AA / Tunisia / Majdi Ismail
More than 1,500 people died in Haiti in the first three months of 2024, the United Nations said on Thursday, reporting a “cataclysmic” situation in the Caribbean nation.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said in a new report on Haiti: “It is shocking to note that despite the dire situation on the ground, the flow of arms continues. I call for a more effective implementation of the arms embargo,” Quebec newspaper La Presse reports.
Haiti is under a political and security crisis that has been exacerbated by an increase in violence since early March, when several armed groups attacked strategic sites such as the presidential palace, police stations and even prisons in Port-au-Prince, in a bid to topple Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who on March 11 Resigned.
In the process, a transitional presidential council, to be made up of representatives of Haiti’s political parties, was announced after an emergency meeting in Jamaica between several countries and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
This council should try to stabilize the island in the face of a serious humanitarian crisis.
According to a UN report obtained by La Presse, ”corruption, impunity and poor governance, coupled with rising levels of gang violence, undermine the rule of law and undermine state institutions that are on the verge of collapse.
The same source indicates that the number of victims of gang violence increased significantly in 2023: 4,451 were killed and 1,668 were injured.
In the first three months of 2024 up to March 22, 1554 people died and 826 were injured.
The report says that despite the arms embargo, “the illegal trade in arms and ammunition across the porous borders has provided a reliable supply chain for the gangs,” so that “they often have greater firepower than the Haitian National Police.”
According to the report, the rise in gang violence and the inability of the police have allowed the emergence of “self-defense brigades” who will take the law into their own hands.
At least 528 cases of lynching (510 men and 18 women) were recorded in 2023, and another 59 in 2024.
Haiti is without a president or parliament and has not held elections since 2016. The last head of state, Jovenel Moise, was killed in 2021. Ariel Henry was appointed by Jovenel Moise and was due to step down in 2021. in February
Source: AA
David Jack is a highly respected journalist in the field of politics. He currently works at 247 news updates. With a deep understanding of political issues and a talent for uncovering the stories behind the headlines, David’s writing provides readers with insightful and thought-provoking analysis on the latest political developments.
