The MEA said the Embassy of India in Santo Domingo has set up a 24-hour emergency helpline to provide any help and assistance to Indian nationals.
Indians In Haiti: India on Friday asserted that it is ready to evacuate its nationals from violence-torn Haiti if required, and that it has set up a 24-hour control room in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and an emergency helpline in the Dominican Republic to provide information and assistance.
“In view of the ongoing developments in Haiti, a 24-hour Control room has been set up in the Ministry of External Affairs to monitor the situation and provide information and assistance,” an official release by the ministry said on Friday.
The MEA said that in addition to the 24-hour control room, the Embassy of India in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, which is concurrently accredited to the Republic of Haiti, has also set up a 24-hour emergency helpline to provide any help and assistance to Indian nationals in the conflict-torn Caribbean nation.
Randhir Jaiswal, the External Affairs Ministry spokesperson said on Friday that there are some 50 to 80 Indian community members in Haiti and the Indian Embassy is in touch with all of them.
“We are monitoring the situation. If required, we are ready to evacuate. Our embassy in Santo Domingo is monitoring the situation. The ministry also is fully monitoring the situation,” said Jaiswal addressing the media adding that some of the Indians there are working with the Missionaries of Charity.
Haiti has been in the grip of increased armed attacks by criminal gangs that have left Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region paralysed and reportedly displaced more than 15,000 in the past few weeks.
The government in Haiti has been under a state of emergency since armed groups attacked the country’s largest prison in Port-au-Prince earlier this month, killing and injuring police and prison staff and allowing some 3,500 inmates to escape, according to a CNN report.
One gang leader, Jimmy “Barbecue” Cherizier, took credit for the attack and said the jailbreak was an attempt to overthrow the government of Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry.
The MEA has shared the helpline numbers which are as follows
1800118797 (Toll-free)
+91-11-23012113
+91-11-23014104
+91-11-23017905
+91-9968291988.
The Embassy of India in Santo Domingo has also set up a 24-hour emergency helpline which can be accessed as per the following contact details:
+1 (849) 398-9889
+1 (809) 870-3923
+1 (849) 507-7612
Landline: +1 8298934233, Extn: 203
Landline: +1 8298934233, Extn: 213
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has earlier this month expressed his deep concern over the rapidly deteriorating security situation in Haiti.
(With agency inputs)