Haitians run from chaos caused by gangs as their neighbours boost military power

Many Haitians are trying to leave the country because there is still no plan for a new government or international troops to help restore order.

Dangerous gangs now control most of the city, causing a lot of deaths and leaving many people without enough food to eat.

“Pierre Joseph, a 34-year-old Save the Children worker, said that every day is very important and can be life or death,” the charity stated. It said he had to leave two different homes with his wife and six-month-old baby, and was having a hard time finding things they needed.

“He said that the government is not working for the first time and things like food and power are no longer available. ” “Everyone is scared and going to another country. ”

The airport and seaports in Port-au-Prince have been closed for a month because of gangs, but the airport in Cap-Haitien started flights to Miami last week. This has made many people want to leave if they can.

Other countries near Haiti are making their borders stronger. The Dominican Republic, the only country that shares a land border with Haiti, is not allowing refugee camps and has sent many people back to Haiti.

The Dominican government said that the Foreign Minister, Roberto Alvarez, told the media that they had sent 10,000 soldiers to their 250-mile border. This is costing a lot of money and causing problems for trade between the two countries.

Haiti doesn’t have any leaders that were chosen by the people, and the capital city is controlled mostly by gangs, leading to chaos and lawlessness.

Haiti’s Prime Minister Ariel Henry said he’s quitting on March 11 because of the growing violence and he can’t come back from another country. A new group of leaders from the region will choose the next prime minister.

In 2022, Henry asked for help from other countries to make the police keep things calm, but it’s taking a long time and is being stopped until a new group takes over.

Soldiers from the Bahamas and Belize went to Jamaica last month for training by a Canadian group to help Caribbean troops go to Haiti.

Jamaican Defense Force Lieutenant Colonel Kevron Henry said in an interview that this is another step to make sure that regional forces are well-trained, work together, and prepared for any unexpected situations in the area.

Alvarez said that the military intelligence showed that a lot of people join gangs because they feel like they have no other choice due to their financial situation and because they are scared of violence.

The new temporary council will need to find actual money to pay for police intelligence and equipment in Haiti, he said.

“I didn’t say it would be easy, but I think it can still be done. The national police is still around,” he said.

Even though many countries promised to give a lot of money to the U.N, only a little has actually been given. The security mission trust fund is committed to keeping things safe. Gangs make money by threatening people and getting paid to release them. They also get support from powerful people, which helps them collect weapons.