haitis-capital-turns-into-battleground-as-international-help-falls-short

Haiti's capital turns into battleground as international help falls short

 • 1792 views

Port-au-Prince faces its worst-ever crisis as gangs take control of 85% of the city. International police force struggles to make impact while basic services shut down and thousands flee their homes

The arrival of Kenyan law-enforcement in Haiti during early-24 brought high expectations but didnt deliver hoped-for results. The capitalʼs situation got worse when gang-related incidents forced the main air-hub to close twice‚ including a mid-Nov attack that hurt an air-worker

The political landscape shows no signs of stability: after the sudden departure of one prime-minister another took charge – but the nations troubles keep growing. Alix Didier Fils-Aimé faces a tough task: gangs control most of Port-au-Prince while basic services dont work

Medical help became harder to get when Doctors Without Borders stopped its work (first time in 30+ years) due to threats against its workers; the police didnt comment on these claims. The Kenyan-led force – with less than 400 officers instead of planned 2‚500 – struggles to make real change

The food situation looks grim; aid groups cant reach people who need help:

  • Nearly 6000 people face extreme hunger
  • About 700‚000 lost their homes
  • More than half of 11 million people dont have enough food
  • Around 20‚000 left their homes in early-Nov

We are deeply concerned about the isolation of Port-au-Prince from the rest of Haiti and the world

Laurent Uwumuremyi‚ Mercy Corps country director

Gang leader Jimmy Chérizier (known as Barbecue) promised more attacks until the transitional council steps down. The council – supposed to organize first elections in almost 10 years – faces criticism for in-fighting and bad decisions

International support remains limited: while the U.S backs a U.N peace-keeping mission Russia and China oppose it. Robert Fatton‚ Haiti expert says the only option might be talks with gangs: “if the situation gets worse what else is there to do“

Popular

News by theme