Three airplanes have been struck by gunfire in Haiti since Monday, prompting the FAA to ban all U.S. flights from flying into the country for the next 30 days.
On Monday, a Spirit Airlines flight landed safely in Fort Lauderdale after it was hit by bullets seven times while landing in Port-au-Prince. Fiberglass shattered, injuring one flight attendant. Passengers recall hearing a loud noise but didn’t immediately realize bullets pierced the cabin.
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“It sounded like somebody dropped a steel bowl of nails,” said Kevin Adair. “It certainly was a gradual building of adrenaline.”
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A JetBlue flight was also hit by gunfire on Monday but landed safely in New York City. American Airlines also confirmed one of their aircraft landed safely in Miami after it was hit by a bullet on the exterior of the plane. No injuries were reported.
The ban on U.S. flights into Haiti has stranded some American citizens and halted aid from coming in. Gang violence is escalating, forcing some seaports to close as well.
Jacques Balynce of Plantation says his mother-in-law is stuck in Haiti’s capital with very little answers from the U.S. 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 of when flights would resume. It’s tough. There’s only so much you can do when you sit here…”
Balynce is the founder of Free Haiti, a non-profit based in North Miami Beach that helps those in need in the country. He fears the latest ban will impact how resources get to Haiti.
The president of the non-profit Mission of Hope says they plan to launch a relief ship from the Florida Keys to Haiti this weekend. Even with limited access to seaports, he says the organization is working with the Haitian government to get medical supplies, food and more to the country.
“We’ll have medical supplies [and] basic water sanitation. There are some orphanages that are working with special needs kids, and they need a lot of medicine,” Brad Johnson said. “We’re getting it to them.”
Johnson says the ship will carry around 250,000 meals that will be distributed with the help of 300 full time staff on the ground in Haiti.
Still, the need for help is growing as gang violence continues after a new prime minister was sworn in this week.
“This is just another step in Haiti being closed off from the outside world,” Johnson said. “Seeing gangs control large trade routes to the point where now we’re getting calls that people are starving to death.”
If you would like to help Mission of Hope, click here.
For more information on Free Haiti, click here.
