On Monday, a U.S. commercial airliner was struck by gunfire while flying over Haiti, a Caribbean nation plagued by escalating gang violence. The flight, which took off from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was forced to change course and divert to a neighboring country. While no passengers were injured, one crew member sustained injuries in the incident.
According to reports from The Miami Herald and CNN en Español, the Spirit Airlines flight was approaching Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital, when it came under fire. The plane was rerouted to the Dominican Republic, landing in the Santiago region for safety.
Flights bound for Port-au-Prince were also turned back, and Toussaint Louverture International Airport temporarily suspended operations. Haitian authorities have not yet identified the perpetrators of the attack.
EFE news agency reported that Jimmy Barbecue Chérizier, the leader of Haiti’s largest armed gang, posted a video on social media the day before the shooting, urging residents of Port-au-Prince to remain indoors. In the video, he indicated that his group would escalate armed activities, further exacerbating the already unstable security situation in the country.
International organizations have raised alarm about the deteriorating conditions in Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021, residents have faced extreme challenges in meeting basic needs.
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) warned in a press release last September that nearly half of Haiti’s population—approximately 5.4 million people—is currently facing hunger. Meanwhile, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported that over 700,000 people in Haiti are now internally displaced due to violence and natural disasters. These internally displaced persons (IDPs) have been forced to flee their homes but have not crossed international borders.
A multinational police force, led by Kenya, is currently operating in Haiti to help maintain security alongside local military and police forces. However, the mission has struggled with shortages of personnel and equipment, leading to repeated calls for increased international support.