Amid security concerns in Haiti, India announced ‘Operation Indravati’ to safely evacuate stranded Indian nationals from the war-torn Caribbean island.
The evacuation operation, ‘Indravati’, facilitated by the Ministry of External Affairs and the government of the Dominican Republic, yesterday evacuated 12 Indians. The evacuees were safely escorted to the Dominican Republic from Haiti, which is grappling with the scourge of gang violence and political instability.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), the External Affairs Minister shared elaborative details of the operation.
In a post, the EAM said, “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.”
It is pertinent to note that earlier during a weekly press briefing, the Spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, Randheer Jaiswal, in response to inquiries regarding the safety of Indian citizens in Haiti, assured swift government action, stating that the government stands ready to evacuate all Indian nationals from the Caribbean island.
Addressing reporters during the weekly press briefing, the MEA Spokesperson said, “The Embassy is in constant communication with all of them. We are closely monitoring the situation. Given the crisis in Haiti, if necessary, we will facilitate their evacuation. Our Embassy in Santo Domingo is vigilantly monitoring developments, and the Ministry is fully engaged.”
Additionally, the Spokesperson announced the establishment of a 24-hour control room at the Ministry of External Affairs and a 24-hour emergency helpline at the Indian Embassy in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, to provide assistance and information.
“Haiti… we have set up a control room here at the Ministry of External Affairs. We have emergency helpline numbers. Our Embassy in Santo Domingo, which is accredited for Haiti, has also established a control room and helplines,” the MEA Spokesperson added.
Notably, Haiti, sharing the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic to the east, has been embroiled in civil unrest. Recent weeks have seen gangs launching attacks on various parts of the capital, Port-Au-Prince, as well as other regions, including the airport, seaport, and most recently, the national prison.
Furthermore, in the wake of these attacks, Prime Minister Ariel Henry resigned earlier and sought refuge in Puerto Rico after being forced out by gangs, citing the absence of general elections. Notably, Haiti has not held general elections in eight years.
