NEW DELHI: India on Friday said it is looking at evacuating up to 90 of its nationals from Haiti in view of the deteriorating security situation in the Caribbean nation.
"India doesn’t have an embassy in Haiti and the situation in the country is being monitored by the Indian mission in Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic," external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at his weekly media briefing.
"There are between 75 and 90 Indians in Haiti and about 60 of them have registered with Indian authorities to return to India 'if need be'," he added.
"We are ready to evacuate everybody," he said.
MEA has also set up a 24-hour control room to provide information and assistance to those in Haiti and also their family members in New Delhi and Santo Domingo. In addition, a 24-hour helpline has been set up.
"The Indian embassy in Santo Domingo is in touch with all Indians in the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince and other parts of the country and if required we can evacuate all Indians,’’ Jaiswal added.
The criminal gangs in Haiti have carried out attacks on various installations of the country which include police stations international airports and some prisons.
The Indian community in Haiti includes doctors, engineers technicians, and some missionaries.
The Indian embassy in Santo Domingo said it is in touch with all Indians in the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince and other parts of the country.
"We are monitoring the situation. If required, we are ready to evacuate (the Indians)," Jaiswal said.
"In view of the ongoing developments in Haiti, a 24-hours control room has been set up in the Ministry of External Affairs to monitor the situation and provide information and assistance," the MEA said in a statement.
The criminal gangs in Haiti carried out attacks on various installations of the country including police stations, the international airport and a couple of prisons.
The Indian community in Haiti include doctors, engineers and technicians and many missionaries.