State officials say the race to rescue Floridians in Haiti will get even more complicated

Sabrina Maggiore
·3 min read

Update:

A group of Florida residents landed at Orlando International Airport within the last two hours from Port-Au-Prince.

Fourteen people were on the state-charted flight.

▶ WATCH CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS

Officials told Channel 9 that 10 adults and four children were from Miami-Dade County.

Monday night’s flight brings the total number of people rescued by the Florida Division of Emergency Management.

There are still hundreds of Floridians stranded in Haiti.

Previous story:

A state-driven mission to rescue hundreds of Floridians stranded in Haiti is entering a new stage.

So far, four planes have landed at two Central Florida-based airports, and the state has rescued a total of 48 Americans.

A fifth plane carrying eleven individuals is expected to land Monday night at the Orlando International Airport.

Executive Director of the Division of Emergency Management, Kevin Guthrie, said his team spent much of Monday trying to navigate a new bureaucratic issue that delayed the 5th plane from taking off.

Read: State-sponsored flights bring missionaries, families back home from Haiti

He believes working with officials representing the splintered government in Haiti is the biggest challenge.

“We’ve run now four flights. This is the fifth one. But they’re now requiring something different, so we’re trying to jump through those hoops,” said Guthrie.

Guthrie said the Division wants the Dominican Republic to sign off on paperwork allowing his team to fly out of the Dominican instead of Haiti.

He believes it will solve several existing problems and lead to faster rescues.

Children look through a fence at a shelter for families displaced by gang violence, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Wednesday, March 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Children look through a fence at a shelter for families displaced by gang violence, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Wednesday, March 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
A helicopter lands to evacuate personnel at the Dominican embassy in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, March 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
A helicopter lands to evacuate personnel at the Dominican embassy in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, March 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
A military helicopter lands to evacuate personnel at the Dominican embassy in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, March 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
A military helicopter lands to evacuate personnel at the Dominican embassy in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, March 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
A vendor pushes crates of chickens past a police truck of people detained for deportation on the border bridge that connects Dajabon, Dominican Republic with Haiti, Monday, March 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Ricardo Hernandez)
A vendor pushes crates of chickens past a police truck of people detained for deportation on the border bridge that connects Dajabon, Dominican Republic with Haiti, Monday, March 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Ricardo Hernandez)
The relative of a person found dead in the street reacts after an overnight shooting in the Petion Ville neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Monday, March 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
The relative of a person found dead in the street reacts after an overnight shooting in the Petion Ville neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Monday, March 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
The relative, below, of a person found dead in the street reacts after an overnight shooting in the Petion Ville neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Monday, March 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
The relative, below, of a person found dead in the street reacts after an overnight shooting in the Petion Ville neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Monday, March 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Children play in the courtyard of a shelter for families displaced by gang violence, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, March 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Children play in the courtyard of a shelter for families displaced by gang violence, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, March 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Children line up to receive a plate of food at a shelter for families displaced by gang violence, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, March 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Children line up to receive a plate of food at a shelter for families displaced by gang violence, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, March 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
FILE - A man enters the U.S. embassy in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Sunday, March 10, 2024. A charter flight carrying dozens of U.S. citizens fleeing spiraling gang violence in Haiti landed Sunday, March 17, 2024, in Miami, U.S. State Department officials said. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph. File)
FILE - A man enters the U.S. embassy in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Sunday, March 10, 2024. A charter flight carrying dozens of U.S. citizens fleeing spiraling gang violence in Haiti landed Sunday, March 17, 2024, in Miami, U.S. State Department officials said. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph. File)
A father lifts his daughter to the front of a line of people waiting to receive a plate of food, at a shelter for families displaced by gang violence in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, March 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
A father lifts his daughter to the front of a line of people waiting to receive a plate of food, at a shelter for families displaced by gang violence in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, March 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
A server ladles soup into a container as children line up to receive food at a shelter for families displaced by gang violence, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, March 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
A server ladles soup into a container as children line up to receive food at a shelter for families displaced by gang violence, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, March 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
A man eats a meal as a child covers his face after receiving containers of free food at a shelter for families displaced by gang violence, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, March 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
A man eats a meal as a child covers his face after receiving containers of free food at a shelter for families displaced by gang violence, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, March 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
People line up to receive food at a shelter for families displaced by gang violence, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, March 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
People line up to receive food at a shelter for families displaced by gang violence, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, March 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
A woman squeezes through a human chain of volunteers as she is given the go ahead to pass through for a plate of free food, at a shelter for families displaced by gang violence in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, March 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
A woman squeezes through a human chain of volunteers as she is given the go ahead to pass through for a plate of free food, at a shelter for families displaced by gang violence in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, March 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
National Police stand guard outside the empty National Penitentiary after a small fire inside in downtown Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Haiti, Thursday, March 14, 2024. This is the same facility that armed gangs stormed late March 2 and hundreds of inmates escaped. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
National Police stand guard outside the empty National Penitentiary after a small fire inside in downtown Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Haiti, Thursday, March 14, 2024. This is the same facility that armed gangs stormed late March 2 and hundreds of inmates escaped. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Firefighters arrive to put out a small fire at the empty National Penitentiary as National Police patrol in downtown Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Haiti, Thursday, March 14, 2024. This is the same facility that armed gangs stormed late March 2 and hundreds of inmates escaped. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Firefighters arrive to put out a small fire at the empty National Penitentiary as National Police patrol in downtown Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Haiti, Thursday, March 14, 2024. This is the same facility that armed gangs stormed late March 2 and hundreds of inmates escaped. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
A woman walks past the smoking, empty National Penitentiary after a small fire broke out inside the jail in downtown Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Haiti, Thursday, March 14, 2024. This is the same prison that armed gangs stormed late March 2 and hundreds of inmates escaped. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
A woman walks past the smoking, empty National Penitentiary after a small fire broke out inside the jail in downtown Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Haiti, Thursday, March 14, 2024. This is the same prison that armed gangs stormed late March 2 and hundreds of inmates escaped. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
A resident walks past a National Police officer guarding the empty National Penitentiary after a small fire inside the jail in downtown Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Haiti, Thursday, March 14, 2024. This is the same prison that armed gangs stormed late March 2 and hundreds of inmates escaped. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
A resident walks past a National Police officer guarding the empty National Penitentiary after a small fire inside the jail in downtown Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Haiti, Thursday, March 14, 2024. This is the same prison that armed gangs stormed late March 2 and hundreds of inmates escaped. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
National Police patrol the area near the empty National Penitentiary after a small fire inside the jail in downtown Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Haiti, Thursday, March 14, 2024. This is the same prison that armed gangs stormed late March 2 and hundreds of inmates escaped. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
National Police patrol the area near the empty National Penitentiary after a small fire inside the jail in downtown Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Haiti, Thursday, March 14, 2024. This is the same prison that armed gangs stormed late March 2 and hundreds of inmates escaped. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
A pedestrian crosses a street free of traffic in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Wednesday, March 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
A pedestrian crosses a street free of traffic in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Wednesday, March 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
People walk along a street in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Wednesday, March 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
People walk along a street in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Wednesday, March 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Soldiers patrol the road near the international airport in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Wednesday, March 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Soldiers patrol the road near the international airport in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Wednesday, March 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
People line up outside a bank that had been closed for several days due to the violence, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Wednesday, March 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
People line up outside a bank that had been closed for several days due to the violence, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Wednesday, March 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Pedestrians run for cover after hearing gunshots, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Wednesday, March 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Pedestrians run for cover after hearing gunshots, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Wednesday, March 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Children play at a shelter for families displaced by gang violence in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Wednesday, March 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Children play at a shelter for families displaced by gang violence in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Wednesday, March 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Relatives of police officer Luciana Pierre mourn during her memorial in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Tuesday, March 12, 2024. According to the family, Pierre was killed in an attack by armed gangs the previous week and her body has not been recovered. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Relatives of police officer Luciana Pierre mourn during her memorial in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Tuesday, March 12, 2024. According to the family, Pierre was killed in an attack by armed gangs the previous week and her body has not been recovered. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
A priest swings incense in front of a photo of police officer Luciana Pierre during her memorial in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Tuesday, March 12, 2024. According to the family, Pierre was killed in an attack by armed gangs the previous week and her body has not been recovered. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
A priest swings incense in front of a photo of police officer Luciana Pierre during her memorial in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Tuesday, March 12, 2024. According to the family, Pierre was killed in an attack by armed gangs the previous week and her body has not been recovered. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Pedestrians and commuters fill a street in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Tuesday, March 12, 2024. Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry announced Tuesday that he would resign once a transitional presidential council is created, bowing to international pressure to make way for new leadership in the country overwhelmed by violent gangs. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Jimmy Chérizier, a former elite police officer known as Barbecue who leads the G9 and Family gang, adjusts his weapon as he speaks to journalists in the Delmas 6 neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Monday, March 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Jimmy Chérizier, a former elite police officer known as Barbecue who leads the G9 and Family gang, adjusts his weapon as he speaks to journalists in the Delmas 6 neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Monday, March 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
An armed member of the G9 and Family gang rolls a tire to burn at a roadblock in the Delmas 6 neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Monday, March 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
An armed member of the G9 and Family gang rolls a tire to burn at a roadblock in the Delmas 6 neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Monday, March 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Jimmy Chérizier, a former elite police officer known as Barbecue who leads the G9 and Family gang, walks away after speaking to journalists in the Delmas 6 neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Monday, March 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Jimmy Chérizier, a former elite police officer known as Barbecue who leads the G9 and Family gang, walks away after speaking to journalists in the Delmas 6 neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Monday, March 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Members of the G9 and Family gang speak to each other while standing guard at their roadblock in the Delmas 6 neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Monday, March 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Members of the G9 and Family gang speak to each other while standing guard at their roadblock in the Delmas 6 neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Monday, March 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
An armed member of the G9 and Family gang patrols a roadblock in the Delmas 6 neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Monday, March 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
An armed member of the G9 and Family gang patrols a roadblock in the Delmas 6 neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Monday, March 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Armed members of the G9 and Family gang stand guard at their roadblock in the Delmas 6 neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Monday, March 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Armed members of the G9 and Family gang stand guard at their roadblock in the Delmas 6 neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Monday, March 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
A police officer guards the entrance of the U.S. embassy in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Sunday, March 10, 2024. The U.S. military said Sunday that it had flown in forces to enhance security at the delegation and allow nonessential personnel to leave. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
A police officer guards the entrance of the U.S. embassy in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Sunday, March 10, 2024. The U.S. military said Sunday that it had flown in forces to enhance security at the delegation and allow nonessential personnel to leave. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
A street alongside the U.S. embassy compound is devoid of traffic in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Sunday, March 10, 2024. The U.S. military said Sunday that it had flown in forces to bolster security at the delegation and facilitate the departure of nonessential personnel. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
A street alongside the U.S. embassy compound is devoid of traffic in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Sunday, March 10, 2024. The U.S. military said Sunday that it had flown in forces to bolster security at the delegation and facilitate the departure of nonessential personnel. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
A man enters the U.S. embassy in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Sunday, March 10, 2024. The U.S. military said Sunday that it had flown in forces to bolster security at the delegation and facilitate the departure of nonessential personnel. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
A man enters the U.S. embassy in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Sunday, March 10, 2024. The U.S. military said Sunday that it had flown in forces to bolster security at the delegation and facilitate the departure of nonessential personnel. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
A police officer walks past a burnt out out police station set on fire by armed gangs, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Tuesday, March 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
A police officer walks past a burnt out out police station set on fire by armed gangs, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Tuesday, March 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
FILE - Youths and members of the gang led by Jimmy Cherizier, alias Barbecue, a former police officer who heads a gang coalition hang out during a march to demand justice for slain Haitian President Jovenel Moise, in the La Saline neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, July 26, 2021. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix, File)
FILE - Youths and members of the gang led by Jimmy Cherizier, alias Barbecue, a former police officer who heads a gang coalition hang out during a march to demand justice for slain Haitian President Jovenel Moise, in the La Saline neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, July 26, 2021. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix, File)
FILE - Jimmy Cherizier, a former elite police officer known as Barbecue who now runs a gang federation, walks hand in hand with children as he visits La Saline district of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Jan. 24, 2023. Internationally, Cherizier is known as Haiti's most powerful and feared gang leader, sanctioned by the United Nations for
FILE - Jimmy Cherizier, a former elite police officer known as Barbecue who now runs a gang federation, walks hand in hand with children as he visits La Saline district of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Jan. 24, 2023. Internationally, Cherizier is known as Haiti's most powerful and feared gang leader, sanctioned by the United Nations for
A woman lies on the pavement as she mourns a family member shot dead by unknown assailants as he sat on his motorcycle in the Delmas area of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Friday, March 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
A woman lies on the pavement as she mourns a family member shot dead by unknown assailants as he sat on his motorcycle in the Delmas area of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Friday, March 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
An inmate comes to the aide of a prisoner after armed gangs freed thousands from the National Penitentiary, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Saturday, March 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
An inmate comes to the aide of a prisoner after armed gangs freed thousands from the National Penitentiary, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Saturday, March 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
FILE - Members of MINUSTAH, a U.N. force established in 2004, patrol the Marttisant community in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, July 31, 2007. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos, File)
FILE - Members of MINUSTAH, a U.N. force established in 2004, patrol the Marttisant community in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, July 31, 2007. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos, File)
FILE - Guy Philippe, who led the rebellion against former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, is greeted by supporters during a march of thousands in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, March 7, 2004. In December 2001, then a police official, Philippe attacked the National Palace in an attempted coup which led Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide to call on the gangsters to rise from the slums. (AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan, File)
Members of the General Security Unit of the National Palace, USGPN, set up a security perimeter around one of the three downtown stations after police fought off an attack by gangs the day before, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Saturday, March 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Members of the General Security Unit of the National Palace, USGPN, set up a security perimeter around one of the three downtown stations after police fought off an attack by gangs the day before, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Saturday, March 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Residents flee their homes during clashes between police and gang member, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Saturday, March 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Residents flee their homes during clashes between police and gang member, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Saturday, March 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
A child watches from an opening in a security gate as residents flee their homes due to gang violence, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Saturday, March 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
A child watches from an opening in a security gate as residents flee their homes due to gang violence, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Saturday, March 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Members of the General Security Unit of the National Palace, USGPN, set up a security perimeter around one of the three downtown stations after police fought off an attack by gangs the day before, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Saturday, March 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Members of the General Security Unit of the National Palace, USGPN, set up a security perimeter around one of the three downtown stations after police fought off an attack by gangs the day before, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Saturday, March 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
FILE - Workers put down a fire set at an office of Haiti's power company during a protest to demand the resignation of the Prime Minister Ariel Henry in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Friday, March 1, 2024. Unrelenting gang attacks in Haiti have paralyzed the country and left it with dwindling supplies of basic goods. Worsening the situation is this week's closure of Port-au-Prince's main seaport. The move left stranded scores of containers filled with critical items like food and medical supplies in a country where U.N. officials say half the population does not have enough to eat and 1.4 million are starving. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph, File)
FILE - Residents flee their homes during clashes between police and gang member at the Portail neighborhood in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. Unrelenting gang attacks in Haiti have paralyzed the country and left it with dwindling supplies of basic goods. Worsening the situation is this week's closure of Port-au-Prince's main seaport. The move left stranded scores of containers filled with critical items like food and medical supplies in a country where U.N. officials say half the population does not have enough to eat and 1.4 million are starving. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph, File)
FILE - Street vendors run during clashes between police and gangs in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Wednesday, March 6, 2024. Unrelenting gang attacks in Haiti have paralyzed the country and left it with dwindling supplies of basic goods. Worsening the situation is this week's closure of Port-au-Prince's main seaport. The move left stranded scores of containers filled with critical items like food and medical supplies in a country where U.N. officials say half the population does not have enough to eat and 1.4 million are starving. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph, File)
A woman cooks at shelter for families displaced by gang violence, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Friday, March 8, 2024. The violence as anti-government gangs battle police in the streets has crippled Haiti’s economy and made it extremely difficult for many of the country's most vulnerable to feed themselves.(AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
A woman cooks at shelter for families displaced by gang violence, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Friday, March 8, 2024. The violence as anti-government gangs battle police in the streets has crippled Haiti’s economy and made it extremely difficult for many of the country's most vulnerable to feed themselves.(AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
FILE - Pedestrians run for cover after hearing gunshots in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, March 7, 2024. Unrelenting gang attacks in Haiti have paralyzed the country and left it with dwindling supplies of basic goods. Worsening the situation is this week's closure of Port-au-Prince's main seaport. The move left stranded scores of containers filled with critical items like food and medical supplies in a country where U.N. officials say half the population does not have enough to eat and 1.4 million are starving. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph, FILE)
Residents who were displaced from their homes due to clashes between police and gang members, stand in line as they wait to be examined at a mobile medical clinic at a public school serving as a shelter in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Friday, March 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Residents who were displaced from their homes due to clashes between police and gang members, stand in line as they wait to be examined at a mobile medical clinic at a public school serving as a shelter in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Friday, March 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
A man transports a coffin using a wheelbarrow, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Friday, March 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
A man transports a coffin using a wheelbarrow, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Friday, March 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
People who were displaced from their homes due to clashes between police and gang members, take refugee at a public school that serves as a shelter in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Friday, March 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
People who were displaced from their homes due to clashes between police and gang members, take refugee at a public school that serves as a shelter in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Friday, March 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Residents fill their containers with potable water, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Friday, March 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Residents fill their containers with potable water, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Friday, March 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Residents who were displaced from their homes due to clashes between police and gang members, rest at a public school serving as a shelter in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Friday, March 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Residents who were displaced from their homes due to clashes between police and gang members, rest at a public school serving as a shelter in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Friday, March 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
A woman lies on the pavement as she mourns a family member shot dead by unknown assailants as he sat on his motorcycle in the Delmas area of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Friday, March 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
A woman lies on the pavement as she mourns a family member shot dead by unknown assailants as he sat on his motorcycle in the Delmas area of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Friday, March 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
A man hauls a mattress as residents flee their homes due to gang violence in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, March 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
A man hauls a mattress as residents flee their homes due to gang violence in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, March 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
A woman, carrying a mattress, walks past a charred police station that was set on fire by armed gangs, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, March 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
A woman, carrying a mattress, walks past a charred police station that was set on fire by armed gangs, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, March 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
A man pushes a wheelbarrow past burning tires during a protest demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, March 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
A man pushes a wheelbarrow past burning tires during a protest demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, March 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Pedestrians run past an armored police car in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, March 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Pedestrians run past an armored police car in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, March 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Pedestrians run for cover after hearing gunshots in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, March 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Pedestrians run for cover after hearing gunshots in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, March 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
A vendor carries empty containers for fuel in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Wednesday, March 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
A vendor carries empty containers for fuel in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Wednesday, March 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Residents flee their homes during clashes between police and gang member at the Portail neighborhood in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Residents flee their homes during clashes between police and gang member at the Portail neighborhood in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
A bus set on fire by gang members is seen at the Portail neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
A bus set on fire by gang members is seen at the Portail neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Workers put down a fire set at an office of Haiti's power company during a protest to demand the resignation of the Prime Minister Ariel Henry in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Friday, March 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Workers put down a fire set at an office of Haiti's power company during a protest to demand the resignation of the Prime Minister Ariel Henry in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Friday, March 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
A police aims during clashes with gang members in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Friday, March 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
A police aims during clashes with gang members in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Friday, March 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
A man climbs the fence of an office of Haiti's power company set on fire during a protest to demand the resignation of the Prime Minister Ariel Henry in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Friday, March 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
A man climbs the fence of an office of Haiti's power company set on fire during a protest to demand the resignation of the Prime Minister Ariel Henry in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Friday, March 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Youths raise their hands to show police they are not carrying weapons during an anti-gang operation at the Portail neighborhood in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Youths raise their hands to show police they are not carrying weapons during an anti-gang operation at the Portail neighborhood in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
A woman crosses a street after clashes between police and gunmen at the Portail neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
A woman crosses a street after clashes between police and gunmen at the Portail neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Pedestrians walk past a court building that was set on fire by gangs moments before in the Delmas 28 neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Wednesday, March 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Pedestrians walk past a court building that was set on fire by gangs moments before in the Delmas 28 neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Wednesday, March 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Soldiers inspect commuters at the entrance of the international airport in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Wednesday, March 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Soldiers inspect commuters at the entrance of the international airport in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Wednesday, March 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Street vendors run during clashes between police and gangs in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Wednesday, March 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Street vendors run during clashes between police and gangs in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Wednesday, March 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Pedestrians run during clashes between police and gangs in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Wednesday, March 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Pedestrians run during clashes between police and gangs in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Wednesday, March 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Pedestrians walk past a court building that was set on fire by gangs moments before in the Delmas 28 neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Wednesday, March 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Pedestrians walk past a court building that was set on fire by gangs moments before in the Delmas 28 neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Wednesday, March 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
A man pushes a wheelbarrow past a roadblock set by gangs in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Wednesday, March 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
A man pushes a wheelbarrow past a roadblock set by gangs in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Wednesday, March 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Masked members of
Masked members of
Barbecue, the leader of the
Barbecue, the leader of the
Barbecue, the leader of the
Barbecue, the leader of the
A youth walks by charred cars outside a police station set on fire by armed gangs in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Tuesday, March 5, 2024. Prime Minister Ariel Henry has been absent since the country's latest and most serious outbreak of violence started the previous week, and armed groups have seized on the power void. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
A youth walks by charred cars outside a police station set on fire by armed gangs in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Tuesday, March 5, 2024. Prime Minister Ariel Henry has been absent since the country's latest and most serious outbreak of violence started the previous week, and armed groups have seized on the power void. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
A police officer walks at a police station set on fire by armed gangs in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Tuesday, March 5, 2024. Prime Minister Ariel Henry has been absent since the country's latest and most serious outbreak of violence started the previous week, and armed groups have seized on the power void. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
A police officer walks at a police station set on fire by armed gangs in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Tuesday, March 5, 2024. Prime Minister Ariel Henry has been absent since the country's latest and most serious outbreak of violence started the previous week, and armed groups have seized on the power void. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Barbecue, the leader of the
Barbecue, the leader of the
Barbecue, the leader of the
Barbecue, the leader of the
Barbecue, the leader of the
Barbecue, the leader of the
Barbecue, the leader of the
Barbecue, the leader of the
Colombian inmates accused of participating in the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise talk to journalists inside the National Penitentiary in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Sunday, March 3, 2024. Hundreds of inmates fled Haiti's main prison after armed gangs stormed the facility overnight. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Colombian inmates accused of participating in the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise talk to journalists inside the National Penitentiary in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Sunday, March 3, 2024. Hundreds of inmates fled Haiti's main prison after armed gangs stormed the facility overnight. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
A soldier patrols the outskirts of the international airport in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Monday, March 4, 2024. Gang members exchanged gunfire with police and soldiers around the airport in the latest of a series of attacks on government sites that includes a mass escape from the country's two biggest prisons. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
A soldier patrols the outskirts of the international airport in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Monday, March 4, 2024. Gang members exchanged gunfire with police and soldiers around the airport in the latest of a series of attacks on government sites that includes a mass escape from the country's two biggest prisons. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
A pedestrian walks past the international airport in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Monday, March 4, 2024. Gang members exchanged gunfire with police and soldiers around the airport in the latest of a series of attacks on government sites, which includes a mass escape from the country’s two biggest prisons. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
A pedestrian walks past the international airport in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Monday, March 4, 2024. Gang members exchanged gunfire with police and soldiers around the airport in the latest of a series of attacks on government sites, which includes a mass escape from the country’s two biggest prisons. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Pedestrians was past a soldier guarding the area of the international airport in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Monday, March 4, 2024. Gang members exchanged gunfire with police and soldiers around the airport in the latest of a series of attacks on government sites, which includes a mass escape from the country's two biggest prisons. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Soldiers guard the entrance of the international airport in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Monday, March 4, 2024. Authorities ordered a 72-hour state of emergency starting Sunday night following violence in which armed gang members overran the two biggest prisons and freed thousands of inmates over the weekend. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Soldiers guard the entrance of the international airport in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Monday, March 4, 2024. Authorities ordered a 72-hour state of emergency starting Sunday night following violence in which armed gang members overran the two biggest prisons and freed thousands of inmates over the weekend. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Soldiers guard the entrance of the international airport in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Monday, March 4, 2024. Authorities ordered a 72-hour state of emergency starting Sunday night following violence in which armed gang members overran the two biggest prisons and freed thousands of inmates over the weekend. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Soldiers guard the entrance of the international airport in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Monday, March 4, 2024. Authorities ordered a 72-hour state of emergency starting Sunday night following violence in which armed gang members overran the two biggest prisons and freed thousands of inmates over the weekend. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Residents transport mattresses on a motorcycle in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Monday, March 4, 2024. Authorities ordered a 72-hour state of emergency starting Sunday night following violence in which armed gang members overran the two biggest prisons and freed thousands of inmates over the weekend. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Residents transport mattresses on a motorcycle in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Monday, March 4, 2024. Authorities ordered a 72-hour state of emergency starting Sunday night following violence in which armed gang members overran the two biggest prisons and freed thousands of inmates over the weekend. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
People stand in a courtyard at the international airport in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Monday, March 4, 2024. Authorities ordered a 72-hour state of emergency starting Sunday night following violence in which armed gang members overran the two biggest prisons and freed thousands of inmates over the weekend. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
People stand in a courtyard at the international airport in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Monday, March 4, 2024. Authorities ordered a 72-hour state of emergency starting Sunday night following violence in which armed gang members overran the two biggest prisons and freed thousands of inmates over the weekend. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Police take cover during an anti-gang operation in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Friday, March 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Police take cover during an anti-gang operation in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Friday, March 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Pedestrians take cover during clashes between police and gang members in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Friday, March 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Pedestrians take cover during clashes between police and gang members in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Friday, March 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Women take cover during a gun battle between police and gang members in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Friday, March 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Women take cover during a gun battle between police and gang members in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Friday, March 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
A demonstrator holds up an Haitian flag during protests demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Friday, March 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
A demonstrator holds up an Haitian flag during protests demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Friday, March 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
A police aims during clashes with gang members in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Friday, March 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
A police aims during clashes with gang members in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Friday, March 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Residents flee their homes during clashes between police and gang member at the Portail neighborhood in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. Gunmen shot at the international airport and other targets in a wave of violence that forced businesses, government agencies and schools to close early. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Residents flee their homes during clashes between police and gang member at the Portail neighborhood in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. Gunmen shot at the international airport and other targets in a wave of violence that forced businesses, government agencies and schools to close early. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
A police officer runs during an anti-gang operation at the Portail neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. Gunmen shot at the international airport and other targets in a wave of violence that forced businesses, government agencies and schools to close early. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
A police officer runs during an anti-gang operation at the Portail neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. Gunmen shot at the international airport and other targets in a wave of violence that forced businesses, government agencies and schools to close early. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Residents flee their homes during clashes between police and gang member at the Portail neighborhood in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. Gunmen shot at the international airport and other targets in a wave of violence that forced businesses, government agencies and schools to close early. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Residents flee their homes during clashes between police and gang member at the Portail neighborhood in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. Gunmen shot at the international airport and other targets in a wave of violence that forced businesses, government agencies and schools to close early. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
A woman crosses a street after clashes between police and gunmen at the Portail neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. Gunmen shot at the international airport and other targets in a wave of violence that forced businesses, government agencies and schools to close early. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
A woman crosses a street after clashes between police and gunmen at the Portail neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. Gunmen shot at the international airport and other targets in a wave of violence that forced businesses, government agencies and schools to close early. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Police take cover during an anti-gang operation at the Portail neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. Gunmen shot at the international airport and other targets in a wave of violence that forced businesses, government agencies and schools to close early. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Police take cover during an anti-gang operation at the Portail neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. Gunmen shot at the international airport and other targets in a wave of violence that forced businesses, government agencies and schools to close early. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Youths raise their hands to show police they are not carrying weapons during an anti-gang operation at the Portail neighborhood in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. Gunmen shot at the international airport and other targets in a wave of violence that forced businesses, government agencies and schools to close early. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)

According to Guthrie, rescue efforts are entering a complicated next stage since most people staying near the Cap-Haitien airport have already been rescued.

Moving forward, the state will need to airlift people out of the gang-controlled capital of Port-au-Prince.

It represents a new challenge since most of those rescued so far have been able to drive themselves to the Cap-Haitien airport for flights.

“Those are all the individuals on the perimeter. From here, we’re gonna have to get very, very into Port-au-Prince; we’re not going to be able to do that without helicopter capability,” said Guthrie.

Given that reliance on helicopters, he said clearance to use Dominican airspace would be even more critical to the success of rescue missions.

Read: Another flight from Haiti lands at Orlando International Airport, officials say

So far, over 500 Floridians have requested rescue help from the Florida Division of Emergency Management.

Given the U.S. Department of State’s continued efforts to rescue Americans, Guthrie believes the number of Floridians needing rescue is closer to 300.

The State of Florida and the U.S. Department of State are now cross-checking their rescue lists to better assess who is still stranded.

Meanwhile, some Haitian Americans are desperate to get their family out of the country, too.

“I’ve been a citizen in America for years and years, and I need help for my family,” said Orlando resident Occilia Fleuridor.

Read: Haiti crisis: Central Florida nonprofit steps up, state makes efforts to rescue stranded Floridians

Fleuridor said her brother Hector Guillaume is stuck in his Port-Au-Prince home.

For the last four years, Fleuridor has tried to help her brother get his citizenship, but his immigration application is still pending.

Fleuridor said Guillaume works as a pastor in Haiti, and he has not been able to work for weeks.

Amid mass gang violence, Guillaume is scared to leave his home and unable to buy food.

Guillaume isn’t eligible for U.S. Department of State charter or State of Florida flights.

His sister Fleuridor is now pleading for help on his behalf.

“I’m praying for my brother; I’m praying for the whole nation, but I need to do whatever it takes to help my brother come out of that,” said Fleuridor.

Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.