The FAA has banned all U.S. flights from entering Haiti for the next 30 days after three aircraft were hit by gunfire in the country since Monday.
After being shot at seven times during its arrival in Port-au-Prince, a Spirit Airlines flight made a safe touchdown in Fort Lauderdale on Monday.
One flight attendant was hurt when the fiberglass broke. The passengers remember hearing a loud noise, but they were not immediately aware that the cabin was punctured by bullets.
Kevin Adair remarked, “It sounded like someone dropped a steel bowl of nails.” “Adrenaline was definitely building gradually.”
What Happened?
Despite being struck by gunfire on Monday, a JetBlue airplane made a safe landing in New York City.
Additionally, American Airlines verified that one of their planes, which had been struck by a gunshot on the outside, had made a safe landing in Miami.
There were no reported injuries. The prohibition on American aircraft into Haiti has prevented aid from entering the country and left some Americans stuck. Some seaports have also had to close due to the rise in gang violence.
According to Plantation’s Jacques Balynce, his mother-in-law is stranded in the capital of Haiti and has received minimal response from the American Embassy.
“She wants to go to Dominican Republic, but you can’t go to the airport for now,” Balynce said.
“The embassy was contacted, but there were no dates for when flights would resume,” Balynce added.
It’s difficult. You can only accomplish so much while you’re sitting here. Free Haiti, a North Miami Beach-based nonprofit organization that aids the nation’s poor, was founded by Balynce.
He worries that the most recent prohibition will affect Haiti’s access to resources. This weekend, an aid ship will be sent from the Florida Keys to Haiti, according to the president of the nonprofit Mission of Hope.
He claims that despite having restricted access to seaports, the organization is collaborating with the Haitian government to deliver food, medicine, and other necessities to the nation.
“We’ll have basic water sanitation and medical supplies.” Some orphanages that care for children with specific disabilities require a lot of medication, Brad Johnson stated. “We’re sending it their way.”
According to Johnson, the ship will deliver about 250,000 meals, which will be distributed in Haiti with the assistance of 300 full-time employees.
However, gang violence persists, and a new prime minister was installed in last week, increasing the need for assistance.
Johnson remarked, “This is just another step in closing off Haiti from the outside world.” “We’re receiving reports that people are starving to death as a result of gangs controlling major trade routes.”