分类： world

On July 18, 2026, multiple official and private institutions across Haiti released a series of critical announcements affecting applicants, voters, residents, and cultural stakeholders across the country.

First, the Haitian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a revision to the schedule for the 2026-2027 academic year Kingdom of Morocco government scholarship admission competition. Referencing an earlier notice from July 6, the ministry confirmed that the exam, originally set for July 18 in Les Cayes for applicants from Haiti’s Great South region, has been rescheduled to July 21. The test will now take place at the Public University of Les Cayes. Notably, the original July 18 date remains in effect for two other exam centers: Lycée de Pétion-ville in Port-au-Prince and the MAEC regional office in Vaudreuil, Cap-Haïtien. The ministry thanked candidates for their interest and urged all affected applicants to adjust their plans accordingly.

In electoral news, Haiti’s Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) announced the launch of a new nationwide voter registration drive. Starting July 20, registration will open in the capitals of nine of Haiti’s ten geographical departments, with the West Department excluded from the initial rollout. Eligible citizens will have a 90-day window to complete their registration at any local Registration and Voting Center. To complete the process, applicants must bring a valid national identification card. Voters may register at the center closest to their residence or at a center in their preferred voting constituency, with no mandatory pre-assigned locations. However, the CEP stressed that on election day, voting will only be permitted at the center where a citizen is registered, and unregistered residents will not be allowed to cast a ballot.

Telecommunications provider Digicel also issued a public statement regarding a new service disruption in southern Haiti. The company confirmed that on July 15, an intentional cut to its optical fiber infrastructure along National Road #2 caused outages for multiple services across the Deep South region. Technical teams were mobilized immediately to assess damage and begin repairs, but ongoing security instability in the affected area has blocked safe access for work crews. Digicel announced that its teams are coordinating closely with local security authorities to secure the necessary access to complete repairs as quickly as possible. The company acknowledged the significant inconvenience the outage has caused for residential and business customers, noting that all available resources are being deployed to restore full service, and thanked the public for their patience during the interruption.

The Haitian Ministry of Environment also announced an extension to a regulatory measure affecting sand quarry operations. A ban on extraction in four locations – Pèlerin, Laboule, Boutilliers, and Kenscoff – will be extended for 15 additional days starting July 16. At the conclusion of this extension period, only quarry sites that have been deemed operationally eligible following technical assessments from the Bureau of Mines and Energy (BME) and the National Environmental Evaluation Office (BNÉE), and whose operators have completed all required regulatory compliance steps, will be allowed to resume extraction activities.

On the international front, the United Nations confirmed that Haiti will return to the UN Security Council’s formal agenda on July 20. Three months after his last briefing to the council, Special Representative Jack Christofides will deliver a comprehensive update on the deployment, operational progress, and strategic direction of the international Gang Suppression Force, deployed to help Haitian authorities curb widespread gang-related violence.

In cultural news, UNESCO’s Haiti office hosted the official restitution event for the preservation project *Les Rhythmes du Tambour Haïtien* (The Rhythms of the Haitian Drum) on July 17. Attendees at the event got an exclusive first look at the opening 35 minutes of the project’s documentary series. The series explores the craft of drum-making, the playing techniques of traditional drummers, and the cultural spaces where Haitian drumming takes place, highlighting the central role of the drum in shaping Haitian national cultural identity. Funded by the UNESCO Heritage Emergency Fund, the initiative aims to document, preserve, and transmit this intangible cultural heritage to current and future generations of Haitians.

On July 15, 2026, amid the ongoing sessions of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) High-Level Ministerial Segment, top diplomatic representatives from Haiti and the United Arab Emirates held a pivotal meeting to map out a new era of bilateral partnership. The discussion, led by Haiti’s Minister of Planning and External Cooperation Sandra Paulemon and acting UAE Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Ghasaq Shaheen, centered on expanding collaboration across multiple high-priority sectors that align with Haiti’s long-term stabilization and development goals.

Minister Paulemon opened the conversation by welcoming the UAE’s growing engagement with Haiti, highlighting the recent opening of Haiti’s embassy in Abu Dhabi as a landmark milestone in deepening bilateral ties. The appointment of Ambassador François Guillaume II to the post, she noted, formalizes the diplomatic presence that will underpin future cooperation between the two nations.

During the meeting, Paulemon outlined a clear slate of priority areas where Haitian leaders are seeking Emirati partnership. Key topics included capacity building for the Haitian National Police, a large-scale affordable housing program for both police officers and internally displaced persons, construction of a new 5,000-capacity prison, technology and knowledge transfer in rapid sustainable construction, electrification for public schools and hospitals, and support for Haiti’s national stabilization, economic, social and territorial recovery program.

Of particular strategic importance, Paulemon emphasized, is the proposed large-scale housing initiative. Beyond addressing the immediate need for low-cost housing to alleviate Haiti’s growing displacement crisis, she argued that Emirati expertise in innovative rapid and sustainable construction would provide a critical opportunity for skills transfer that empowers local Haitian construction firms long into the future.

Paulemon also formally requested UAE support for Haiti’s upcoming national elections, asking for both financial and technical assistance to strengthen Haitian institutional capacities and ensure a smooth, credible electoral process. She additionally raised the prospect of bilateral budget support to back the Haitian government’s efforts to deliver on its national development priorities.

In response, Ambassador Shaheen commended the clear, forward-looking vision laid out by the Haitian delegation. She expressed confidence that the opening of the Haitian embassy in Abu Dhabi will mark a new chapter in bilateral relations, creating the framework needed to launch tangible, impactful development projects between the two countries.

Shaheen committed to relaying Haiti’s cooperation proposals to the UAE’s Ministries of Defense and Interior, specifically regarding potential support for the Haitian National Police, the Haitian Armed Forces, and the proposed prison construction project. She also highlighted the UAE’s major advances in digital technology and online learning, including the country’s ongoing National Data Action Plan public policy initiative, and confirmed the UAE stands ready to share its technical expertise and global experience across a range of strategic sectors for Haiti’s benefit.

Looking ahead, high-level Haitian officials including Minister Paulemon and Haitian Minister of Foreign Affairs Raina Forbin will soon travel to the UAE for the official inauguration of the new Haitian embassy in Abu Dhabi. During the visit, the delegation will hold a series of high-level bilateral meetings with top Emirati officials including the UAE Minister of International Development and Minister of Foreign Affairs, as well as other regional leaders. The talks will focus not only on deepening Haiti-UAE ties but also on expanding partnership between Haiti and Gulf states more broadly, identifying new collaboration opportunities and advancing major development projects aligned with Haiti’s national priorities.

At the conclusion of the ECOSOC sidelines meeting, both parties agreed to continue ongoing discussions with the goal of finalizing a formal cooperation protocol and appointing dedicated focal points to oversee the implementation of the commitments and partnership initiatives agreed during the talks.

In a stark update released on July 18, 2026, the Trump administration has issued its highest-level travel warning for all U.S. citizens considering travel to Haiti, placing the Caribbean nation at Level 4 — the agency’s strictest classification that urges all potential visitors to abandon any travel plans entirely.

What sets this advisory apart from standard high-risk travel warnings is the extraordinary set of precautionary recommendations the State Department has laid out for U.S. citizens who still choose to ignore the do-not-travel order. Among the most chilling guidelines is a formal suggestion that travelers leave DNA samples with their primary medical provider and store full dental records with family members back in the United States. This step is explicitly framed to enable the identification of remains should a traveler die while in the country.

Beyond the unprecedented preparation for worst-case outcomes, the State Department has outlined a full suite of security and contingency steps for any person who travels to Haiti against its advice. First, all travelers are required to enroll in the department’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP), a free service that keeps U.S. missions abroad updated on traveler whereabouts to enable faster emergency assistance. Travelers are also urged to build a clear communication plan with loved ones before departure, ensuring they carry functional devices that work on Haitian networks and regularly share real-time location data with trusted contacts.

Additional contingency planning includes sharing access to critical documents, account logins, and emergency contacts with family members, in the event that a traveler cannot return to the U.S. on schedule. Officials also advise travelers to formalize plans for the care, custody, and inheritance of children, pets, and property, including drafting a will, updating insurance beneficiary designations, and granting power of attorney to a trusted person back home.

For travelers traveling for work, the State Department recommends collaborating with employers or host organizations to build a personalized security plan, and suggests considering consultation with a private professional security firm to assess risks. Travelers are also instructed to pre-map key emergency resources, including the nearest U.S. Embassy or consulate, FBI contact points, and the State Department’s Office of American Citizen Services, as well as local trusted contacts that can assist during a crisis.

In the event of detention or hostage taking, officials advise travelers to designate a single family point of contact ahead of time and establish a formal proof-of-life protocol, so that contact can verify the traveler’s status and avoid miscommunication during a crisis. Travelers are also told to remove any potentially controversial or provocative content from social media accounts, cameras, laptops, and personal devices, as material that seems harmless could be misinterpreted by local armed groups. All high-value or sentimental personal items should be left behind in the U.S., and travelers are reminded to double-check that their U.S. passports and all other critical travel documents have not expired before crossing into Haiti.

The extraordinary severity of the advisory underscores the extreme deterioration of security and public order in Haiti, which has grappled with widespread gang violence, political instability, and a collapse of core state functions for years. This Level 4 warning, paired with its unprecedented guidance on remains identification and contingency planning, signals that the U.S. government views travel to the country as an inherently life-threatening risk that no U.S. citizen should take.