More than 53,000 people were evacuated from Port-au-Prince, Haiti, between March 8 and March 27, 2024, as a result of increased gang violence following Prime Minister Ariel Henry’s visit to Kenya, the United Nations said on Tuesday.
Armed groups led by boss Jimmy “Barbeque” Chéridier have been trying to take control of the country by force since February, leaving thousands of people in neighboring areas, including rural areas of southern Haiti still affected by the 2021 earthquake. are evacuated to.
Gang leader Jimmy “Barbeque” Chéridier and members of the G-9 coalition gang in the Delmas 3 neighborhood in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on February 22, 2024. (Giles Clarke/Getty Images)
“According to the International Organization for Migration, more than 53,000 men, women and children left Port-au-Prince between March 8 and 27,” said Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for the Secretary-General. Said at a press conference on Tuesday. “The majority of them are heading towards the Grand Sud department.”
“Our humanitarian colleagues have emphasized that these sectors do not have sufficient infrastructure and host areas do not have sufficient resources to cope with the large number of people fleeing Port-au-Prince. ” he continued.
Armed groups control large areas, including Port-au-Prince’s main port and many of the city’s access roads.Vandalism or overt acts by gangs destroyed Some hospitals and pharmacies in the country.
I also took the gang with me. Control It has turned the Haiti National University Hospital (HUEH) in Port-au-Prince into a “fortress” for its ongoing war with the Haitian National Police, one of the last functioning institutions left in the country.
The gangs used the occupied hospital facilities to hatch a new plan. attack Monday at the National Palace. At least one police officer was reportedly shot dead while fleeing from an armored vehicle along with other officers after gang members set it on fire. The National Palace and Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince remain under police protection since the wave of violence began in February.
Protesters react to burning tires on the street during a demonstration against the resignation of Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, March 12, 2024. (Clarence Sifroy/AFP)
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk claimed In remarks at the UN Human Rights Council on Tuesday, he said the situation in Haiti was leading to human rights violations on an “unprecedented” scale, with a documented “shocking increase in murders and kidnappings”. Highlighted widespread sexual violence.
“First and foremost, the immediate priority must be to restore some degree of security to prevent further harm to the population due to violence and ensure access to life-saving humanitarian assistance,” Turk said. Stated.
Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry remains stranded in Puerto Rico, unable to return home.Henry announced his next plan. Resign However, he said he would only step down after local politicians completed setting up a nine-member transitional council tasked with choosing a new prime minister.
Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry (VALERIE BAERISWYL/AFP via Getty Images)
The council is said to be “nearly complete” and currently consists of eight of the required nine members. On March 27, the still incomplete council released its first report. statementamong them He pledged to alleviate the suffering of the Haitian people and restore security, stressing that once he is given power, he will “return Haiti to a path of democratic legitimacy, stability and dignity.”
Haiti has not held an election since 2016 and has not elected a president. assassination A photo of President Jovenel Moïse, who was shot dead in the presidential palace in 2021.
The United Nations is report On Thursday, it described the situation in Haiti as “catastrophic” and recorded a wave of gang violence that had left at least 1,554 people dead and 826 injured as of March 22, 2024. In 2023, 4,451 people were reported killed and 1,668 injured.
Christian K. Caruso is a Venezuelan writer who chronicles life under socialism. You can follow him on Twitter here.
