Gang-related violence continues to destabilize communities in Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, with neighborhoods like Solino becoming battlegrounds that displace residents and disrupt daily life. Since last week, Solino has faced relentless attacks, prompting many to flee their homes in search of safety.
Even as schools remained open on Friday, gunfire echoed through the busy streets of Port-au-Prince. Parents moved quickly through the streets, holding tightly to their children’s hands as they navigated between the unsettling sounds of gunfire to ensure safe passage.
A coalition known as “Viv Ansanm” claimed responsibility for the recent attacks in Solino. Viv Ansanm, meaning “Living Together,” emerged in September 2023 from an alliance between two previously rival gang federations. Since its formation, the coalition has launched widespread attacks on critical government infrastructure, a campaign that escalated in February and contributed to the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry.
Marie Yolenne Gilles, director of the Haitian human rights organization Fondacion Je Kler, expressed grave concerns about the gangs’ increased power and audacity. “The gangs are becoming more and more arrogant in their objective to take control,” she warned.
The violence even prompted one U.S. airline to cancel flights temporarily. On Friday, Spirit Airlines suspended its daily flights from Fort Lauderdale to Port-au-Prince until Sunday, citing “the safety of the passengers” after gang members opened fire and struck a U.N. helicopter near the nation’s primary airport.
Recent surges in violence in and around the capital have raised concerns over the Kenyan-led security mission, which appears to struggle against the well-organized gangs. Both U.S. and Haitian officials have expressed doubts about the mission’s effectiveness, pointing to its lack of personnel and resources. Some are now calling for a U.N. peacekeeping mission, though peacekeeping forces are widely unpopular in Haiti.
Leslie Voltaire, the newly appointed head of Haiti’s transitional presidential council, addressed the crisis during a press conference on Friday, flanked by other council members. Voltaire assured the public that decisive action would be taken, stating, “They [the gangs] will receive the response from the forces of order.”
Edna Gelin, a Solino resident, shared her heartbreaking experience of fleeing with her two young children and elderly mother. Through tears, she described how “bullets were raining down in her courtyard and hitting the zinc roof of my house.”
The United Nations reported that conditions in Haiti have worsened considerably over the past three months. With over 700,000 people now displaced and the political process facing “significant challenges,” the country’s humanitarian crisis shows no signs of abating.
(AP)
