Haiti gang violence displaces more than 5,000, says IOM

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Port- AU-Prince: More than 5,000 people have been displaced in Haiti following a fresh surge in gang violence north of the capital Port-au-Prince, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Thursday.

Aid organisations and local rights groups reported that armed gangs swept through several neighbourhoods since Sunday, looting and burning homes, attacking schools and shops, and forcing residents to leave amid escalating clashes.
The worsening violence has also disrupted medical services. Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said hospitals in affected areas were evacuated and some operations suspended after heavy gunfire and attacks near healthcare facilities.

Since President Jovenel Moïse was assassinated in 2021, Haiti has experienced growing chaos, with gangs now ruling a major portion of Port-au-Prince and spreading into surrounding areas. According to UN estimates, the country's continued violence has forced over 1.4 million people to leave their homes.

Due to a lack of staff and funding, international attempts to re-build security, such as a multinational operation headed by Kenya that was later reorganised with UN support, have failed to keep the gangs under control.

Pic Credit: AFP