On Thursday, India evacuated 12 of its nationals from Haiti after launching “Operation Indravati” in the crisis-hit country. The move came days after the government said that it was ready to evacuate its nationals from Haiti, which has been embroiled in violence involving armed gangs and government forces.
India Begins Operation Indravati To Evacuate Citizens From Violence-Hit Haitihttps://t.co/1vkLIzt2Yv pic.twitter.com/s4qXk0tvJB
— NDTV (@ndtv) March 21, 2024
“Operation Indravati”
The 12 Indian nationals have been evacuated to the neighbouring Dominican Republic. Indian External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar took to microblogging site X to inform about the evacuation. He said that India was fully committed to the security and well-being of its nationals abroad. Additionally, the EAM thanked the government of Dominican Republic for their support.
The decision was taken after Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal informed the press on 15 March that the Indian government had set up a 24-hour control room to monitor the situation and provide information and assistance. Moreover, the Indian Embassy in the Dominican Republic’s Santo Domingo, which also deals with the Republic of Haiti, set up a 24-hour emergency helpline to help Indians in the country.
Jaiswal stated that, as per estimates, around 50-80 Indians are present in Haiti. He said that India is attempting to identify its nationals in Haiti, and is ready to evacuate them if and when necessary. The Indian nationals in Haiti include doctors, engineers, technicians, and some missionaries. The evacuated citizens thanked the Indian government for the evacuation.
Some pictures of operation Indravati to evacuate Indian nationals from Haiti to the Dominican Republic.#india #haiti #dominicanrepublic #indravati@MEAIndia @DrSJaishankar @Huma_Siddiqui @ExpressDefence pic.twitter.com/qqJCEzylqF
— Financial Express (@FinancialXpress) March 21, 2024
Crisis in Haiti
Haiti has been undergoing a political and security crisis for years, but the latest violence escalated last month after PM Ariel Henry refused to step down, leading to anti-government protests. Elections have not taken place in Haiti since 2016, and Henry’s decision to postpone the date of the next election until 2025 is another factor contributing to the current unrest.
Since 2024 began, around 1,200 people have died in Haiti. The UN declared the situation in the country to be “almost like a scene out of Mad Max,” a violent post-apocalyptic film from 1979. The latest escalation in the violence happened after PM Henry flew to Guyana on 25 February, and days later to Kenya, seeking the deployment of the UN-backed police force in the country to assist in fighting the Haitian gangs.
What next as chaos and violence engulf Haiti? https://t.co/2CbRZ20TUD
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) March 15, 2024
Henry was not permitted to return, and on 29 February, protestors broke into the two biggest jails in the nation and released approximately 4,000 prisoners. Armed groups then took control of several parts of the nation, launching coordinated attacks on government buildings and threatening the outbreak of a civil war if their demands of free and fair elections, as well as the resignation of the prime minister, were not met .
The gangs overran the nation’s security services and took over more than 80% of the capital; the government then proclaimed a state of emergency. Responding to pressure, Henry gave notice of his resignation and consented to hand over control in due course to a presidential council for transition.
The Caribbean nation, which has been plagued by widespread gang violence for years, has also suffered from numerous natural calamities, severe humanitarian crises, and the 2021 assassination of then-President Jovenel Moïse. Attempts to secure a peaceful political transition in the country have repeatedly failed amid poor living conditions, extreme poverty, and famine.