More than 170 French nationals and around 70 Europeans and other foreigners have been rushed out of Haiti, a Caribbean country still mired in chaos, by French armed forces helicopters, the French Foreign Ministry announced on Wednesday.

These are “vulnerable” people, who were transferred to a ship of the French Navy, which will disembark them “at Fort de France” (Martinique), explained the Center d’Orsay in the press release it released.

On Sunday night, the French Foreign Ministry announced that “special flights” would be organized as the Haitian capital has faced a surge in gang violence and commercial flights to and from Port-au-Prince have been suspended.

Some 1,100 French nationals, including a large number of people with dual citizenship, live in Haiti, the French embassy said.

“The Embassy of France in Port-au-Prince continues to operate and remains fully mobilized to support the French community” in Haiti, according to the statement.

Haiti, faced with a serious political and security crisis, has been experiencing since the beginning of the month an escalation of gang attacks, which joined forces and targeted strategic locations in the capital.

De facto Prime Minister Ariel Henri agreed to resign on March 11. Since then, negotiations have been underway to form transitional authorities.

Linked to their creation is the deployment of an international armed force to help the Haitian police, disadvantaged in the face of outgunned criminals, to restore order.

In anticipation, the gangs multiplied attacks in the capital.

Canada also chartered helicopters to evacuate its nationals residing in Haiti who wish to leave the country.