Haiti

Clashes in Haiti between rival gangs in the capital, Port-au-Prince, have forced hundreds of people to flee their homes, the UN Deputy Spokesperson said on Tuesday.

Worsening violence in parts of the Haitian capital has renewed fears of a loss of access to the northern part of the country. The violence comes as local gangs fight for power.

[…] The security situation in Haiti has been deteriorating for months, with gangs exerting influence far beyond the poor neighborhoods of Port-au-Prince. The Caribbean nation is also facing an increase in kidnappings: between five and 10 people are abducted every day in Haiti, according to Haitian human rights organizations.

[…] Polarization continues to define Haitian politics, as differences over the country’s current governance arrangements persist.

[…] Monday marked not only seven months since President Jovenel Moïse was slain at his private residence but also the end of his term, with opponents demanding that Prime Minister Ariel Henry step down, arguing that his administration is unconstitutional.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said immediate action is needed to fix the security situation in Haiti, which is in the throes of a deepening constitutional crisis in the aftermath of President Jovenel Moise’s assassination last year.

A former Haitian lawmaker who is a suspect in the assassination of the country's president has been arrested in Jamaica, Jamaican authorities said Saturday.

Haiti is currently experiencing one of the most difficult periods in its recent history. Just one month after the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse on 7 July 2021, a devastating 7.2-magnitude earthquake hit the south-west of the country, affecting over 800 000 people and killing over 2 200. As a result, the national and regional elections (scheduled for 26 September 2021) were postponed indefinitely.

Haiti welcomed the new year with violence as Prime Minister Ariel Henry fled the northern city of Gonaïves following a shootout between his security forces and an armed group that had warned the leader not to set foot in the city.

Prime Minister Ariel Henry swore in his new Cabinet on Wednesday, more than four months after he assumed leadership of Haiti following the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse.