Two killed, 5,000 flee as Haiti gangs attack Port-au-Prince
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At least two women were killed and 5,000 people were displaced as Haitian gangs attacked neighborhoods in Port-au-Prince.
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A man rolls a tire as walks along a street in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on October 17, 2024. (AP)
At least two women, one of whom was eight months pregnant, were killed, and 5,000 people were displaced as gangs launched attacks on neighborhoods in Haiti's capital, the Civil Protection Agency said on Monday.
Haiti has endured ongoing gang violence, but fighting has intensified recently, deepening the country's humanitarian, security, and political issues.
A partial report by AFP indicated that the two women were killed in assaults by various gangs associated with the Viv Ansanm ("Living Together") coalition in the southern Solino district. "They were killed inside their homes," said the Civil Protection report, which also described burned houses and vehicles.
Since the beginning of the month, gangs have been focusing their efforts on multiple districts in Port-au-Prince, with attacks persisting in Solino on Monday afternoon. Thick columns of smoke from homes torched by gangs were visible throughout the neighborhood.
Gangs also attacked a school in L'Estere, which led to the death of a parent and injuries to several children.
Earlier in October, a gang assault on Pont-Sonde resulted in at least 109 fatalities and over 40 injuries. Gangs also attacked a school in L'Estere, which led to the death of a parent and injuries to several children. Meanwhile, powerful gangs control 80 percent of Port-au-Prince and the major roads in the country.
According to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, at least 3,661 people have been killed in Haiti since January, as reported at the end of September. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reports that violence and the humanitarian crisis have displaced over 700,000 people, with half being children.
Haitian gangs recruiting starving children
According to a report from Human Rights Watch (HRW), Haitian armed gangs are enlisting starving children to strengthen their ranks in preparation for a prolonged and violent clash with international security forces.
The rights organization stated that the armed groups, which dominate much of Haiti, are luring hundreds, if not thousands, of impoverished children to join their ranks with promises of food and shelter.
HRW reports that as many as 30% of Haitian gang members are now children who have been coerced into illegal activities, serving as armed soldiers, spies, or being exploited for sexual purposes.
The report’s author, Nathalye Cotrino, told The Guardian, “All the sources we consulted, including children associated with criminal groups, told us that more children are joining the gangs and that it is in preparation to have more personnel available to fight against the international security forces and the Haitian police."
“Eventually, they plan to use children as ‘human shields’ if operations against criminal groups begin in their controlled areas.”
Haiti has descended into increasing chaos and desperation since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021. Currently, 5.4 million people face regular hunger, while 2.7 million— including half a million children—live under the control of violent armed groups.
