The Haitian government announced Thursday that the recently declared state of emergency in the capital region would remain in place until early April after violence swept the city of Port-au-Prince.
"The state of security emergency is being declared in the entirety of Ouest Department for the period of one (1) month from Thursday, March 7, to Wednesday, April 3, 2024," the declaration in Haiti’s official journal Le Moniteur read.
The Caribbean nation's interim government also said that the nighttime curfew that took effect over the weekend would stay in effect through March 11, from 6 pm to 5 am (23:00 to 10:00 GMT).
The measures aim to restore order and help the government "regain control of the situation" in the region where armed gangs have repeatedly attacked police stations, airports and hospitals.
Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who is currently stranded in Puerto Rico, has been running the island nation since July 2021 when then-President Jovenel Moise was murdered in his home.
Henry has been reportedly under pressure from the United States to resign and bring forward the elections, although a White House spokeswoman denied on Wednesday that Washington was pushing him to quit.