NEW DELHI: After armed attackers targeted the presidential palace and police headquarters, residents of Haiti’s capital scrambled for safety on Saturday amid the latest spasm of gang violence. A UN group warned of a “city under siege” as the situation escalated.
Criminal factions, already exerting significant control over Port-au-Prince and its connecting routes to the rest of the nation, have wreaked havoc in recent days in their attempts to remove Prime Minister Ariel Henry from leadership in the Western hemisphere’s most impoverished country.
On Saturday, dozens of residents sought refuge in public buildings, with some managing to gain entry into one facility, according to an AFP correspondent.
According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the ongoing unrest has resulted in 362,000 Haitians being internally displaced, with over half of them being children. Some individuals have been compelled to relocate multiple times due to the situation.
“Haitians are unable to lead a decent life. They are living in fear, and every day, every hour this situation carries on, the trauma gets worse,” Philippe Branchat, IOM’s chief in Haiti, said in a statement.
“People living in the capital are locked in, they have nowhere to go,” he said. Additionally he said “The capital is surrounded by armed groups and danger. It is a city under siege.”
Police on Friday night repelled gang attacks, including on the presidential palace, and several “bandits” were killed, Lionel Lazarre of the Haitian police union said. No police were among the victims.
Gunshots rang out late Friday throughout Port-au-Prince and witnesses recounted clashes “between police officers and bandits” as gangs apparently tried to commandeer police stations in the city center.
Lazarre appealed on Saturday for “means and equipment” to safeguard police buildings and other critical facilities. The well-armed gangs have targeted key infrastructure in recent days, including two prisons, resulting in the escape of the majority of their 3,800 inmates.
These gangs, alongside some ordinary Haitians, are calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Henry. Despite being scheduled to leave office in February, Henry instead agreed to a power-sharing arrangement with the opposition until new elections are organized.
The United States has urged Henry to implement immediate political reforms to mitigate further escalation. However, he was in Kenya when the violence erupted and is currently reportedly stranded in the US territory of Puerto Rico.
The UN Security Council approved a multinational policing mission led by Kenya in October. However, the deployment has been hindered by legal challenges in Kenyan courts.
Port-au-Prince and western Haiti have been under a month-long state of emergency, with a nighttime curfew in effect until Monday. Nevertheless, it’s doubtful that the overstretched police force can effectively enforce it.
In Port-au-Prince, Filienne Setoute told AFP how she had worked for the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor for more than 20 years.
That job, she said, meant she “was able to build my own house. But now here I am, homeless. I’m fleeing without knowing where to go, it’s an abuse.”
“We haven’t been able to sleep since last night,” she added. “We’re running away.”
Haiti’s airport remained closed, and the main port, crucial for food imports, experienced looting despite efforts to establish a security perimeter after suspending services on Thursday. The NGO Mercy Corps issued a warning, stating that Haiti could face food shortages if access to containers filled with food is not restored soon.
CARICOM, a coalition of Caribbean nations, has convened envoys from the United States, France, Canada, and the United Nations for a meeting in Jamaica on Monday to address the violence. Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali highlighted that the meeting would address “critical issues for security stabilization and urgent humanitarian assistance.”
The violence poses a significant threat to vulnerable populations, including pregnant women and survivors of sexual violence, as the healthcare system collapses.
Branchat, from the IOM, criticized gang attacks on hospitals and the severe lack of mental health services. He said “Some hospitals have been run over by gangs and had to evacuate staff and patients, including newborns.”
“Medical professionals across the capital are sounding the alarm as their capacity to deliver even the most basic medical services is severely diminished,” he added.
(With inputs from agencies)
Criminal factions, already exerting significant control over Port-au-Prince and its connecting routes to the rest of the nation, have wreaked havoc in recent days in their attempts to remove Prime Minister Ariel Henry from leadership in the Western hemisphere’s most impoverished country.
On Saturday, dozens of residents sought refuge in public buildings, with some managing to gain entry into one facility, according to an AFP correspondent.
According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the ongoing unrest has resulted in 362,000 Haitians being internally displaced, with over half of them being children. Some individuals have been compelled to relocate multiple times due to the situation.
“Haitians are unable to lead a decent life. They are living in fear, and every day, every hour this situation carries on, the trauma gets worse,” Philippe Branchat, IOM’s chief in Haiti, said in a statement.
“People living in the capital are locked in, they have nowhere to go,” he said. Additionally he said “The capital is surrounded by armed groups and danger. It is a city under siege.”
Police on Friday night repelled gang attacks, including on the presidential palace, and several “bandits” were killed, Lionel Lazarre of the Haitian police union said. No police were among the victims.
Gunshots rang out late Friday throughout Port-au-Prince and witnesses recounted clashes “between police officers and bandits” as gangs apparently tried to commandeer police stations in the city center.
Lazarre appealed on Saturday for “means and equipment” to safeguard police buildings and other critical facilities. The well-armed gangs have targeted key infrastructure in recent days, including two prisons, resulting in the escape of the majority of their 3,800 inmates.
These gangs, alongside some ordinary Haitians, are calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Henry. Despite being scheduled to leave office in February, Henry instead agreed to a power-sharing arrangement with the opposition until new elections are organized.
The United States has urged Henry to implement immediate political reforms to mitigate further escalation. However, he was in Kenya when the violence erupted and is currently reportedly stranded in the US territory of Puerto Rico.
The UN Security Council approved a multinational policing mission led by Kenya in October. However, the deployment has been hindered by legal challenges in Kenyan courts.
Port-au-Prince and western Haiti have been under a month-long state of emergency, with a nighttime curfew in effect until Monday. Nevertheless, it’s doubtful that the overstretched police force can effectively enforce it.
In Port-au-Prince, Filienne Setoute told AFP how she had worked for the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor for more than 20 years.
That job, she said, meant she “was able to build my own house. But now here I am, homeless. I’m fleeing without knowing where to go, it’s an abuse.”
“We haven’t been able to sleep since last night,” she added. “We’re running away.”
Haiti’s airport remained closed, and the main port, crucial for food imports, experienced looting despite efforts to establish a security perimeter after suspending services on Thursday. The NGO Mercy Corps issued a warning, stating that Haiti could face food shortages if access to containers filled with food is not restored soon.
CARICOM, a coalition of Caribbean nations, has convened envoys from the United States, France, Canada, and the United Nations for a meeting in Jamaica on Monday to address the violence. Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali highlighted that the meeting would address “critical issues for security stabilization and urgent humanitarian assistance.”
The violence poses a significant threat to vulnerable populations, including pregnant women and survivors of sexual violence, as the healthcare system collapses.
Branchat, from the IOM, criticized gang attacks on hospitals and the severe lack of mental health services. He said “Some hospitals have been run over by gangs and had to evacuate staff and patients, including newborns.”
“Medical professionals across the capital are sounding the alarm as their capacity to deliver even the most basic medical services is severely diminished,” he added.
(With inputs from agencies)
