The spokesperson for Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly said that 36 Canadians have now been evacuated from Haiti by helicopter.

Joly had said on Monday that the first 18 people had already left, but Global Affairs Canada clarified that their departure was delayed due to bad weather conditions.

Two groups were airlifted to safety in the Dominican Republic once the heavy rains and winds subsided.

Joly announced Canada’s plan to evacuate citizens in Haiti on Monday afternoon.

Holders of Canadian passports are given the opportunity to leave as Haiti suffers from food shortages and escalating violence by armed gangs.

The spokesperson for Joly said the minister was informed before her Monday press conference that the first group of 18 had just left, and only learned of the delay after speaking to journalists.

Global Affairs said the eighteen people were safely housed overnight and were airlifted on Tuesday morning.

They were followed by another group of 18 people.

Canada is airlifting small groups by helicopter to the neighboring Dominican Republic for free, although they have to pay for their accommodation and return to Canada.

The airlift is only for Canadians with valid passports, and Joly said she is requesting Dominican officials to also allow relatives of citizens as well as permanent residents in Canada to be evacuated.

The Canadian Embassy in the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince can provide emergency documents for people with lost or expired passports.

As of Monday, officials said there were nearly 3,000 people with Canadian connections who voluntarily registered their presence in Haiti with the government.

Fewer than 300 of them have requested assistance to leave the country.

Joly said on Monday that fewer than 100 of those requesting help are Canadian citizens with valid passports.

An official told reporters that only about 30 of them indicated they were “ready to travel.”