Haiti’s capital Port-au-Prince as seen from a helicopter on March 15th/Evelio Contreras/CNN via CNN Newsource
2024.03.16 Sat posted at 18:30 JST
Port-au-Prince, Haiti (CNN) A CNN reporting team arrived by helicopter on the 15th in Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti, an island nation in the Caribbean ruled by gangs. The arrival was made possible after several days of security arrangements and multiple diplomatic approvals.
Compared to when I visited last month, the situation in Haiti has deteriorated rapidly. Embattled Prime Minister Henri has announced his resignation, but it is unclear who will take his place and when. A transitional government has yet to be established, and plans to send an international force led by Kenya remain up in the air.
Residents of Port-au-Prince are now less likely to go out. There are daily battles between gangs and police in the city, and smoke is billowing into the sky. Gunshots ring out on the quiet street. The main streets, which are usually filled with vehicles and vendors, are deserted.
There is hardly any place to escape. The roads leading out of the city are blocked by gangs. The same goes for access to ports. International airports have ceased operations. Logistics into the city has been disrupted, food is out of stock at grocery stores, and gas stations are running out of fuel. Hospitals are running out of blood for transfusions.
On the night of the 15th, gunshots were heard in the hilly area of the city. Police are active down the road from there. The scene is located on the turf of a notorious gang leader. Its leader, Jimmy Schlizier, a former police officer, is also known as “Barbecue.”
Currently, the only means of escaping Port-au-Prince is by privately operated helicopters. Several pilots told CNN that hundreds of residents have requested to be evacuated by air. They are a handful of wealthy foreigners and diplomats with the financial resources and connections to access private helicopters. Currently, a seat on an aircraft can cost more than $10,000 (approximately 1.5 million yen) for one person.
Economic inequality has worsened over the past few decades, with most Haitians forced to live on less than $4 a day.
Port-au-Prince city scene
Port-au-Prince residents say the sounds of helicopters are usually heard at night and early in the morning. It is said that the sound differs depending on the aircraft. Small civilian helicopters are arriving from the neighboring Dominican Republic, while larger military helicopters are also flying. The latter is believed to be used by diplomatic missions from countries such as the United States.
But no amount of money or planning can alleviate the dangers of flying in a war zone. Helicopter pilots are becoming more cautious in undertaking air evacuations.
Two pilots who spoke to CNN recalled being fired upon during their evacuation flight. One of them said that once he heard the metallic sound of bullets flying, he would never want to fly again.
Another said the entire city was ruled by gangs, noting that it was impossible to predict where shots would be fired.
According to United Nations estimates, gangs now control 80% of Port-au-Prince.
Haiti’s national police are fighting back bravely, but their resources are limited. It is not possible to respond to a wide area at once, and police officers are often targeted. Several police stations have been attacked or burnt down in the past two weeks.
Port-au-Prince’s last hope may be the deployment of foreign troops to shore up its police force and tackle gangs. The mission requested by Prime Minister Henry was approved by the United Nations Security Council. It is led by Kenya. The Prime Minister signed an agreement in Kenya last week to send 1,000 Kenyan police officers to Haiti.
But as chaos continues on the ground, hopes of such reinforcements coming to Port-au-Prince are fading. Following Henry’s resignation, Kenya announced that it would postpone the deployment of his troops. The reason was that Haiti’s government was unstable.
CNN reporter arrives in Haiti’s chaotic capital by helicopter
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2024-03-16 09:30:00
