OTTAWA - Canada on Monday is launching an assisted departure operation for vulnerable Canadians in Haiti as gang violence spreads across the Caribbean country, Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said.

Canada will be facilitating travel for vulnerable Canadians in Haiti to the Dominican Republic, and Ottawa was working on other assisted departure options for other citizens as well as permanent residents and their families in Haiti, Joly told reporters in Ottawa.

Canada was prioritizing the most vulnerable Canadians such as those who need medical attention or those with children, Joly added.

  - Reuters