3 Taiwanese technical mission members evacuated from Haiti

Taipei, April 13 (CNA) Three of Taiwan's technical mission members based in Haiti's Artibonite region have been evacuated to the neighboring Dominican Republic amid escalating unrest in Artibonite, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said on Saturday.

As Artibonite has come under gang control, Haiti's main rice-growing region faces shortages in fuel and raw materials, with supplies in and out of the area increasingly difficult to guarantee, MOFA said.

Considering the safety of the three technical mission members based in Artibonite, the ministry said its embassy in Haiti arranged for them to be evacuated to neighboring Dominican Republic at 2 p.m. Friday (Haiti time) with the help of "friendly nation/nations."

However, it did not disclose which like-minded country or countries helped facilitate the evacuation.

The three individuals have arrived safely in the Dominican Republican and are being taken care of by Taiwanese expatriates there, MOFA said, while expressing its gratitude for their assistance.

A total 15 Taiwanese nationals, including the country's ambassador, embassy staff, technical mission members, and Taiwanese businesspersons, are currently still in Haiti, and the embassy continues to function normally, MOFA said.

The ministry is monitoring the situation and will take corresponding measures to protect Taiwan nationals, it said.

The Caribbean nation is one of the few countries that maintain formal diplomatic relation with the Republic of China, Taiwan's official name.