Haiti: the balance of three months of violence and clashes between armed gangs in the capital Port-au-Prince

ROMA – Haiti is in the grip of a bloody guerrilla war between gangs. The country’s institutions are on the verge of collapse and citizens struggle daily for survival. Yet, in the midst of this catastrophic humanitarian and security crisis, the United Nations continues to provide critical assistance to the population.

The numbers of violence. Although the situation in Haiti has long been characterized by lawlessness, with powerful gangs controlling much of the capital Port-au-Prince, the months of January and February 2024 were the most violent of the last two years, with more than 2,500 people killed, kidnapped and injured. Prime Minister Ariel Henry’s decision to resign in March 2024 further complicated the situation. On March 21, Ulrika Richardson, the United Nations humanitarian coordinator in the small Central American country, warned that the fighting is now spreading to new areas of the capital, including some suburbs that until last month were quite safe, after weeks of attacks orchestrated by gangs criminals against prisons, ports and hospitals. Human rights violations are widespread, Richardson explained; sexual violence, torture and “collective rape” against women are widely used tools of war. At the end of March the number of internally displaced people reached 362 thousand: a mass of people living in spontaneous camps that have sprung up on the streets and in schools, without clean water and without sanitation. Half of Port-au-Prince’s hospitals are not functioning at capacity.

Hunger. It has reached unprecedented levels, the United Nations denounces with a new analysis published on March 22. In particular, 4.97 million people face critical levels of food insecurity and 1.64 million are already in a state of emergency. To escape the violence and the lack of water, food and services, many Haitians try to escape to the provinces, especially the Grand Sud, which currently hosts more than 116 thousand displaced people.

Humanitarian aid. Since the beginning of the latest crisis, inaugurated with a series of gang attacks at the end of February in Port-au-Prince which led to a state of emergency and the resignation of Prime Minister Henry, United Nations operators have continued to provide aid to the civilian population despite the dangerous security conditions. The World Food Program (WFP) distributed around 160 thousand hot meals. The World Health Organization (OMS) delivered a series of essential health products and United Nations Humanitarian Service aircraft (NAILS) carried approximately 800 kilos of blood bags. The UN, together with non-governmental organizations working on the ground, is trying to address the lack of access to clean water. Between 16 and 18 March theUNICEF say ONG International Solidarities brought 20,500 liters of water to four sites hosting over 12 thousand displaced people, while between 17 and 20 March the International Organization for Migration (IOM) delivered 16 thousand liters to refugees living in two other camps.

Diplomatic solutions. Finding a way to end the Haitian crisis is a topic of discussion at many high-level meetings held by United Nations representatives. On March 21, the Security Council reiterated its support for a political process led by Haitians and underlined the need for the world to multiply its efforts to provide humanitarian assistance to the population and support the Haitian Police, which is so understaffed at this time. critic. The Security Council has highlighted one of the main problems of Haiti’s instability: the illicit flow of weapons and ammunition that fuels the spiral of violence.