MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 08th June, 2023) Over 165,000 people have been internally displaced in Haiti due to gang violence, murders and kidnappings, with the humanitarian situation worsened by natural disasters such as severe floods, torrential rains and earthquakes, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Thursday.
"More than 165,000 people are internally displaced in Haiti due to gang violence, hindering aid efforts by the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The country is facing additional pressure due to severe floods caused by torrential rains, affecting over 46,000 people and displacing over 13,000 others, and a 4.9 Richter earthquake on 6 June, further compounding the humanitarian situation," the statement read.
The organization added that gang attacks, kidnappings, gender-based violence and extrajudicial killings have been widespread in the Caribbean nation, forcing residents to flee their homes. More than 1,630 cases of murder, injury or kidnapping were recorded in Haiti from January to March 2023, a 30% increase from the previous quarter, the IOM said.
"It is estimated that nearly half of Haiti's population - around 5.2 million people - needs humanitarian assistance. IOM is calling for increased international support, urging donors and stakeholders to contribute to tackling the country's most immediate needs, as well as for long-term solutions. This is particularly pressing, as Haiti's Humanitarian Response Plan is currently funded only to 20 per cent," the statement added.
Haiti has long been mired in a socio-political crisis that escalated after the assassination of then-President Jovenel Moise on July 7, 2021. The inaction of the authorities over the past years has led to an unprecedented increase in the activities of criminal groups. The gangs engage in extortion and kidnapping for ransom while controlling entire regions of the country, including fuel terminals.
The Haitian government has asked the international community to send troops to the country to deter crime and violence. The United States and Canada have provided armored military aircraft, vehicles, and small boats to help Haitian authorities fight the armed gangs.
