More than 50,000 people have fled gang violence in Haiti’s capital

More than 50,000 people have fled the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince over the past three weeks seeking refuge from escalating gang violence, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Tuesday.

Between 8 and 27 March, IOM observed the departure of 53,125 people from the capital, mostly to join the Greater South provinces, which are already hosting 116,000 displaced people who have fled in recent months.

IOM is concerned about the situation and warns that destination provinces for displaced people “do not have sufficient infrastructure and host communities do not have sufficient resources to cope with these massive flows of displacement from the capital.”

The majority (68%) of the more than 50,000 people who fled the capital were already internally displaced, often first taking refuge with family members in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area, recognizing that they had fled the capital due to gang violence.

For decades, Haiti has been ravaged by poverty, natural disasters, political instability and gang violence.

Since late February, Haiti’s fearsome gangs have banded together to attack police stations, prisons, an airport and a seaport in an attempt to overthrow Prime Minister Ariel Henry.

On March 11, the controversial prime minister announced that he would resign from his post to make way for the so-called Transitional Council.

However, three weeks later, the council has not been formed due to disagreements between political parties and other stakeholders who should appoint the next prime minister.

Meanwhile, gang violence has increased and the population faces a serious humanitarian crisis due to shortages of food, medicine and other basic necessities.