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India on Thursday (March 21) launched ‘Operation Indravati’ to evacuate its citizens from the turmoil-stricken Haiti to the neighboring Dominican Republic. S Jaishankar, the External Affairs Minister, confirmed the launch of the rescue mission via a post on X on Thursday.
Haiti, situated in the Caribbean, has plunged into chaos with armed gangs seizing control of the streets, resulting in the virtual disappearance of the government.
Under the ongoing operation, 12 Indian nationals were safely evacuated on Thursday.
In a statement on X, Jaishankar expressed India’s commitment to ensuring the security and well-being of its citizens abroad, expressing gratitude to the Dominican Republic government for their assistance.
“India begins Operation Indravati to evacuate its nationals from Haiti to the Dominican Republic. 12 Indians evacuated today. Fully committed to the security and well-being of our nationals abroad. Thank the Government of the Dominican Republic for their support,” Jaishankar posted on his official X handle.
During a press briefing on March 15, Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, indicated India’s readiness to evacuate its citizens from Haiti if necessary.
“There are between 75 and 90 Indians in Haiti and about 60 of them have registered with Indian authorities to return to India if need be”, Jaiswal had said.
Haiti is currently in a state of emergency due to escalating violence attributed to gang warfare. The United States has evacuated non-essential embassy staff, and the Haitian government has declared a state of emergency.
Prime Minister Ariel Henry resigned on March 12 amid the escalating crisis, following a series of violent attacks by gangs targeting airports, police stations, and prisons, leading to mass jailbreaks.
The chaos has resulted in widespread displacement, with tens of thousands forced to flee their homes, exacerbating the existing internal displacement caused by gang violence.
The UN reports that gangs control 80 per cent of Haiti’s capital, with ongoing clashes in the remaining areas.
In response to the violence and insecurity in Haiti, a control room and emergency hotline were established to facilitate the safe evacuation of Indian citizens.
“We have established a control room at the Ministry of External Affairs and emergency hotlines,” Jaiswal stated during the press conference.
