Ruptly
"A wave of gang warfare in Port-au-Prince has transformed the Cite Soleil district into a war zone, displacing hundreds of families over the weekend. The violence, reportedly involving the 'Chen Mechan' gang, has seen homes torched and heavy gunfire erupting, leaving many residents sleeping on the streets as they wait for government intervention and forcing Doctors Without Borders to evacuate their local hospital. Footage from Monday shows thick clouds of smoke rising in the sky as armed vehicles patrol the streets in the Plaine du Cul-de-Sac area. Displaced individuals can be seen sitting near the roadside. "Imagine babies, pregnant women; we are on the street, and we do not have time to take anything, we are fleeing, we are in misery. What we are asking is for the State to tell us something. For the State to clarify things with us. To tell us what it plans to do with us," said one displaced resident. "Look at the people! What has the State said? What has it done? We are speaking to the State, [...] why did they force them into the streets? On top of that, they kill, burn, crush the people, and ask them for peace. Where will that peace come from?" asked another. According to reports, gangs have claimed more than 90 per cent of the capital territory since the unrest following the assassination of President Jovenal Moise in July 2021 at his home. "Things are going badly for me, I am suffering. Life is hard, the State mistreats us too much. We have been suffering for a long time, but the State never says anything. It is time for the State to tell us something," demanded another local. On Monday, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) announced an emergency evacuation of its hospital in Cite Soleil due to growing, intense clashes in Port-au-Prince. The group has treated over 40 gunshot victims and provided temporary shelter to 800 people fleeing the fresh wave of violence triggered by the 'Chen Mechan' gang. In response to ongoing violence in April, the UN Security Council approved a 5,550-member force in September, with some troops from Chad already deployed in the area. A recent report from the International Organisation for Migration revealed that gang violence has displaced over 1.4 million people in Haiti, with hundreds of thousands living in deplorable conditions as the state struggles to regain control."
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