Peace Corp volunteers are being sent home from Honduras in January while the organization evaluates what to do about the violence.

This action is going to make us more careful about who travels to Honduras. We will make sure everyone understands the situation, and we will make sure that we do everything we can to keep our teams safe.

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras — Honduran officials on Friday lamented a U.S. decision to pull 158 Peace Corps volunteers out of the Central American country in January for safety reasons.

Foreign Minister Arturo Corrales said he believes the situation is temporary as Honduras works to restore peace and security in a country notorious for having the highest homicide rate in the world.

“The Peace Corps has done an outstanding job in our country,” added Security Minister Pompey Bonilla. “We are dismayed by the pullout.”

The government reaction came two days after the U.S. government announced it is suspending training for new Peace Corps volunteers in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras and bringing home 158 volunteers from Honduras. The current volunteers will remain in the other two countries.