Haiti grinds to a ‘standstill’ as gangs run amok
Sporadic gunfire rang out in PortauPrince on Friday night, as residents desperately sought shelter amid the recent explosion of gang violence in the Haitian capital.
Humanitarian conditions continued to deteriorate, and aid groups and NGOs have warned of a shortage of medical resources and food supplies after armed groups unleashed widespread chaos on the longtroubled Caribbean nation last week.
Gunshots were heard throughout the capital late on Friday, especially concentrated in the southwestern districts of Turgeau, Pacot, Lalue and CanapeVert.
Criminal groups, which already control much of PortauPrince as well as roads leading to the rest of the country, have attacked key infrastructure in recent days, including two prisons, allowing the majority of their 3,800 inmates to escape.
The gangs, along with some ordinary Haitians, are seeking the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who was due to leave office in February but instead agreed to a powersharing deal with the opposition until new elections are held.
On Thursday, the government issued a monthlong state of emergency for the western region, which includes the capital, and decreed a nighttime curfew until Monday.
Haiti’s airport remained closed on Friday, while the main port cited instances of looting since it suspended services on Thursday.
“If we cannot access those containers (full of food), Haiti will go hungry soon,” the NGO Mercy Corps warned in a statement.
Pregnant women at risk
The UN warned on Friday that thousands of people, especially pregnant women, are in danger of losing vital health care as the crisis drags on.
“If greater PortauPrince remains at a standstill in the coming weeks, almost 3,000 pregnant women could be denied access to essential health care,” the UN’s office in Haiti said in a statement.
The body also warned that more than 500 sexual violence survivors could be without medical care by the end of March.