Port-au-Prince, Haiti – Gang violence and chaos have taken hold of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, as criminal groups launch attacks on the last remnants of the Haitian state, leading to the closure of the airport. The National Police are struggling to regain control of the city, but businesses and schools are closed as residents hunker down in fear.
In neighborhoods like Canapé Vert, vigilant groups have taken matters into their own hands, resorting to extrajudicial executions in an effort to maintain some semblance of order in the absence of functioning authorities. Displacement camps throughout the city are inundated with tens of thousands of residents forced from their homes by violence and arson.
The International Organization for Migration has issued a warning about the deteriorating social cohesion and rising mistrust between displaced populations and host communities in Haiti. Residents of displacement camps are facing harsh conditions with limited access to food, water, and sanitation, putting immense strain on already stretched resources.
The capital of Haiti remains engulfed in fear and violence, with any hopes of a political resolution seeming distant as gunshots echo through the streets in the evenings, leaving many residents traumatized and on edge. The situation in Port-au-Prince is dire, with residents unsure of when they will see peace return to their city.
