A fresh surge of gang-related violence in Haiti has compelled numerous individuals to abandon their residences, resulting in them being scattered along a route towards Haiti’s primary airport. Monique Verdieux, aged 56, sought refuge on the highway after witnessing armed individuals setting ablaze houses in her community. Her family members dispersed in various directions, and she expressed uncertainty about their whereabouts. Verdieux mentioned that she now sleeps on the street, deeming it unsafe to return to her home.
The clashes between rival gangs erupted over the weekend in several northern districts of Port-au-Prince, the nation’s capital, displacing residents onto a road leading to the Toussaint Louverture International Airport. Gangs have seized control of 70% of Port-au-Prince, a figure that had previously been even higher following the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021 at his residence. Police authorities stated that these gangs have extended their criminal activities, including looting, abductions, sexual assaults, and rape, into rural areas. Since the assassination, Haiti has been without a president.
Over the past fortnight, prominent Haitian rum producer Barbancourt and two major bottling companies in the country have raised concerns about the deteriorating security situation near Port-au-Prince’s international airport, leading to severe operational restrictions. These companies, significant contributors to Haiti’s economy, criticized the government’s inadequate response to the crisis and highlighted the poor condition of access roads to the airport, hampering security patrols by Haitian forces.
Simultaneously, hospitals in the Cité Soleil neighborhood of Port-au-Prince evacuated their patients, with Doctors Without Borders suspending its operations in the area. The aid organization reported that numerous residents sought shelter at its hospital in the impoverished neighborhood, where a security guard was injured by a stray bullet. Another medical facility, Hopital Fontaine, evacuated newborns from its intensive care unit. Doctors Without Borders indicated that despite the escalating medical needs in the area, no hospital remained operational due to the ongoing violence, preventing them from ensuring the safety of their staff and patients.
In a bid to address the escalating violence, the first foreign troops associated with a UN mission arrived in Haiti in April. The UN Security Council subsequently approved a plan in late September to deploy a 5,550-member force to the nation, with troops from Chad currently on the ground. A recent report by the International Organization for Migration revealed that gang violence has displaced over 1.4 million Haitians, with approximately 200,000 now residing in overcrowded and under-resourced sites in the capital city.
