Haiti: 243 people evacuated to Martinique, majority of whom are French
A group of 243 people, including 163 French nationals, managed to leave Haiti, where they were stranded by violent anti-government protests, and is expected to arrive in Martinique on Friday, according to the prefect of this French department in the Caribbean.
Three vessels of the French Navy are expected in Fort-de-France, announced the prefect of Martinique and the senior commander of the Armed Forces in the Antilles during a press conference on Thursday.
On board are 243 people, including 163 French nationals and 80 foreigners, half of whom are citizens of European Union countries, according to the prefect of Martinique, Jean-Christophe Bouvier.
"Immediate return to mainland France will be offered to French nationals," assured the prefect, adding that they "will be able to take advantage of a chartered flight by the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs on the same day," Jean-Christophe Bouvier added.
The prefecture also specified that foreign nationals requiring administrative regularization of their visas will spend a night in Martinique before a possible departure from the territory.
Haiti, already suffering from a very serious political and security crisis, has been experiencing a surge in violence since early March, with several gangs joining forces to attack strategic locations in Port-au-Prince. On Sunday evening, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the implementation of "special flights."
"French nationals who wished to benefit from the special flights set up by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of the Armed Forces were able to board French helicopters to join a vessel of the French navy that will transport them to Fort-de-France soon," a diplomatic source told AFP.
"206 transfers were made by helicopter to the Tonnerre (an amphibious helicopter carrier, editor's note) (...) between March 24 and 26 from (...) Port-au-Prince," detailed Nicolas Lambropoulos, senior commander of the Armed Forces in the Antilles, on Thursday.
According to figures from the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, around 1,100 French nationals, including many dual nationals, live in Haiti.
