Haiti gang violence forces over 10,000 people to flee homes in past 7 days

More than 10,000 people in Haiti have been internally displaced in the past seven days as armed gangs operating in and around the capital city of Port-au-Prince increase attacks on areas they do not have under their control yet, according to the UN migration agency.

The international Organisation for Migration (IOM) had said at the beginning of September that more than 700,000 people across the country had been internally displaced, nearly double the figure six months earlier, reported Reuters.

The UN has authorised an international force to help Haiti’s police take back control from the gangs. But the mission has not yielded satisfactory results as it has been poorly resourced. Haiti has requested the force be converted to a formal peacekeeping mission.

Haiti has one of the highest levels of food insecurity globally

Haiti remains one of the poorest countries across the globe. Humanitarian needs are rising sharply there as hunger tightens its grip and the combined pressure from violence, economic troubles and climate change-related natural disasters exacerbate the situation.

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Haiti has one of the highest levels of food insecurity globally. It is estimated that nearly half the population does not have enough to eat. The conflict is fueling famine-level hunger as gangs take over farmlands and block off transport routes.

Gangs previously targeted national police, civilian self-defence groups and state infrastructure. But it appears gang gunfire is currently targeting foreign vehicles, too. Gunfire hit a marked UN helicopter carrying 18 people onboard on Thursday. No one sustained injuries.