Content warning: mentions of sexual assault
Over half of the 11.7 million people living in poverty in Haiti are awaiting aid, according to a UN report.
This update comes as the acting president succumbed to demands to resign, and violent gangs increased their control of the island.
It is reported that there were 5000 homicides in 2023, and many have been victims of rape, torture, and crime at the hands of gangsters.
Now, gang leaders are controlling farms and roads, worsening the threat of famine for locals.
Despite this, international intervention remains minimal. The UN has scaled back on food aid due to a lack of funding and there is still no evidence of the 1000 troops that Kenya pledged.
The island nation of Haiti, already the poorest in the Western Hemisphere, has struggled to recover fully since the devastating 2010 earthquake. The political situation has seen a steady decline in recent years, which was worsened by the assassination of the President Jovenel Moïse in 2021.
Currently, 1.4 million Haitians are on the verge of famine and over 59 per cent of the population live in relative poverty.
The situation is made worse by gangs, which reportedly control over 80 per cent of the capital, Port-au-Prince.
Former police officer Jimmy Cherizier, nicknamed ‘Barbecue,’ leads the G9 gang and is considered one of the most powerful figures in Haiti. His organisation was responsible for mass jailbreaks and the attempted capture of an airport in Port-au-Prince in March 2024.
Reports from within the country show how the residents of Port-au-Prince are too scared to work or send their children to school.
In the past, the international community was happy to send aid to Haiti with over $3.5 billion being given by 2013. However, the majority was lost to corruption and mismanagement.
Since then, support has dwindled significantly. The Republicans blocked a $40 million aid package last week amid concerns it would fall into the hands of gangs who control the country in President Henry’s absence.
But some support is coming. After a year of delays, it is Kenya who has received UN backing to deploy troops and to try to restore order to the nation.
When asked about whether this will be successful, Haiti expert Robert Fatton replied, “Can you have negotiations with the gangs? If you can’t have the negotiations with the gangs, will the Kenyans arrive on time and will they have the capacity to deal with them?”
“Port au Prince market” by kentclark333 is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.