A few weeks ago, two of Haiti's major criminal organizations joined forces to spark a full-scale riot while Prime Minister Ariel Henry was traveling abroad. Thousands of gang members occupied government buildings, police stations, and hospitals, broke into prisons, and freed thousands more gang members to join their ranks. Eventually, it became clear that the Haitian government and police had lost control of the capital, Port-au-Prince.
Widrol MelancourtThe editor-in-chief of Haiti's Aibo Post says: michael safi While reporting from Port-au-Prince, he learned for the first time that the chaos there was so severe that he felt his life was in danger.
For women, it's even more frightening. Monique Creska, A Haitian journalist explains how sexual violence against women and girls by gangs is indiscriminate.
As international pressure for solutions mounts, many Haitians are wary of outside forces they think know best. Haiti's long and recent history is littered with failed interventions that have done more harm than good.
support guardian
The Guardian is editorially independent. And we want to keep our journalism open and accessible to everyone. But more and more, we need readers to help fund our work.
support guardian