According to the United Nations International Organization for Migration (IOM), the number of people internally displaced in Haiti has surged due to the ongoing gang violence; it now stands in the range of over a million.
As per the IOM figures, the total population displaced within the Port Au Prince went up to 87% rise between 2023 and 2024.
The additional strains of food insecurity and the collapse of other remaining services were aggravated by the rampant violence.
Haiti reported over 5,600 deaths by levels of gang violence only last year.
Omondi, the IOM spokesperson, raised concerns over the other million+ dislocated individuals, as he stated that these individuals required multiple dislocations due to a competing gang dominance throughout Port Au Prince.
Around an estimated 85% of the Port AP local capital is reported to be in control of these violence-centric gangs.
In a contradicted violent stance of society, these individuals who have been dislocated moved to rural regions from Port AP, where there were limited resources available, the IOM advised.
The sheer lack of required resources almost makes it impossible to function, adding to the difficulties we are already facing in keeping sane as a society. Amy Pope, the director general of the IOM, stated: “Haiti requires continuous global humanitarian assistance to provide for and save those in said regions.”
Children made up nearly half of the report segments submitted by the IOM pertaining to displaced individuals.
In the report submitted to study the situation, IOM added, “Such families are forced to stay inside bench-made tents and are unprotected, making them highly at risk for health-based issues”.
Since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021, Haiti has fallen under the rule of gangs and violence.
In June, a United Nations-endorsed multi-national force arrived in Haiti. Still, till now, there has been a lack of progress surrounding the rehabilitation of Haiti, and with the aid struggle, there has also been little to no progress in regaining territory from the gangs.
The police force stationed in Haiti is meant to assist the National force but struggles to tackle the highly militarised gangs due to the lack of funding.
Moreover, the TPC(Transitional Presidential Council) which was meant to oversee the organization of elections and the restoration of democracy in Haiti – seems to have encountered a fair amount of issues.
Little progress has been made regarding the setting up of elections after the TPC took over from the interim prime minister in November – which also had been heavily delayed.
