All Haitians feel threatened by a deteriorating situation in their nation, as gangs seem to continue having the upper hand, said the Haitian Bishops’ Conference.
“For two years, we have been operating a pastoral strategy of survival, but since November 11, the violence has taken a serious turn,” said the conference, in a letter written by its president, Archbishop Max Leroy Mésidor of Port-au-Prince.
The November 15 letter, addressed to the government, civil society, and all people of goodwill, was a “cry of alarm” for peace.
The bishops described Haiti, especially the capital, as being cut off from the world, with the main airport shut down following a November 11 armed gang attack on aircraft.
According to the United Nations, in just a few days, more than 20,000 people in the Port-au-Prince region fled their homes and essential supply chains collapsed.
“We appeal to those who are in charge of governing the city to act with determination to re-establish security and guarantee the protection of citizens, in line with their primary mission of serving the common good,” the bishops’ conference said in their letter. “We also invite members of the government, members of civil society, and protagonists from all sides, armed or unarmed, to recognize that it is time to resolve this problem of ongoing violence. Something must be done.”
But since the letter was published, things seem to have gotten worse. On Monday, The New York Times reported that gangs have “stormed into more parts of the capital, sowing panic among humanitarian groups.”
In response, many embassies and international aid organizations, including Doctors Without Borders, are suspending operations. The United Nations has been transferring personnel from Port-au-Prince to other Haitian cities or out of the country altogether.
International security force
The UN has had about 300 employees in Haiti working in 18 different agencies, including the World Food Program, UNICEF and the International Agency for Migration, The Times said.
The newspaper said that gang leaders are trying to force a transitional presidential council governing Haiti to step down. The Kenya-led Multinational Security Support mission, which was sent to Haiti in June, has so far failed to overcome the heavily-armed gangs, which outnumber the international force.
Even more troubling, perhaps, UNICEF reported Monday that the number of children recruited by armed groups in Haiti increased by 70% in the last year.
“Children in Haiti are trapped in a vicious cycle — recruited into the very armed groups that are fueling their desperation, and the numbers are growing,” said UNICEF Executive Director and Inter Agency Standing Committee Principal Advocate for Haiti, Catherine Russell. “This unacceptable trend must be reversed by ensuring children’s safety and welfare are prioritized by all parties.”
For their part, the Haitian bishops said that peace, long elusive in their country, “requires the effort of all people of good will to build a society according to the order willed by God.”
