Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly announced today, Thursday, that the Canadian government will reduce diplomatic representation in Haiti to "essential staff" at its embassy in Port-au-Prince.

Joly said in a post on X: "This will allow us to maintain our presence in Haiti to support Canadians during this turbulent situation, given the limited availability of supplies." 

She added, "Our ambassador and consular team will continue to provide assistance to Canadians from Port-au-Prince, along with their colleagues temporarily abroad, and they can be reached through our Emergency Response Center."

Joly said Canada remains committed to supporting the Haitian people in the long term, but the urgent priority is the safety and security of Canadians, emphasizing that this intervention will help ensure that.

As of Wednesday, the Canadian Embassy in Port-au-Prince was temporarily closed to the public "due to the unpredictable security situation," with consular services offered remotely.

Canada issued a statement yesterday welcoming the news of reaching a political agreement among the concerned parties in Haiti to proceed with the appointment of a transitional presidential council and government, amid widespread political and humanitarian unrest.

Due to the unrest and instability in Haiti, Global Affairs Canada (GAC) updated its travel advice on March 10, advising Canadians to "shelter in place" or limit their movements if unable to do so, as well as to stock up on essential food, water, and medicine.

GAC said on Wednesday that there are currently 2,947 Canadians in Haiti registered with the Registration of Canadians Abroad service, and the federal Emergency Response Center has responded to 78 inquiries since March 3.

So far, the government does not plan to assist in the departure or conduct return flights for Canadians in Haiti, but it continues stating, "We are monitoring and assessing the security situation closely and will coordinate with our allies as the situation evolves."

Earlier this week, following the resignation of Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry, local community leaders in Maison de Haïti in Montreal met to urge the Canadian government to intensify its efforts to address the crisis shaking their homeland.