Escalation of violence in Haiti: Humanitarian situation worsens dramatically

The residents of the capital Port-au-Prince were living in “lockdowns” and the city was “surrounded by armed groups and dangers,” said Philippe Branchat, head of the Haiti office of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), on Saturday.

For days in Haiti, armed gangs that control most of the capital and road connections to the rest of the country have been attacking police stations, prisons and courts.

The violence escalated in the absence of Prime Minister Ariel Henry while he was on a trip abroad in Kenya. The armed gangs in the country are demanding the resignation of Henry, who was actually supposed to leave office at the beginning of February. Instead, at the end of February, Henry agreed with the opposition to govern together until new elections were held “within twelve months.”

360,000 people fled

According to the IOM, more than 360,000 people have now fled violence within Haiti. According to office manager Branchat, their situation is also extremely precarious: people fleeing Port-au-Prince cannot contact their relatives and friends who are in the rest of the country in order to find refuge.

From Port-au-Prince itself, an AFP journalist reported that dozens of people occupied local administrative buildings on Saturday to seek refuge from the violence. According to the Haitian police union, armed men attacked the presidential palace and the police headquarters in Port-au-Prince on Friday. Several attackers were therefore killed.

IOM representative Branchat also reported outbreaks of violence in Artibonite, northwest of the capital, road blockades in Cap Haitien in the north and fuel shortages in the south. State authorities and schools in the country are permanently closed, and the airport and port in Port-au-Prince are out of service.

Gangs attacked hospitals

According to the IOM, health care is also severely affected. Several hospitals were attacked by gangs, medical staff and patients had to leave clinics – including newborn babies. Several UN agency representatives in Haiti warned in a joint statement that 3,000 pregnant women may be cut off from access to medical care. 450 of them faced “fatal complications” without medical help.

Haiti has been in a serious crisis for years, which includes not only gang violence but also political instability and economic hardship. According to the UN, the number of people in the country in need of humanitarian aid has doubled in the past five years alone.

info By clicking on the icon you can add the keyword to your topics.

info
By clicking on the icon you open your “my topics” page. They have of 15 keywords saved and would have to remove keywords.

info By clicking on the icon you can remove the keyword from your topics.

Add the topic to your topics.