US flights to Haiti halted for month after gun attacks

US flights are now not allowed within 10,000ft (3,048m) of the territory and airspace of Haiti.

Increasingly violent gang warfare has plagued the poorest nation in the Americas since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021. More than 3,600 people have been killed in Haiti since January and more than 500,000 have had to leave their homes, according to the UN.

The country has close relations with the US which is home to a large Haitian diaspora.

All three US airlines involved had already suspended flights independently after the attacks:

In a statement, the US embassy in Haiti said it was “aware of gang-led efforts to block travel to and from Port-au-Prince” and said the security situation in the country remained “unpredictable and dangerous”.

Monday’s attacks came just as a new prime minister was taking office in Haiti.

Alix Didier Fils-Aimé said his priority was “restoring security”, according to AFP news agency.

On Tuesday, the US state department urged Haiti’s leaders to put personal interests aside and concentrate on restoring the country.

“The acute and immediate needs of the Haitian people mandate that the transitional government prioritize governance over the competing personal interests of political actors,” a statement , externalsaid.