The head of the UN children’s agency said the situation in Haiti is the “worst in decades” as millions of people face famine amid a rise in gang violence and looting.
UNICEF said one of its containers containing “essential items for the survival of mothers, newborns and children, including ventilators and related equipment” was looted on Saturday in the capital’s main port of Port-au-Prince.
Looting and widespread violence have further cut off some of the country’s most vulnerable from basic services, “at a critical time when children need them most,” the organization said.
That same day, Guatemala’s foreign ministry said the offices of its honorary consul in Haiti had been looted, but did not provide details of damage or theft or say who was responsible.
‘It looks like a scene from Mad Max. Honestly, that’s what it seems like.
“Gangs, vigilantes responding to the gangs,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell CBS News.
Looting and widespread violence have further deprived some of the country’s most vulnerable of basic services
UNICEF said one of its containers containing “essential items for the survival of mothers, newborns and children, including ventilators and related equipment” was looted on Saturday in the capital’s main port of Port-au-Prince.
A man throws trash next to the body of a murdered person in Port-au-Prince on Friday
Gangs have rampaged through Haiti in recent weeks, attacking key institutions and closing the main international airport
Shortages of electricity, fuel and medical supplies have hit hospitals across the country, with six out of 10 facilities unable to function. In the photo: men transporting bags of coal
‘Many people there suffer from severe hunger and malnutrition and we cannot provide them with enough help.’
Gangs have rampaged through Haiti in recent weeks, attacking key institutions and closing the main international airport. The gangs, led by a man nicknamed ‘Barbeque’, have come to power without clear leadership in the country and the resignation of the prime minister.
About 1.4 million Haitians are on the brink of famine, and more than 4 million people need food assistance, sometimes eating just once a day or eating nothing at all, aid groups said.
“Haiti is facing prolonged and massive hunger,” Jean-Martin Bauer, Haiti director of the United Nations World Food Program, told the Associated Press.
‘We have supplies for weeks. I say weeks, not months, I’m terrified of that.’
The country’s top gang leader, Jimmy ‘Barbeque’ Cherizier, has threatened the families of political leaders who would support a planned transition council to replace outgoing Prime Minister Aruel Henry.
Haiti Libre reported that the Haitian National Police invaded the territory of Barbeque on Friday as part of a strategy to unblock roads, confiscate firearms and facilitate the free movement of citizens.
According to police, several gang members were killed during the operation.
There was a major breakout from two of the country’s largest detention centers, leading to the escape of thousands of prisoners, including several notorious gang leaders.
In Port-au-Prince, some hospitals have been forced to close due to safety concerns, and only two surgical facilities are operational, according to UNICEF.
Shortages of electricity, fuel and medical supplies have hit hospitals across the country, with six out of 10 facilities unable to function.
“Now they’ve basically taken over the capital, they’ve taken over the airport. What that means for people is that we can’t get help anymore, it’s very difficult for us to do that,” Russell said.
“I mean, it’s literally one thing after another for Haiti, and I think right now this is the worst that anyone has seen in decades.”
UNICEF’s executive director has compared the situation in Haiti to the post-apocalyptic movie Mad Max. Pictured: a scene from Mad Max-Fury Road
In Haiti, hospitals across the country have been hit by shortages of electricity, fuel and medical supplies, with six out of 10 facilities unable to function. In the photo: people taking shelter in a schoolyard
About 1.4 million Haitians are on the brink of famine, and over 4 million people need food aid.
The country’s top gang leader Jimmy ‘Barbeque’ Cherizier (pictured) has threatened the families of political leaders who would support a planned transition council to replace the deposed Prime Minister
Haitians are seen carrying buckets of water to the fire as official authorities remain largely absent during the ongoing crisis
“Haiti is facing prolonged and massive hunger,” said Jean-Martin Bauer, Haiti director of the United Nations World Food Program. Pictured: A man eats a meal while a child covers his face after receiving containers of free food.
While Haiti’s main airport in Port-au-Prince remains closed after gang attacks, the US State Department said it would offer limited charter flights to US citizens from the less chaotic northern city of Cap-Haïtien.
But it warned that US citizens should only consider the flights “if you believe you can reach Cap-Haitien Airport safely.”
A charter flight carrying dozens of U.S. citizens fleeing mounting gang violence in Haiti landed in Miami on Sunday, U.S. State Department officials said.
There were 166 seats available on the first flight from the chaos-ridden country, but only 47 U.S. citizens took up the offer to return on the government-chartered flight that arrived at Miami International Airport.
The evacuation came after the US embassy in Port-au-Prince urged US citizens to leave “as soon as possible” as chaos gripped the island.
Passenger Avlot Quessa, who lives in Boston, traveled from the center of the country to board the charter flight after heading to Haiti last month for a weeklong trip to visit his mother.
‘It’s just terrible. You can only imagine the suffering,” Quessa told The Miami Herald of the nearby Caribbean country.
“Haiti is my homeland and it is very stressful to see the homeland going through this act of violence and destruction… and they are our neighbors.
“I ended up staying more than 20 days,” he said, noting that it was “good to be back.”
However, Quessa also said he felt sorry for the people he left behind: ‘I also have to think about the people at home.
“They’re just miles from Miami. We can no longer keep our eyes on Haiti.
‘Look how much we are investing in Ukraine and Israel. So no one is going to tell me that color doesn’t matter.’