More than 50,000 people were forced to leave their homes within two weeks in Haiti. The reason is the spread of violence from the gangs acting in the country.
Haiti, the poorest country in the Western hemisphere, has been plagued for years by gangs, accused of killing, rape, looting and ransom abductions, a situation that is getting worse by almost permanent political instability.
On March 31, gangs attacked cities in the central part of the country, especially in the D ‘and Mirbale, about 50 kilometers from the capital Port-o-Prenzwhere they conquered the police station and prison, releasing 529 prisoners.
In total, by April 16, 51,466 people fled because of these attacks, with the majority of finding refuge in their relatives in communities in the same province, the International Organization for Migration said in a estimation published yesterday (22.042025).
The new coercive displacements are added to those of one million ecclesia – Their number tripled in one year.
Attacks in the central part of the country cause serious problems in the operation of “Public Services and Education”, the UN Humanitarian Affairs Coordination Office (OCHA) added.
All schools in Mirbale and the DOI have closed more than 30 school buildings in nearby communities are now used to house displaced families, he explained, denouncing limited access to humanitarian aid due to the presence of armed criminals.
Haiti is facing further escalation of violence by mid -February. Gangs that control 85% of the capital portAccording to the UN, they multiplied raids in areas that had not been overwhelmed so far, sowing terror to the population.