MEDEX Assistance is alerting its clients in Haiti to prepare to depart the country and is providing emergency evacuation support as needed. On the heels of the U.S. State Department warning for American citizens to leave Haiti, the Baltimore, MD-based emergency medical and security assistance company is notifying clients that may be at risk in Haiti with instructions on making arrangements to leave and interim precautions to ensure their safety until they are able to depart.
"Our latest information from intelligence sources on the ground in Haiti is that the commercial airport is still open and departures from Haiti are proceeding," states MEDEX Assistance Security Director William "Bill" Irwin. "Nonetheless, we are armed with contingency plans and stand ready to do whatever it takes to assist in any evacuation efforts."
Citing the "volatile security situation" and the "the continued dangers of travel to Haiti," the State Department's official warning - issued Thursday, May 26, 2005 - specifically orders the departure of all non-emergency embassy employees and family members, urges American citizens to depart the country if they can do so safely and warns U.S. citizens to defer travel to Haiti.
"Our assistance to travelers is by no means limited to covering expenses after the fact and firing off email alerts and do-it-yourself evacuation instructions," emphasizes Irwin. "We provide travelers with the actual resources to get out of harm's way as quickly and safely as possible when travelers find their 'what if' scenario morphing rapidly into a 'now what' reality."
