Everything You Need To Know About The Ongoing Violence In Haiti (image@Pixabay)Haiti is burning in hunger and rage. Criminal gangs which are more powerful than the Caribbean nation’s state security forces, have attacked prisons and the only international airport of the country. Over 1,190 people had been killed since the beginning of the 2024. Prime Minister Ariel Henry announced his resignation amidst the flaring civil unrest.
The latest unfurling of chaos and bloodshed happened when Ariel Henry flew to Kenya seeking for UN backed deployment of police force to tackle the gangs in February 29, 2924. However, the island nation of Caribbean had been under the grip of severe hunger and violent unrests.
Prominent gang leader, Jimmy ‘Barbecue’ Cherizier, who once was an elite police officer declared that his gang, G9, is joining hands with other gangs aiming to force Henry to step down. The acting Prime Minister and Finance Minister of the country, Patrick Boivert, declared a state of emergency on March 3, and imposed evening curfew to take “appropriate measures in order to regain control of the situation”.
Cherizier, on March warned that Henry, who still in his position though not in country, should resign and “if the international community continues to support him, we’ll be heading straight for a civil war that will lead to genocide”.
Henry is unable to get back to the country since its one and only international airport has been shut down by the gangs. He is now in Puerto Rico, a US territory.
The root of the long standing instability in Haiti will trace back to the government corruption. Added to the already deteriorating economic stability was the violent and massive earthquakes happened in 2010 and 2021. The 2010 disaster killed roughly a quarter of a million population and smashed the already weak infrastructure of the country.
The attacks begin in 2019, demanding the stepping down of then Prime Minister Jovenel Moise. His assassination in 2021 sparked violent attacks across the country. In February, Henry pledged to conduct the long awaited general election, but only in mid 2025.
Amidst the clashes between criminal gangs and government, prices staggered, and hunger sky rocketed. According to United Nations World Food Programme USA, 4.35 million people are facing extreme hunger and 1.4 million Haitians are on the brink of starvation.
Reportedly, there are about 200 gangs in Haiti, among which 23 are main groups. Until recently, 60 percentage of the capital was under their clasp, which has grown about 80 percentage, as per UN officials.