ORLANDO, Fla. — A flight containing 14 Floridians leaving Haiti landed at Orlando Sanford International Airport on Wednesday night after several rescue missions failed to bring them back to the United States.
The flight back to the Sunshine State included eight children and six adults. According to the Florida Division of Emergency Management, two of the 14 passengers have business visas that legally allow them to operate businesses in the state of Florida.
“It took about two and a half weeks, so the days were turning into weeks, the weeks were turning into months,” said Phillip Armand, a parent who anxiously waited for several days for his son to return from the Caribbean country.
Haiti has been in the midst of widespread gang violence for weeks, leading to the forced resignation of their prime minister last month. The chaos erupting out of the country prohibited rescue flights from leaving the country.
“Every neighborhood is trying to protect themselves and limit circulation from outsiders, so the very difficult part was getting around and making to the airport,” Armand explained.
Guthrie says at least 400 Floridians have requested assistance to get back home, with nearly 1,000 Americans overall still stuck in the country.
DeSantis spoke at the airport earlier Wednesday, shedding light on the state’s efforts and hurdles.
“Part of the effort for this first flight, it’s not just show up at an airport and people jump on it,” said Gov. DeSantis. “There are people that are in parts of Haiti that are dangerous. We have personnel on the ground to get people where they need to be so they can do their exit.”
The governor stressed more help is on the way but did not elaborate into specifics on what rescue missions are underway as the situation remains fluid.
“These are folks who need our help now because the situation is becoming very dire, so we are going to do everything in our power to bring more Floridians back to safety,” the governor said.
Florida Division of Emergency Management director Kevin Guthrie joined the governor at the airport. He echoed his sentiments, saying it has not been easy to get people home.
“I will tell you over the last five days, I’ve had a room of about 25 people working nothing but with our federal government, State Department, consulate affairs,” said Guthrie. “We literally had to send an Orlando regional consulate to knock on the door and try to get some help. We were originally scheduled to do four flights today. I am proud to say we’re going to get one done.”
Guthrie stressed at the airport shortly after the first flight landed that more help is on the way, with four flights from Haiti expected to land Thursday. However, he is unsure if they will be able to leave Haitian airways.
“[It’s] basically a non-government in Haiti right now that’s being controlled by fans and have individuals that are actively prohibiting us from trying to do what we need to do,” Guthrie said.
Daily Bread offers assistance to those arriving
Since the unrest in Haiti began, many in central Florida are going out of their way to help people arriving in the state.
Maggie St. Jean, president of the Daily Bread Distribution Center, says her team is going to deliver food to those flying into Orlando Sanford International Airport.
“We want to make sure that we are able to provide. The Haitian community has been coming out a lot,” said St. Jean. “We’re serving those that are coming out. We want you to know that the Daily Bread Distribution Center is here for you. You don’t have to go hungry.”
Some that work at the food panty are from Haiti themselves. They say this is a call to action they could not pass up.
“The Haitian community, we are one community, we are one Haitian, we are one blood,” Thamara Pradestin, an employee at the Daily Bread Distribution Center, said. “You are my heart. We are here for you. We will serve you. We love you.”
If you or someone you know is in Haiti and needs assistance, you can fill out the Haiti Request for Evacuation form offered through the Florida Division of Emergency Management.