Violence spreads in Haiti's capital Port-au-Prince on March 7 (Photo: Reuters) Hanoi (VNA) – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has advised Vietnamese citizens not to travel to places where conflicts are taking place, its spokeswoman Pham Thu Hang said at the ministry’s regular press conference in Hanoi on March 14.
Responding to reporters' question about citizen protection in Haiti amid the worsening security situation in this Caribbean country, she cited information from the Vietnamese Embassy in Cuba and Haiti as saying that the violence situation in Haiti is escalating rapidly and becoming extremely complex, resulting in many casualties.
In response to this situation, Hang said the embassy has adopted a number of citizen protection measures, including issuing safety guidelines on its official social media channels, assigning officials to be on round-the-clock duty to maintain regular contact with representatives of the Vietnamese community in Haiti for continuous information updates, and collaborating with local authorities and diplomatic missions in the area to take necessary citizen protection measures.
According to the spokeswoman, there are currently about 70-80 Vietnamese nationals in Haiti, who have been all reported safe.
The Vietnamese citizens in the area were also advised to closely monitor the situation, take proactive measures to ensure their own safety, strictly follow the local regulations, or promptly contact the embassy and the ministry’s citizen protection hotline if assistance is needed.
Regarding the case of Vietnamese crewmembers working on the Barbados-flagged ship True Confidence which was attacked by Houthi forces in the Red Sea, Hang said the Vietnamese Embassy in Egypt and Djibouti has been closely working with local and domestic authorities, labourer dispatch company and the victim's family to urgently carry out post-incident procedures for the deceased and bring the victim’s body back to Vietnam in line with his family's wish.
She said that the ministry has also coordinated with Vietnamese representative agencies in relevant countries to expedite consular procedures and facilitate the prompt return of the remaining three crewmembers to Vietnam.
Extending heartfelt condolences to the family of the deceased, she said the ministry has been in discussions with domestic authorities and shipping companies employing Vietnamese labourers to ensure maximum safety for sailors and compliance with international warnings about dangerous and risky routes. It has directed representative agencies in conflict areas to continue monitoring and updating the security situation, and stay prepared to adopt citizen protection measures when needed./.
