Over 20,000 Flee as Rising Gang Violence Spurs Mass Displacement in Haiti--November 17, 2024
My Comments—November 2024—
Last week was “especially bad” in Port-au-Prince. This says quite a bit because normal weeks in Haiti have been “very bad” for the last few years.
Haiti became more isolated recently after three airlines flying into Haiti stopped flights after being struck by bullets. Gangs took advantage of this mayhem and 20,000 more people fled their homes in Port last week to join the 700,000 people already displaced due to violence in the Haitian capital.
I want to tell you about a conversation last night I had with Pierre (name changed)—a Haitian I have known for over 25 years. I called him in Port au Prince last night to see how he was doing. I do not want him to be identified, so I have intentionally been vague about many details of our conversation, such as where he lives, what kind of work he does, details regarding his family members, and which gang controls his neighborhood.
Pierre, of course, has no electricity from the state (EDH) but uses an inverter to generate his electricity. He no longer has wifi and uses his smart phone to stay in contact with the rest of the world.
Pierre is responsible for many people living in his house. He told me that his neighborhood has been walled off—containers block the streets and gang members lurk nearby. He can’t go anywhere by car or motorcycle for fear of death. Pierre walked to church this morning, but it was mainly empty because so many had fled his neighborhood to the countryside.
Getting food to feed the people inside his house is a big problem for Pierre. He purchased a couple of big bags of rice last week in his neighborhood, but they are running very low now. So Pierre is isolated and that is what the gang wants. They want people in the neighborhoods to be starving so young boys will join the gangs, be fed and doped up, and then kill.
Regarding the Kenyan forces in Haiti, for which the US has paid 600 million dollars, Pierre states that they are doing almost nothing. He also said that the Kenyans are in his country, so it appears like the world is doing something to help Haiti.
When I asked Pierre what the endgame is for the gangs, he stated he had no idea and, therefore, he had no solution. He states they are killing poor people—the people that state they are trying to help. Pierre describes the situation in Port au Prince as total “anarchy”.
Towards the end of the conversation, I asked Pierre what I could do to help him out. He said he had no idea. I told him I would call him back in a couple of days.
jc
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IOM
17 November 2024
Geneva / Port-au-Prince, 15 November – More than 20,000 people have been displaced across Haiti’s capital Port-au-Prince in just four days, including over 17,000 hosted in 15 displacement sites even as gang violence escalates. The crisis has disrupted critical supply chains and isolated the city.
Many of these individuals have faced multiple displacements, repeatedly forced to flee violence leaving behind what little they managed to rebuild. Such a scale of displacement has not been observed since August 2023.
The closure of air traffic following the targeted shootings at three commercial aircraft over Port-au-Prince, restricted access to the country’s main seaport, and unsafe roads controlled by armed groups have left the metropolitan area in a state of near-total paralysis, compounding the suffering of already vulnerable populations.
Criminal groups in the capital continue their expansion, taking control of additional neighborhoods and further isolating communities. Previously rival factions, which once clashed over territorial disputes, have joined forces and formed alliances to combat the National Police efforts, which, grappling with a lack of resources, remain overstretched and face significant challenges in containing the escalating violence.
Gang-related violence has caused nearly 4,000 deaths in 2024, according to the UN Human Rights Office; gender-based violence, including sexual violence used as a weapon of terror, has reached alarming levels. Women and children are disproportionately affected, with 94 per cent of displaced women and girls at heightened risk of violence.
“The isolation of Port-au-Prince is amplifying an already dire humanitarian situation,” said Grégoire Goodstein IOM’s Chief in Haiti. “Our ability to deliver aid is stretched to its limits. Without immediate international support, the suffering will worsen exponentially. With only 20 percent of Port-au-Prince accessible, humanitarian workers face immense challenges in reaching affected populations.”
Despite these challenges, IOM and its partners remain steadfast in their commitment to delivering life-saving assistance. The Organization is actively assisting internally displaced persons through the provision of rental subsidies and deployment of mobile clinics to offer basic medical care, medications, and providing protection services such as psychosocial support, family reunification efforts, and assistance for survivors of gender-based violence. IOM continues coordinating site management, and water trucking for IDPs. Operations in the rest of the country remain, including support for deported migrants at border crossings, rehabilitation of migrant protection centers, and various community stabilization projects.
IOM emphasizes the critical importance of upholding humanitarian principles amid the escalating crisis. Ensuring the safety and security of humanitarian personnel and civilians is paramount. The Organization calls on all to respect the neutrality and impartiality of aid operations, allowing unimpeded access to those in need and safeguarding the integrity of humanitarian assistance.
IOM further calls to urgently increase funding and support for humanitarian operations in Haiti. As of November, the UN’s $674 million response plan remains only 42 per cent funded, leaving millions of Haitians without the assistance they desperately need.
For more information, please contact:
In Haiti: Antoine Lemonnier, alemonnier@iom.int
In Panama: Jorge Gallo, jgallo@iom.int
In Geneva: Daniela Rovina, drovina@iom.int
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John A. Carroll, MD
www.haitianhearts.org