(RepublicanDaily.org) – Haiti’s woes continue to pile on top of one another as more than 1 million of the country’s populace is facing the prospect of food shortages and even famine as gangs and civil unrest grip the tiny island nation.
According to a report from the United Nations, Haiti’s which was already been in dire straits economically, has its resources “stretched to the limit” by violence that has taken a hold in the country’s capital, Port-au-Prince. As the country’s many gangs – some even comprised of former police officers – expand and seek control of their respective territories, violent clashes between rival groups have become very common.
Flights to and from the capital have been put to a halt and the heightened and dangerous situation has seen many civilians retreat into their homes, putting much of Haiti’s economic activity to a screeching halt.
The U.N. reports that the violence has displaced more than 362,000 people, more than half that number comprised of children.
The country’s prime minister, Ariel Henry, resigned recently, causing the pause of what would have been an interventional and assistance force from Kenya. Henry had previously struck an agreement with the Kenyan government that would have seen the latter dispatch 1,000 police officers to the beleaguered country to help keep the peace.
Jimmy “Barbeque” Cherizier, whose “G9” gang alliance holds the largest chuck of territory in the Haitian capital, has styled himself as a revolutionary leader of sorts, refusing to deal with political leaders. Speaking to news outlet Al Jazeera, Cherizier said that he seeks to overthrow the current system where “5% of people who control 95% of the country’s wealth.” He also scored pollical leaders and government officials offering to create a transitional government and hold new elections, claiming that while many politicians and their families have since fled the country, they still want to have a say in how the Haiti should be run.
“They went with their families abroad,” Cherizier said of the country’s leaders. “We who stayed in Haiti have to take [sic] the decisions,” he added.
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