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PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI - MARCH 20, 2024: The video shows tightened security measures near Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince, Haiti on Wednesday (March 20). Police (PNH) and Haitian Soldiers (FADH) have been protecting the perimeter of Port-au-Prince International Airport since February 29, 2024, when the cabin of a plane flying between Haiti and Cuba was hit by automatic weapons fire. The US said Wednesday it is in the process of organizing government-chartered helicopter flights from Haiti for US citizens amid rising violence in the Caribbean nation. State Department spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters that Washington is facilitating the departure of US citizens from Port au Prince to Santo Domingo in neighboring Dominican Republic, where US government personnel are present to provide consular assistance. From Santo Domingo, Americans will be responsible for their travel to the US, said Patel, adding that the departures might continue, depending on demand. Haiti has been struggling with gang violence and political instability for years. The situation dramatically deteriorated in recent months, with kidnappings, killings, armed robberies, and other violent crimes becoming commonplace. The rampant instability has further exacerbated an exodus of migrants from Haiti, and Prime Minister Ariel Henry resigned last week after fleeing the island nation for Puerto Rico. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), since Feb. 29, several neighborhoods in the Metropolitan Area of Port-au-Prince (MAPAP) have been targeted by increased armed attacks, with nearly 15,000 people displaced as a result. (Footage by Guerinault Louis/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)