Units of the Haitian National Police and the armed gangs of the powerful criminal Jimmy Cherizier, alias ‘Barbecue’, were engaged in violent clashes on Friday night at their base at Delmas 6, in the heart of the capital Port-au-Prince, international media reported.
According to some versions, there were several deaths and injuries in the ranks of the armed groups as a result of these clashes, said the Efe news agency, which reported an atmosphere of panic in the Bas Delmas area, where bursts of automatic weapons could be heard.
For its part, the French Press Agency (Afp) said that on several streets in the capital, residents set up barricades with burning tires to protect themselves from gang attacks, and also as a sign of protest.
The day before, shots were fired at the city’s airport, in whose vicinity a police officer was injured, the report added.
UN Office: situation is “explosive and tense”
Authorities extended the nighttime curfew until Sunday in the West department, which includes Port-au-Prince, in an attempt to “regain control of the situation.”
Meanwhile, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) assured this Friday that the situation continues to be “explosive and tense” in the city.
Until this situation broke out, this Friday’s day had passed in relative calm, after the gangs resumed their attacks in various parts of the city on Thursday.
While waiting for the political transition to progress, Haiti suffers from permanent insecurity. And the international mission supervised by the UN, with Kenyan police, has suspended its intervention until the formation of the new authorities who will make up a transitional presidential council.
The population, meanwhile, pays the consequences of the violence unleashed. According to the World Food Program (WFP), 44% of the Haitian population suffers from acute food insecurity.
Washington offered more help
The United States promised $25 million in humanitarian aid this Friday, which will be added to the $33 million announced a few days ago by Blinken. These funds will be used, among other things, to support the UN and NGOs in the delivery of food, health care and drinking water.
The United Nations is also working on establishing an air bridge from the neighboring Dominican Republic to facilitate the arrival of humanitarian aid.
Since the end of February, there has been an escalation of violence in the metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince, where attacks by armed groups against public and private institutions and companies have occurred.
During these days, the two main prisons in the capital were also attacked, allowing some 3,000 prisoners to escape, including members and leaders of armed gangs.
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