SAINT-MARC, Haiti (AP) — Nearly 6,300 people have fled their homes in the aftermath of an attack in central Haiti by heavily armed gang members that killed at least 70 people, according to the U.N.’s migration agency.
Nearly 90% of the displaced are staying with relatives in host families, while 12% have found refuge in other sites including a school, the International Organization for Migration said in a report last week.
The attack in Pont-Sondé happened in the early hours of Thursday morning, and many left in the middle of the night.
Gang members “came in shooting and breaking into the houses to steal and burn. I just had time to grab my children and run in the dark,” said 60-year-old Sonise Mirano on Sunday, who was camping with hundreds of people in a park in the nearby coastal city of Saint-Marc.
A person displaced by armed gang attacks rests at the Antoinette Dessalines National School, a makeshift shelter, in Saint-Marc, Haiti, Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Bodies lay strewn on the streets of Pont-Sondé following the attack in the Artibonite region, many of them killed by a shot to the head, Bertide Harace, spokeswoman for the Commission for Dialogue, Reconciliation and Awareness to Save the Artibonite, told Magik 9 radio station on Friday.
Prime Minister Garry Conille vowed that the perpetrators would face the full force of the law in comments in Saint-Marc on Friday.
“It is necessary to arrest them, bring them to justice, and put them in prison. They need to pay for what they have done, and the victims need to receive restitution,” he said.
Tcharlit Charles, wounded by a bullet during armed gang attacks, sits on a bed at Saint Nicolas hospital in Saint-Marc, Haiti, Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
The U.N. Human Rights Office of the Commissioner said in a statement that it was “horrified by Thursday’s gang attacks.”
Haiti’s government deployed an elite police unit based in the capital of Port-au-Prince to Pont-Sondé following the attack and sent medical supplies to help the area’s lone, and overwhelmed, hospital.
Police will remain in the area for as long as it takes to guarantee safety, Conille said, adding that he didn’t know whether it would take a day or a month. He also appealed to the population, saying “the police cannot do it alone.”
Gang violence across Artibonite, which produces much of Haiti’s food, has increased in recent years. Since that uptick, Thursday’s attack is one of the biggest massacres.
Similar ones have taken place in the capital of Port-au-Prince, 80% of which is controlled by gangs, and they typically are linked to turf wars, with gang members targeting civilians in areas controlled by rivals. Many neighborhoods are not safe, and people affected by the violence have not been able to return home, even if their houses have not been destroyed.
People displaced by armed gang attacks rest at the Antoinette Dessalines National School, a makeshift shelter, in Saint-Marc, Haiti, Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
People displaced by armed attacks receive food from a nongovernmental organization in Saint-Marc, Haiti, Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
More than 700,000 people — more than half of whom are children — are now internally displaced across Haiti, according to the International Organization for Migration in an Oct. 2 statement. That was an increase of 22% since June.
Port-au-Prince hosts a quarter of the country’s displaced, often residing in overcrowded sites, with little to no access to basic services, the agency said.
Those forced to flee their homes are mostly being accommodated by families, who have reported significant difficulties, including food shortages, overwhelmed healthcare facilities, and a lack of essential supplies on local markets, according to the agency.
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Hughes reported from Rio de Janeiro.
UN Haiti - report
Given the alarming rise in gang violence and the response from both local and international authorities as outlined in the article, how should the international community balance their involvement in Haiti to effectively address the immediate humanitarian crisis while also supporting long-term solutions to stabilize the country?
What are the main factors contributing to the escalation of gang violence in Haiti as illustrated by the recent attacks in Pont-Sondé?
Keshift shelter, in Saint-Marc, Haiti, Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
The brutality of the attacks in Pont-Sondé highlights the worsening security crisis in Haiti, where gang-related violence has increasingly devastated communities and uprooted families. As nearly 6,300 individuals seek refuge, their stories reveal the desperation and fear that grips many in the nation. Families are left scrambling for safety under the immediate threat of armed gangs, illustrating the dire state of lawlessness that has plagued the region.
Sonise Mirano’s account of fleeing with her children under the cover of darkness serves as a poignant reminder of the human cost of this violence. The relentless cycle of upheaval continues as displaced individuals, like Mirano, find temporary shelter with relatives or in makeshift accommodations like schools and parks, struggling to comprehend the loss of their homes and the uncertainty of their future.
The sheer scale of the violence and the tragic loss of life, with initial reports of 20 fatalities quickly escalating to at least 70 confirmed deaths, underscores the urgent need for stability and protection for the Haitian people. Prime Minister Garry Conille’s strong statement reflects a commitment to justice, yet the realities on the ground pose immense challenges, particularly in areas where gangs exert control.
International responses, including condemnations from the U.N. and the European Union, highlight global concerns over the deteriorating situation in Haiti. However, the path to restoring order will demand concerted efforts both domestically and internationally, as communities grapple with the tangible effects of fear and displacement entrenched by gang violence.