Haiti Level‑4 warning

The U.S. State Department said on April 16 that Americans should not travel to Haiti, keeping the country at its highest Level 4 warning. (travel.state.gov) The advisory says Haiti poses risks from crime, terrorism, kidnapping, civil unrest and limited health care. The department said there was “no change to the advisory level or risk indicators” in the April 16 update, but it refreshed the summary and traveler guidance. (travel.state.gov) State Department advisories run from Level 1 to Level 4, with Level 4 meaning “Do Not Travel.” The department says those notices are written for U.S. citizens and are meant to describe security threats and recommended precautions abroad. (travel.state.gov) For Haiti, the warning has been in place for years, but the language has hardened as the security crisis has spread beyond Port-au-Prince. The current advisory notes that non-emergency U.S. government employees and family members were ordered out in July 2023 because of safety risks. (travel.state.gov) The United Nations human rights office said on March 24 that at least 5,519 people were killed in Haiti between March 2025 and mid-January 2026. It said gangs have expanded their reach, tightened control over key sea and road routes, and pushed violence into parts of the country outside the capital. (ohchr.org) A separate United Nations report said criminal groups control an estimated 90% of metropolitan Port-au-Prince. That report, covering March to June 2025, said gangs had expanded across three departments while state authority weakened. (documents.un.org) Air travel has also been hit. The Federal Aviation Administration said it continues to bar U.S. civil aviation operations below 10,000 feet in specified parts of Haiti because security forces have not been able to prevent attacks on aircraft in Port-au-Prince and nearby areas. (faa.gov) The State Department’s country page for Haiti lists multiple U.S. Embassy security alerts from January and February 2026. Those notices came as the embassy continued to warn about armed violence, disruptions and rapidly changing conditions on the ground. (travel.state.gov) For travelers, the practical effect is blunt: the U.S. government is saying Haiti is not a destination for routine trips right now. Until the security picture changes, the official advice is to stay away. (travel.state.gov)