Context:
The Government of India has launched ‘Operation Indravati’ to evacuate Indians from Haiti to the Dominican Republic.
Key Highlights of the Operation
- The mission was launched after India had said it was looking at evacuating up to 90 of its nationals from Haiti in view of the deteriorating security situation in the Caribbean nation.
- Since the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in July 2021, Haiti has been afflicted by gang violence and political instability. Gangs in Haiti have conducted coordinated attacks targeting key installations, prompting concerns about the safety of residents.
- India does not have an embassy in Haiti and thus the monitoring of the situation is being handled by the Indian mission in Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic.
Previous similar operations of India
- Operation Raahat (2015): Aimed at evacuating nearly 5,000 Indian citizens, along with thousands of other foreign nationals, from war-torn Yemen.
- Operation Sankat Mochan (2016): This operation rescued Indian citizens and foreign nationals from South Sudan during the South Sudanese Civil War.
- Vande Bharat Mission (2020-2021): This large-scale mission, spanning multiple phases, facilitated the return of over 6 million Indian citizens stranded abroad due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Operation Devi Shakti (2021): This operation helped evacuate around 450 Indians and Afghan nationals following the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan.
- Operation Ganga (2022): This mission ensured the safe passage of over 18,000 Indian students and citizens from Ukraine during the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.
- Operation Kaveri (2023): was an operation conducted by the Indian Armed Forces to evacuate Indian citizens and foreign nationals from Sudan during the 2023 Sudan conflict.