France, March 24 -- France will provide special flights for its "most vulnerable" citizens to leave Haiti, the French foreign ministry said Sunday, after air links with Port-au-Prince were cut during political chaos.

"France's embassy in Port-au-Prince remains open and is still working despite the degraded conditions," the ministry told French news agency AFP in a statement.

It added that staff are "completely mobilised to support the French community on the ground".

Haiti's international airport has been closed since armed gangs attacked it earlier this month.

Around 1,100 French citizens live in Haiti - once a slavecolony of France - many of them with dual nationality.

Paris said that its defence ministry would be responsible for o...