Humanitarian Situation in Haiti Deteriorates as Gender-Based Violence Soars

A displaced family flees Solino, a neighborhood in the heart of Haiti’s capital, following increased insecurity due to gang violence. Credit: UNICEF/Ralph Tedy Erol

By Oritro Karim
UNITED NATIONS, Nov 28 2024 (IPS)

As gangs continuously seize more territory in the Haitian capital, Port-Au-Prince, the humanitarian crisis deepens. Gang violence in Haiti has considerably escalated following the deployment of the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission and the appointment of the new Prime Minister, Alix Didier Fils-Aimé. Attacks on civilians continue to increase in brutality as the severely underfunded MSS mission and lackluster police efforts do little to combat gang activity. Girls and women have been disproportionately affected by rampant gender-based violence.

Over the past several days, violent clashes between armed gangs, civilians, and police in Port-Au-Prince have intensified greatly. On November 25, the United Nations (UN) ordered its staff to evacuate following increased security concerns.

“We are temporarily reducing our footprint in the capital. The critical humanitarian programmes in Port-au-Prince as well as support for the Haitian people and authorities continue,” said Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, in a press release. This comes a few days after the medical humanitarian organization, Doctors Without Borders, announced that they would suspend operations in Haiti following continued threats of rape and violence from the local police.

Due to suspended relief efforts from humanitarian aid organizations and the relative ineffectiveness of the MSS mission, many Haitians have expressed concern over the dwindling of protections.

“Every Haitian thinks that we are being abandoned by the whole world. If I was in a foreign country and I believed at any moment my life could be at risk, I would leave too,” says Dr. Wesner Junior Jacotin, a physician in Haiti.

American missionary David Lloyd, who lost his children due to an attack by Haitian gangs earlier this year, expressed uncertainty for the future of Haiti to reporters. “Seems like everyone that can is relocating to somewhere outside of Port-au-Prince. My question is, after Port-au-Prince is burned, where is next? Will the gangs go to Cap Haitien then? Someone needs to make a stand and say enough is enough,” said Lloyd.

The UN estimates that the death toll from gang violence in Haiti has surpassed 4,500 civilians. On November 20, UN High Commissioner of Human Rights Volker Türk warned that the growing insecurity in the capital is a “harbinger of worse to come,” stressing that if proper action is not taken, conditions will further deteriorate. The UN confirmed in a press release that at least 150 people have been killed, 92 injured, and 20,000 displaced over the past week. Additionally, it is predicted that Port-Au-Prince’s population of 4 million people are being held hostage by gangs as all of the main pathways to the capital have been besieged.

The UN has warned that there have been increasing reported cases of gender-based violence in Haiti. According to figures from the Human Rights Watch (HRW), there have been over 54,000 cases of gender-based violence from January to October of this year. The true number of cases is unknown but is believed to be much higher.

“The rule of law in Haiti is so broken that members of criminal groups rape girls or women without fearing any consequences. The international community should urgently increase funding for comprehensive programs to support survivors of sexual violence,” said Nathalye Cotrino, a crisis and conflict researcher at Human Rights Watch.

According to HRW, there has been a 1000 percent increase in cases of sexual violence involving children in the past year. Many of the survivors are left with complications, including injuries, mental trauma, pregnancy, and sexually transmitted diseases. Yet, due to an overall lack of medical and psychosocial support for victims alongside a pervasive stigma and fear of retaliation, many victims do not come forward.

Haiti’s ban on abortions has only exacerbated this issue. “Haitian women and girls facing poverty resort to unsafe abortions, risking their lives. Unsafe abortions are the third leading cause of maternal mortality,” said Pascale Solages, director of the women’s organization Nègès Mawon.

On November 24, the MSS mission announced via a statement posted to X (formerly known as Twitter) that they are cooperating with the Haitian National Police (HNP) to target gang operations in Delmas. “These operations are specifically targeting gang leaders responsible for terrorizing innocent civilians. MSS is resolute in its mission and will not relent until these perpetrators are apprehended and brought to justice. Our commitment to dismantling gang networks and dislodging them from their strongholds remains firm,” the statement reads.

The Haitian government has called for a full-scale peacekeeping operation to be sent to Haiti, adding that the MSS mission lacks the necessary personnel and equipment to respond effectively to the gangs.

Miroslav Jenca, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Europe, Central Asia and the Americas, urged the Security Council to discuss peacekeeping options in Haiti on November 20. “Amid the severe and multifaceted crisis in Haiti, robust international security support is required now. This is not just another wave of insecurity; it is a dramatic escalation that shows no signs of abating,” Jenca said.

IPS UN Bureau Report