POSTPONEMENT ! Haiti Trip

Jim Shaw notified us (Wednesday morning) :

I am writing with sad and disappointing news.  The unrest in Haiti has shown no signs of calming down and at this last possible moment we have been told that our trip must be postponed to another time.

That puts us in a situation with a lot of unwinding that has to be done, some things immediately and others can wait for a bit.

First call Delta Airlines and cancel your flights before noon today if possible.  Depending on your ticket category they will either, give you a voucher for a future flight (which you will have to rebook by 2/22), refund your money, or charge you $200 to change your ticket to a future date or some similar deal.  Mention that you were on a mission trip, and that the in-country guide told you it was unsafe and not to come.

Patti Ryall will cancel our hotel reservations.

I would like to call a meeting for Monday 2/18 at 5:30 PM at OSLC to discuss next steps.  My initial thought is for you to hang on to your suitcases, and possibly those whose suitcases I have I may ask you to take your assigned suitcases on Monday and store them for the team since there is no room at the church or my house, but this is up for discussion.  Bring your 2019 Calendar or planner and we will look at the RMI calendar and see what is possible for a reschedule.

The state department information :

Reconsider travel to Haiti due to crime and civil unrest.

There are currently unpredictable and sporadic demonstrations in Port-au-Prince and elsewhere in Haiti.  Due to these demonstrations, on February 12, 2019, the Department of State ordered the departure of family members under the age of 18 of U.S. personnel posted to the U.S. Embassy in Haiti, and approved the authorized departure of adult family members and non-emergency U.S. personnel.

Protests, tire burning, and road blockages are frequent and unpredictable.  Violent crime, such as armed robbery, is common. Local police may lack the resources to respond effectively to serious criminal incidents, and emergency response, including ambulance service, is limited or non-existent.

Travelers are sometimes targeted, followed, and violently attacked and robbed shortly after leaving the Port-au-Prince international airport. The U.S. Embassy requires its personnel to use official transportation to and from the airport, and it takes steps to detect surveillance and deter criminal attacks during these transports.

The U.S. government has limited ability to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in some areas of Haiti. The Embassy discourages its personnel from walking in most neighborhoods.