A revised Haiti travel advisory, issued by the U.S. State Department on Dec. 28, warns Americans planning to travel there about instances of violent crime, infectious diseases and poor medical facilities.
The latest advisory replaces a less strongly worded advisory issued last June.
"U.S. citizens have been victims of violent crime, including murder and kidnapping, predominantly in the Port-au-Prince area. No one is safe from kidnapping, regardless of occupation, nationality, race, gender or age," the new advisory said.
The State Department pointed out that Haitian authorities have limited capacity to deter or investigate violent acts or prosecute perpetrators.
While reports of cholera have declined, the disease persists in areas of Haiti where medical facilities are weak.
"Thousands of U.S. citizens safely visit Haiti each year, but the poor state of Haiti's emergency-response network should be carefully considered when planning travel. Travelers to Haiti are encouraged to use organizations that have solid infrastructure, evacuation, and medical support options in place," the department said.