In the face of a gang-exacerbated fuel shortage and a deteriorating security climate in which 17 Christian missionaries, including 16 Americans, have been held hostage for more than three weeks, the Biden administration is urging US citizens in Haiti "to strongly consider returning to the United States."

In a security notice from the United States, the statement says: The announcement came as commercial banks and other companies in Haiti announced shortened hours beginning this week, grocery store owners warned of impending food shortages, and the United Nations urged personnel to stock up on emergency supplies of water, food, and other necessities.

US advises citizens to avoid traveling to Haiti

Americans in the nation are being urged to leave while commercial flights are still available. However, the security situation has been volatile for months, and the climate has drastically deteriorated in recent days, as per Stripes.com.

According to a representative for the US State Department, the welfare and safety of American people abroad are the first concern. For some years, the United States has advised its citizens to avoid non-essential travel to Haiti. Anyone considering doing so should carefully evaluate the information available on travel.state.gov about the extremely high risk of kidnapping.

Per Daily Mail, the US Embassy in Port-au-Prince asked US assistance workers in Haiti to leave while commercial flights were still available. At the same time, the UN recommended people stock up on groceries, water, and other necessities for at least two weeks.

According to the US warning system, kidnapping is increasingly common in Port-au-Prince, and victims frequently include US residents. The FBI has yet to arrange discussions with the 400 Mawozo gang to rescue 17 missionaries - 16 Americans, a Canadian citizen, and children - but has seen signs of life.

After blocking distribution terminals, kidnapping tank fuel drivers, and stealing gasoline, gang members have triggered a fuel scarcity that threatens to damage hospitals, water supply, and businesses. They then resell it on the illegal market for $30 per gallon.

Read Also: Afghanistan Faces Worst Famine as Winter Approaches; Emaciated Afghan Children in Kabul Hospital Point to Increasing Hunger

Biden administration accused of ignoring Haiti's situation

This year, Haiti, an already impoverished country, has faced a slew of obstacles, including President Jovenel Moise's killing on July 7 and the 7.2 earthquakes that devastated the capital in August, all of which have exacerbated the country's dismal situation.

Locals are concerned that the abduction problem and the gasoline shortage would stymie efforts to recover from the country's precarious situation, which they describe as the worst since the 1990s.

Like the Afghan disaster, the Biden administration has been accused of ignoring Haitians' pleas for assistance, allowing locals to sort through the country's excessively horrific situation independently.

The Miami Herald quoted Robert Maguire, a longtime Haiti expert, saying, "It sounds like an abdication of any kind of responsibility." On Monday, over 1,000 religious leaders signed a letter to President Biden requesting improvements and assistance for Haiti.

According to a top Biden administration source, the US government saw proof that at least some members of the group of American and Canadian missionaries were alive on November 5. The captors demanded a $17 million ransom - $1 million each captive - just days after the abduction, and FBI investigators are still negotiating with them.

In a video broadcast on YouTube last month, a Haitian man representing himself as the commander of the 400 Mawozo gang, which security authorities suspect was responsible for the kidnapping, claimed he was prepared to execute "these Americans" if he did not receive what he wanted. There have been few details released concerning the law enforcement endeavor. Officials said President Joe Biden is updated on the law enforcement effort each day.

Related Article: Haiti Fuel Shortages Put Hospitalized Women, Children in Danger as Gangs Tighten Grip