In the capital city of Haiti, Port-au-Prince, hundreds of people are crowded into small white tents at a sports center. They are drying clothes on access ramps and washing their children in plastic tubs. According to U.N. estimates, about 8,730 people have been displaced in the neighborhood of Carrefour-Feuilles, with more than half of them being affected by a recent outbreak of violence. The attacks by armed gangs in the area since August 12 have led to an exodus of residents and an alarming humanitarian crisis, displacing around 200,000 people throughout the country.
Last October, Haiti’s unelected prime minister, Ariel Henry, requested urgent international security assistance. However, many countries were hesitant to support Henry due to concerns about repeating past intervention abuses. Nevertheless, Kenyan delegates met with Henry and top police officials this week to discuss leading a security force, and it is anticipated that the motion will be brought to a vote in the U.N. Security Council.
An affected resident named Orisca Marie Youseline, who grew up in Carrefour-Feuilles and is currently sheltering at the Gymnasium Vincent sports center, expressed her reluctance to return to the area even if order is restored. She emphasized the exhaustion and victimization experienced by the residents, stating, “We are running too much, we are tired of always being victims.”
Outside the French Embassy, protesters set a tire on fire, and individuals armed with machetes patrolled the area. Many Haitians have joined civilian self-defense groups called “Bwa Kale,” which have inspired hope but have also led to retaliation against civilians, raising concerns that these groups are fueling the violence.
Following the recent escalation of violence, thousands of people who had sought refuge at the Lycee Carrefour-Feuilles have moved to other locations, including schools and the square outside a cinema. Gedeon Jean, director at local rights group CARDH, expressed concerns about these sites not being equipped to handle the needs of displaced people, particularly the elderly, disabled, pregnant, and those with young children. He also highlighted the lack of aid provided for a week.
Many families living in outdoor tents have endured heavy rains from Tropical Storm Franklin, which has now become a hurricane. Efforts to assist the displaced residents have been carried out by civil protection, social services, and the French NGO Medecins du Monde. However, Jean emphasized that the police are severely under-equipped, and the demands for assistance are enormous.
Youseline expressed skepticism about the impact of any foreign force that may come to assist, stating, “Even if this foreign force comes, when it leaves we will be in the same situation. They will come for a few months, help us, push the gangs back, and when they leave we will be back here. I don’t want to live like this anymore.”
(Reporting by Jean Loobentz Cesar in Port-au-Prince and Sarah Morland in Mexico City; Editing by Andrea Ricci)
Credit: The Star : News Feed
