, which is concurrently accredited to the Republic of Haiti, has set up a 24-hour emergency helpline," the MEA release added.

The contact details are: +1 (849) 398-9889, +1 (809) 870-3923, +1 (849) 507-7612, Landline: +1, 8298934233, Extn: 203, Landline: +1 8298934233, Extn: 213, amb.sdomingo@mea.gov.in, hoc.sdomingo@mea.gov.in, com.sdomingo@mea.gov.in, cons.sdomingo@mea.gov.in

Meanwhile, Haiti has been under a state of emergency since some groups attacked the country's largest prison in Port-au-Prince earlier this month, killing and injuring police and prison staff and allowing some 3,500 inmates to escape, CNN reported.

One gang leader, Jimmy "Barbecue" Cherizier, took credit for the attack and said the jailbreak was an attempt to overthrow Henry's government.

Gangs now control 80 per cent of Haiti's capital, according to United Nations estimates, and continue to fight for the rest. While Henry was out of the country, gangs laid siege to the country's main airport to prevent his safe return.

Looters and protesters also breached the key Caribbean Port Services terminal in Port-au-Prince, though it has since come back under the control of Haitian security forces, according to the National Port Authority CEO, Jocelin Villier.

The chaos has forced tens of thousands to flee their homes, adding to the more than 300,000 already displaced by gang violence.

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