Haiti expands state of emergency to cover entire territory

Haiti has expanded its state of emergency to cover the entire nation’s territory, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Garry Conille said on Wednesday, as the Caribbean country battles violent gangs that have taken over much of the capital and started expanding into nearby regions.

Haiti’s populous Ouest department, where the capital Port-au-Prince is located, was put under a state of emergency, opens new tab on March 3 under the administration of Conille’s predecessor Ariel Henry, as a dramatic escalation in violence paralyzed the capital and thousands of inmates scaped in two prison breaks

The state of emergency was repeatedly renewed and other departments were later added, including the farming region of Artibonite that has suffered some of the worst violence, the Centre department and Nippes, on the southern peninsula.

Earlier on Wednesday, Conille said he had helped distribute materials and weapons for the Haitian army and national police in order to recover territories taken by gangs.

The announcement comes a day ahead of a planned visit to the Caribbean nation by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.