Dozens of foreigners, including many from the United States and Canada, are stranded in Haiti, desperately trying to leave the violence-torn country where anti-government gangs are battling police and have already shut down both of the country香蕉视频直播檚 international airports.

They were in Haiti for reasons ranging from adoptions to missionary and humanitarian work. Now, they are locked down in hotels and homes, unable to leave by air, sea or land as Haiti remains paralyzed by the mayhem and the gangs香蕉视频直播� demands that Prime Minister Ariel Henry resign.

香蕉视频直播淲e are seriously trapped,香蕉视频直播� said Richard Phillips, a 65-year-old from the Canadian capital, Ottawa, who has traveled to Haiti more than three dozen times to work on projects for the United Nations, USAID and now, a Haitian nonprofit called Papyrus.

After arriving in Haiti in late February, Phillips flew to the southern coastal city of Les Cayes to teach farmers and others how to operate and repair tractors, cultivators, planters and other machinery in an area known for its corn, rice, peas and beans.

Once his work was done, Phillips flew to the capital, Port-au-Prince, only to find that his flight had been canceled. He stayed at a nearby hotel, but the gunfire was relentless, so moved on to a safer area.

香蕉视频直播淲e are actually quite concerned about where this is going,香蕉视频直播� he told The Associated Press by phone. 香蕉视频直播淚f the police force collapses, there香蕉视频直播檚 going to be anarchy in the streets, and we might be here a month or more.香蕉视频直播�

Scores of people have been killed in the gang attacks that began Feb. 29, and more than 15,000 people have been left homeless by the violence.

Earlier this week, Haiti香蕉视频直播檚 government extended a state of emergency and nightly curfew to try and quell the violence, but the attacks continue.

Gangs have burned police stations, released more than 4,000 inmates from Haiti香蕉视频直播檚 two biggest prisons and attacked Port-au-Prince香蕉视频直播檚 main airport, which remains closed. As a result, the prime minister has been unable to return home after a trip to Kenya to push for the U.N.-backed deployment of a police force from the East African country.

Phillips said he has exhausted all options to leave Haiti by air, noting that a helicopter operator couldn香蕉视频直播檛 get insured for such a flight and a private plane pilot said that approach would be too risky. As for trying to trek to the neighboring Dominican Republic: 香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 possible we could walk miles and miles to get to a border, but I香蕉视频直播檓 sure that香蕉视频直播檚 dangerous as well.香蕉视频直播�

Despite being stuck, Phillips said he remains calm.

香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檝e been shot at many times in Haiti and have bullet holes in my truck,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淧ersonally, I香蕉视频直播檓 kind of used to it. But I香蕉视频直播檓 sure other people, it香蕉视频直播檚 quite traumatic for them.香蕉视频直播�

Yvonne Trimble, who has lived in Haiti for more than 40 years, is among the U.S. expats who can香蕉视频直播檛 leave.

She and her husband are in the northern coastal city of Cap-Haitien, waiting for a private evacuation flight for missionaries that had already been canceled once.

香蕉视频直播淲e香蕉视频直播檙e completely locked down,香蕉视频直播� she said by phone. 香蕉视频直播淭his is the worst I香蕉视频直播檝e seen it. It香蕉视频直播檚 total anarchy.香蕉视频直播�

Trimble noted how a mob surrounded the airport in Cap-Haitien recently and began throwing rocks and bottles following a rumor that the prime minister was going to land.

She and her husband are scheduled to fly out next week courtesy of Florida-based Missionary Flights International.

The company香蕉视频直播檚 vice president of administration, Roger Sands, said Missionary Flights International has received up to 40 calls from people hoping to leave or remain on standby.

香蕉视频直播淲e香蕉视频直播檙e getting phone calls constantly,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淭he big concern is that every time people see an airplane, they think the prime minister is coming back to the country, and there香蕉视频直播檚 a large segment of the society that doesn香蕉视频直播檛 want that to happen. So we don香蕉视频直播檛 want to be the first ones in.香蕉视频直播�

It香蕉视频直播檚 not clear when Haiti香蕉视频直播檚 two international airports will reopen.

香蕉视频直播淭his is difficult for us,香蕉视频直播� Sands said. 香蕉视频直播淲e hate seeing our planes on the ground when there香蕉视频直播檚 need.香蕉视频直播�

A missionary couple who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of their safety said they have been living in Haiti for several years but won香蕉视频直播檛 leave because they香蕉视频直播檙e in the middle of adopting a 6-year-old boy.

香蕉视频直播淭here is no choice to be made. We香蕉视频直播檙e here as family,香蕉视频直播� the woman said.

Meanwhile, her husband was supposed to fly to the U.S. last week for medical care since he has Type 1 diabetes and has developed a neuropathy that causes severe pain in his legs and back, and muscle-wasting in his legs, making it difficult to move.

For now, the four appointments he made are on hold.

香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 a little frustrating,香蕉视频直播� he said.

Also unable to leave are Matt Prichard, a 35-year-old from Lebanon, Ohio, and his family. Prichard, COO of a missionary, has two children 香蕉视频直播� an infant and toddler 香蕉视频直播� with his Haitian wife, as well as an 18-year-old son.

The rest of his family hasn香蕉视频直播檛 been able to get documents to enter the U.S. yet, so they will all stay in southern Haiti for now.

香蕉视频直播淲e unfortunately seem to be stuck,香蕉视频直播� he said.

Prichard noted that his son is stressed out by the situation, telling him he should leave because 香蕉视频直播榯his isn香蕉视频直播檛 a good place for you. Just get out of here.香蕉视频直播�

But Prichard said, 香蕉视频直播淎s a father, you can香蕉视频直播檛 leave your kids or your family.香蕉视频直播�

He said the local grocery store has nearly run out of basic goods and gas has been hard to find.

香蕉视频直播淭he expat community here is really our solace,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 that connection, those relationships, that really are getting us through.香蕉视频直播�

D谩nica Coto, The Associated Press