Hike in violence displaces thousands in Haiti: UN

United Nations: An upsurge in armed clashes between rival gangs has displaced thousands of people from their homes across several regions of Haiti, UN humanitarians have said.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on Friday (local time) said the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported that more than 2,600 people were displaced in the Artibonite department last week. More than three-quarters of them sought refuge in the commune of Marchand Dessalines.

“Continuing violence in the Artibonite department is raising serious protection concerns,” OCHA said.

The IOM reported that in Haiti’s West department, renewed armed clashes in Cite Soleil since June 13 have displaced more than 5,000 people, adding to the thousands who had been displaced between March and May while fleeing armed violence.

OCHA said ongoing violence has severely disrupted health services, particularly for women and girls, reports Xinhua news agency.

It has forced Doctors Without Borders, a nongovernmental organisation, to suspend activities at its maternity facility in Cite Soleil on June 19, depriving thousands of women of access to maternal and reproductive health care in one of the most densely populated areas of Port-au-Prince. It has also led to an increase in the number of wounded treated in health facilities, said the office.

According to the IOM, more than 25,500 people were forcibly returned last month, bringing the total for the year to more than 117,000 people. Of those, 24 per cent were women, and nearly 8 per cent were children.

OCHA said it continues to work with humanitarian partners to assess needs and provide assistance despite significant access constraints. The 2026 Haiti humanitarian appeal for 880 million U.S. dollars is only 27 per cent funded, it added.

IANS