- Haiti expands state of emergency to whole country
- Govt struggles to regain control from violent gangs
- UN says 580,000 have been displaced, almost 5million facing severe hunger
Haiti expands state of emergency to whole country
Haiti has extended a state of emergency nationwide as the government struggles to regain control from violent gangs that have seized large parts of the capital, Port-au-Prince, and are expanding into other regions. This comes ahead of a visit by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who will meet Prime Minister Garry Conille to discuss Haiti’s path toward democratic stability.
Since the new government was formed three months ago, efforts to restore order have been ongoing. The United Nations reports nearly 580,000 people have been displaced, with almost five million facing severe hunger.
Blinken’s visit coincides with growing unrest, including protests over power cuts, which led to the vandalism of a power plant, leaving over a million people in Port-au-Prince without electricity. The U.S. is the largest backer of a UN-led security mission to tackle gang violence, which has escalated since gangs freed 3,700 inmates in a March prison break.
Haiti initially declared a state of emergency in the Ouest Department, including the capital, in March. Now, an international force of 2,500 officers, starting with 400 from Kenya, is being deployed to help restore order.
