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Updated October 22nd, 2021 at 20:00 IST

Haiti: Rise in gang violence affects relief operations, aid convoys use alternate routes

Amid the rise in gang violence, the World Food Programme has started shipping supplies to earthquake victims through alternate routes in southern Haiti.

Reported by: Apoorva Kaul
Haiti
Image: AP | Image:self
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As the gang violence has increased in Haiti, it has become difficult for the aid convoys to deliver supplies. The World Food Programme has started shipping supplies to earthquake victims through alternate routes in southern Haiti, reported The Guardian. After the country's southern peninsula was hit by an earthquake of 7.2 magnitudes, people have been cut off from Haiti capital Port-au-Prince.

Rise in violence affects relief work

The gangs have set up roadblocks, that have affected the relief operations. Fernando Hiraldo, the acting UN humanitarian coordinator in Haiti on Thursday, October 21 stated that the rise in violence including kidnapping has affected the relief work. The relief operations have been impacted due to 'looting, violence, road blockades,' reported The Guardian. The relief workers have started transferring the aid to barges and helicopter airlifts. 

As per The Guardian report, the aid is taken in a truck from Miragoane to Les Cayes and choppers also airlift the supplies and staff two times in a day. Reportedly, the relief work in southern Haiti was affected as aid trucks were sent back due to roadblocks and some were permitted to take the supplies, reported The Guardian. Fernando Hiraldo revealed that the gang violence was not only affecting humanitarian work but also 'creating new humanitarian needs'.

The UNICEF on 21 October, raised concern over the number of kidnappings in Haiti in 2021. According to UNICEF estimates based on official sources, 71 women and 30 children have been kidnapped in the first eight months of 2021, in comparison to 59 women and 37 children in 2020. As per the UNICEF press release, most of the kidnappings are taking place in Port-au-Prince and the majority of abductees are Haitians. 

Jean Gough, UNICEF Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean in the press release stated that women and children have been forced to flee their homes as there has been a rise in gang-related street violence. Furthermore, he highlighted that roads have been affected due to kidnapping, UNICEF is now using alternate ways to deliver the supplies which increase transportation cost and delivery time. 

"Criminal gangs are using children as bargaining chips and making money off of parents’ love for their children," said Jean Gough in the press release.

"Amidst widespread poverty and rampant criminality, child abductions have become a lucrative business. This is abhorrent," Jean Gough added.

Haiti gang leader threatens to kill kidnapped missionaries

The leader of the 400 Mawozo gangs, which has kidnapped 17 members of a United States-based missionary group has threatened that he would kill them all if he doesn't receive what he wants, reported AP.  Gang leader Wilson Joseph in a video posted on social media said, "I swear by thunder that if I don’t get what I’m asking for, I will put a bullet in the heads of these Americans," according to AP.  Earlier this week, the officials had claimed that the '400 Mawozo gang' was asking $1 million in return for each of those kidnapped. 

(Inputs from AP)

(Image: AP)

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Published October 22nd, 2021 at 20:07 IST

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