Haiti: “The only option is to leave by sea”
- April 3, 2024
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(RFI).- From 8 to 27 March more 53,000 people They left the city of Port-au-Prince and joined 116 displaced persons who had already escaped in the previous months.
(RFI).- From 8 to 27 March more 53,000 people They left the city of Port-au-Prince and joined 116 displaced persons who had already escaped in the previous months. This was stated by the International Organization for Migration of Haiti.
“Very high humanitarian needs”
But ways for Haitians to escape the chaos and instability created by violent gangs that have raided institutions in a political fight against an unpopular prime minister are not readily available.
“Most of the displaced are in the city, living on the streets, in schools or hospitals that are no longer functioning. And obviously the humanitarian needs of this population are very high because they have very little access to drinking water, food and obviously medical and other services,” Renata Segura, executive director of the International Crisis Group in the United States, explains to RFI.
He explained that they had seen several boats stopped by coast guards from other Caribbean countries carrying people trying to escape the island.”
Photo: ‘X’/Saint Lucia News
The sea route is the only solution
In addition to shipping by sea, Is this possible by air? “People with access to greater financial resources can take a helicopter between Port-au-Prince and the capital of the Dominican Republic, Santo Domingo. This trip now costs about $10,000 per person. A very limited number of people have access to the so-called humanitarian corridor,” details Renata Segura.
“The Dominican Republic has closed the entire border and is not allowing refugees from Haiti into the country. This means that the only option left for most Haitians to seek refuge is within the city itself. Some managed to leave Port-au-Prince. Most of the roads connecting Port-au-Prince to the rest of the country are controlled by gangs. Therefore, leaving the city at this time is not so easy and the only option is to leave by sea,” he concludes.
Source: Aristegui Noticias
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