At least 89 people have been killed and 74 injured in five days in Port-au-Prince, the capital of the Caribbean island of Haiti. Another 16 people are missing, Haitian media reported Wednesday, citing the human rights organization RNDDH (National Network for the Defense of Human Rights). At least 127 houses were burned or destroyed.
According to the organization Doctors Without Borders, thousands of people were trapped in the Cité Soleil neighborhood without drinking water, food and medical care. The local UN agency tweeted that a total of 1.5 million people were no longer able to move freely in the city due to gang violence. Humanitarian workers must have immediate access to them in order to provide emergency relief.
Fierce Battles for Territory
Since last Friday, heavily armed gangs have been fighting each other for territory in Cité Soleil – a large, densely populated slum on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince. For more than a year, fighting in the larger capital has significantly worsened an already difficult security situation in the poorest country in the Americas. Thousands of people had to leave their homes and there were bottlenecks in supply. Between April 24 and May 6 alone, gang fights claimed the lives of 191 people, including eight children, according to an RNDDH report.
“Doctors Without Borders” calls on armed groups to protect civilians and enable humanitarian organizations to respond to the urgent needs of the population,” the organization said in an appeal Wednesday. de Cité Soleil) we came across bodies that were decomposing or on fire,” says MSF country coordinator Mumuza Muhind. “People have no access to water, electricity or latrines and medical care is urgently needed.”
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
