On Saturday, a gang attack in Port-au-Prince forced many residents to abandon their homes as violent groups intensified their efforts to seize control of areas still outside their reach. Thick smoke from gunfights rose over the Solino neighborhood, where desperate families piled mattresses, furniture, and cooking supplies onto trucks to escape. Others fled on foot, clutching whatever belongings they could carry.
In recent months, gang violence has escalated in and around Haiti’s capital, with much of the region now under the control of armed groups that have formed a coalition called Viv Ansanm. Thousands of residents in Solino have been displaced, including those previously forced to flee from other areas, according to the United Nations’ World Food Programme (WFP). The organization reported on Friday that the number of displaced people in Haiti has nearly doubled in the past three months, reaching almost 700,000.
On Friday, the WFP reported that 5.4 million Haitians—about half the population—are experiencing acute hunger, with famine-like conditions in some areas, particularly among those displaced by the violence. Amid these challenges, even humanitarian efforts face risks. On Thursday, gunfire hit a U.N. helicopter assisting aid operations while flying over Port-au-Prince, though it landed safely. While the U.N. has authorized an international force to support Haiti’s police in reclaiming control from the gangs, the mission remains under-resourced and has yielded little progress.
Source: Reuters
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