Port-au-Prince in “state of siege”, American and European diplomats leave country – Liberation

Blocked infrastructure, attacks on hospitals, threatened food arrivals: The situation has worsened since the weekend in the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince, caught in a violent clash between police and armed gangs. “Dwellers of the capital are locked out, they have nowhere to go”Haiti head of the UN-affiliated International Organization for Migration (IOM), warned Philippe Branchet on Saturday, describing “City Under Siege”. “People who have fled cannot contact family members and friends who are in the rest of the country seeking asylum. The capital is beset by armed groups and threats. he added. Access to care is seriously compromised “Hospitals that were attacked by gangs and medical staff and patients, including newborns, had to be evacuated”According to the IOM.

US diplomatic chief Anthony Blinken is due to travel to Jamaica this Monday for an emergency meeting of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) on the crisis. It will discuss specifically targeted efforts “Establish a rapid political transition in Haiti through the creation of an independent presidential college”said spokesman Matthew Miller.

mass departures

The US military clarified earlier this Sunday morning that it had taken action “To enhance the security of the American Embassy in Port-au-Prince, allow for the continuity of the Embassy’s mission and allow for the exit of non-essential personnel.” “This air transport of personnel to and from the embassy is consistent with our normal practices.”Added US Army press release.

In the evening, the German Foreign Ministry announced the departure of its ambassador to Haiti along with other representatives of the European Union on Sunday. “Because of the very tense security situation (…)The German Ambassador and Permanent Representative in Port-au-Prince left today for the Dominican Republic with representatives of the EU delegation. They will work from the Dominican Republic, a ministry spokesperson said “Until further notice”.

This Monday, the European Union confirmed that it had evacuated all of its staff, expressing its regret “extreme anxiety” In the face of deteriorating security situation. “In response to the dramatic deterioration of the security situation, we have decided to reduce our activities on the ground and move the staff of the EU Delegation in Port-au-Prince to a secure location outside the country (…). Currently we have evacuated all EU staff from Haiti”said Peter Stano, spokesman for the head of EU diplomat Josep Borrell.

The National President’s Palace was targeted

Criminal gangs, who control most of the capital as well as roads leading to the rest of the region, have been attacking police stations, prisons and courts for days, in the absence of Prime Minister Ariel Henry, whose release they are demanding. Just as resigned as a section of the population. According to the latest news, he is stranded in the American territory of Puerto Rico after a trip abroad.

Facing violence, dozens of residents occupied a public administration building in Port-au-Prince on Saturday, hoping to find shelter there, according to an AFP correspondent. According to the IOM, 362,000 people – more than half of them children – are currently displaced in Haiti, a figure that has increased by 15% since the beginning of the year.

On Friday evening, armed men attacked the national presidential palace and the Port-au-Prince police station, the general coordinator of the National Union of Haitian Police Officers (Sinapoha) confirmed to AFP. According to the same source, several attackers were killed.

The Haitian government has declared a state of emergency in the western region that includes Port-au-Prince, as well as a nighttime curfew, which is difficult to enforce with already overwhelmed law enforcement officials. Administration and schools are closed, airports and ports are no longer operational. Director General of the National Port Authority (APN) Jocelyn Villiers reported the looting at the port.

NGO Mercy Corps has warned of threats to supplies to the population of America’s poorest country. “With the closure of the international airport, the little aid currently being given to Haiti may no longer arrive”The NGO warned on Thursday. And “If we can’t access these containers now, Haiti will soon be hungry”.

“If the paralysis of the metropolitan area of ​​Port-au-Prince continues in the coming weeks, nearly 3,000 pregnant women are at risk of not being able to access essential health care”, warned several UN representatives in Haiti in a joint statement. According to him, “About 450 of them may suffer life-threatening obstetric complications without qualified medical assistance” “Too many women and girls in Haiti are victims of indiscriminate violence perpetrated by armed gangs”.The UN’s humanitarian coordinator for the country, Ulrika Richardson, commented, adding that the United Nations “Committed to continuing to provide them” An aid.

Faced with this outbreak of violence, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) invited representatives of the United States, France, Canada and the UN to a meeting in Jamaica on Monday.

Update: 9:22 pm, with the addition of the departure of the German ambassador; Monday at 1:16 pm with the announcement of the EU.