HAITI: the increasing violence of an ongoing crisis

Lidia Lotito

19 apr 2024Tempo di lettura: 3 min

During the last months Haiti has been suffering the violent clashes led by the gangs that joined their forces organizing concerted attacks in order to overthrow the government of the State. The country’s scenario is indeed characterized by the presence of armed groups that took control of the 80% of its capital, Port-au-Prince. The main issue related to this phenomenon is that the Haitian National Police is not equipped enough to fight them since the police officers are outnumbered than the gangs. (UNRIC, 2024)

Despite this recent outburst of violence, the Haitian crisis can actually be traced back to 2018 when the country was subjected to protests for the increased fuel prices blaming the then-president Jovenel Moïse. Indeed, when Venezuela stopped the oil exports to Haiti and the Haitian government removed fuel subsidies, the prices went up over 50%. (Concern, 2024)

From 2019 to 2021 protesters called for Moïse’s resignation but, in addition to the political turmoil, the humanitarian condition was worsened by the outbreak of Covid-19 and the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that was the worst disaster to strike Haiti since the 2010 earthquake.

In 2021 the situation was exacerbated by an attempted coup d’état of February and by the assassination of Moïse on 7th July that led to the nomination of Ariel Henry as prime minister.

From 2022 onwards Haiti was exposed to gang war that led to deaths, kidnappings and

sexual violence with the latter used to humiliate the rival gangs.

In 2023 the UN recorded nearly 2,500 kidnappings and over 4,700 deaths (BINUH, 2024) and, in October of the same year, the Security Council adopted the resolution 2699 that authorized the deployment of a national security support mission to Haiti lead by Kenya.

Last February new protests arose demanding for the resignation of Ariel Henry who, in the meantime, was in Kenya signing a deployment agreement of 2,500 police officers to Haiti. (Nytimes, 2024)

The gangs though have taken control over the main airport so that Mr. Henry was prevented from returning to Haiti and, consequently, on 11th March, he had to announce his resignation and the following creation of a transitional council for a temporary government whose mandate will end on 7th February 2026. The agreement contains 5 priorities that will be pursued by the new government such as public and national security, economic recovery, constitutional matter, rule of law and justice and the elections for the renewal of political personnel. (CEPR, 2024)

The transitional council will be formed by Haiti’s main political parties, representatives of the private sector and of civil society and it will be aimed at appointing a prime minister to head a new government paving the way for the election of a new president.

The Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM) stated that the task of the Council is “to put Haiti back on the road to dignity, democratic legitimacy, stability and sovereignty and to ensure the proper functioning of the State’s institutions.” (Aljazeera, 2024)

Nowadays Haitians are still living in a scenario of terror and are afraid to leave their home for the fear of being involved in the crossfire moreover, their living conditions have deeply deteriorated as they are running out of clean water, gas and food. On the latter point a WFP’s report stresses the dramatic increases in food prices by showing that a working person in Haiti spends 35% of his income on one meal (Amnesty, 2024). Additionally, there is an increasing health-insecurity since many hospitals are not functioning because of the frequent attacks and the lack of essential supplies.

António Guterres, UN Secretary-General, encouraged the creation of a transitional council in order to create a new political leadership that would be able to set up elections hoping to restore the law and to reestablish proper condition for health and for the protection of rights. (UN, 2024)