Insecurity

In the past, Haitian politicians used and had influence over gangs.  Now the gangs hold the power, controlling 95% of Port-au-Prince as well as the Artibonite and Ouest departments. Gangs charge "fees" for using national roads, kidnap and have attacked government and civilian infrastructure, including the national airport, national palace, and a prison which freed 4,000 criminals, swelling their ranks.  Embassies and international NGOs are evacuating their staff leaving Haitians feeling abandoned when most in need.  A transition council is being formed and the Kenyan-led Multi-National Securtiy Support Mission (MSS) remains pending.  More information on the increasingly grim situation follows in a New Humanitarian piece by Daniela Mohor. 

The United Nations emphasizes that Haiti is in a dire situation and now is not the time to deport Haitians. The majority of deportations take place from the Dominican Republic with neither due process nor advance notice to the Haitian authorities responsible for receiving them. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reports 154,333 Haitians were expelled by the Dominican Republic last year - about 87% of all deportations to Haiti in 2022.  It is true that insecurity in Haiti affect the Dominican Republic as well - but conducting mass deportations only makes a bad situation worse - politically, economically, and for human rights. The full article by Jacqueline Charles of the Miami Herald follows. 

Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières) works in difficult and insecure environments around the world, including Port-au-Prince.  Over half the city is controlled by gangs and fighting amongst them has caused MSF to temporarily close its maternity hospital.  Many health care facilities throughout Haiti have been negatively impacted by insecurity - to the detriment of their patients who need their services more than ever.  The full Al Jazeera article follows. 

Insecurity in Port au Prince and beyond continues to negatively impact the economy, health care, and other basic services throughout the country.  MSF/Doctors Without Borders, which operates in insecure environments around the world, has temporarily shut down a second time.  Due to lack of fuel, clinics are suspending operations - this at a time, when cholera cases are increasing.  The UN is calling for a humanitarian corridor through which both fuel and aid workers can transit safely.  It wouldn't solve the fundamental problems but it would at least reduce the severity fo the current situation.  The full article article by Jacqueline Charles of the Miami Herald follows. 

With an Agronomist for a President and now an Economist for a Prime Minster, we hope that the Haitian government will address the food crisis head on.  The Government will need to articulate short term measures and a long term plan to the Haitian public, to donors, and the international community.  Preval has spent a great deal of time talking about national production - but this will not be possible without halting and reversing envrinmental degradation.  Fortunately, Haiti continues to draw support from major donors. This will allow the government some time to establish new policies and programs.