Residents in Haitian capital demand protection after gang violence displaces hundreds
AP News • • world
Key Points:
- Residents of Cite Soleil in Port-au-Prince protested demanding government protection after gang violence forced hundreds to flee their homes over the weekend.
- Witnesses reported killings and widespread destruction, including burned cars and dead animals, while Haitian authorities have not confirmed casualty figures.
- Gangs have controlled about 70% of Port-au-Prince since President Jovenal Moïse's assassination in 2021, expanding violent activities such as looting, kidnapping, and sexual assaults.
- Humanitarian groups like Doctors Without Borders and local hospitals have suspended operations and evacuated patients due to intense clashes in Cite Soleil.
- The UN has authorized a 5,550-member force to quell violence, with some troops from Chad deployed, but the situation remains dire with over 1.4 million people displaced by gang violence in Haiti.