August 23, 2021–Even before the 7.2 magnitude earthquake shook Haiti and dislocated tens of thousands of people from their homes, thousands of others fled the safety of their homes imperiled by violent clashes between gangs.
In fact, the small country experienced an “unprecedented rise” in gang violence this Summer. In June alone gang violence uprooted 5,000 people from their homes. “Widespread incidents of gang violence and the burning of hundreds of houses in the metropolitan area has led to numerous victims, deaths, and injuries,” the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported in June.
Gangs Disrupting Aid Distribution
Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Its population is heavily reliant on humanitarian aid, with about 40 percent of its 11.4 million people dependent on assistance.
Rival armed gangs pose a threat and an obstacle to humanitarians working to deliver that aid.
Undemocratic And Increasing Unrest
Haiti experienced “heightened insecurity and political unrest” since President Jovanel Moïse began ruling by decree in January 2020, according to the Congressional Research Service. The CRS noted a backsliding in democracy in several countries across the region in the past several years.
In July, that violence culminated in the assassination of Moïse and further disruptions.
Quake Rocks Things More
Now, since the August 14 earthquake, many thousands more find themselves homeless. According to the UN OCHA, that leaves them vulnerable to more violence. “Despite negotiations for a humanitarian corridor, access constraints and insecurity remain a key challenge,” the agency reported today.
As earthquake relief arrives, the country’s gangs are flexing their muscles. Last week, Al Jazeera news reported that the hospital in the capital of Port-au-Prince shut down for two days in protest of the kidnappings of two of the hospital’s doctors. Yesterday, the organization reported that gangs “hijacked aid trucks and even ambulances.”
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