In a capital paralyzed by fear, thousands of families abandoned their homes on Thursday, November 14, 2024, fleeing the unprecedented violence imposed by the criminal coalition “Viv Ansanm”. This armed group, active for several months, has been spreading terror in once lively neighborhoods that have now become fields of desolation.
The exodus of local residents
Port-au-prince, Friday November 15, 2024
Solino, Delmas 30, Nazon, Christ-Roi: so many areas transformed into theaters of war. The usually bustling streets are deserted, while entire families wander, burdens on their shoulders, wild looks.
“We lived here for more than twenty years, but today we are forced to leave,” confides a woman, surrounded by her three children. Her arm full of bags, she walks towards the Citizen Protection Office (OPC) in Bourdon, with no guarantee of finding a safe refuge.
Daily violence
The “Viv Ansanm” coalition is increasing attacks and intimidation, plunging residents into a spiral of anxiety. Testimonies are pouring in, painting a picture of horror.
“There are shootings every day. The children can no longer even go to school,” testifies a forty-year-old in a video relayed by Passio Info Plus (PIP). Another victim mentions a warning from the “authorities”, urging him to leave the area. She refuses to specify who these authorities are, fearing reprisals.
Wilfrid, a 52-year-old trader, recounts how his store at the “Kokiyo” market was looted and burned. “I lost everything,” he confides with resignation.
The State outdated, the population abandoned
Faced with this crisis, law enforcement is struggling to regain control. The gangs, well organized and familiar with the mazes of the neighborhoods, remain elusive. Security operations, rare and ineffective, often expose the police themselves to serious danger.
Jeff Petit-Dieu, a SWAT unit officer, died of his injuries in hospital on November 13. Before giving up the ghost, he reportedly declared: “May my life serve as a holocaust so that the Solino district can be liberated. »
An alarming humanitarian crisis
The massive displacement of these families illustrates an unprecedented humanitarian crisis. Makeshift camps are multiplying, where living conditions are disastrous and help is almost non-existent.
As these citizens flee into the unknown, a nagging question remains: how much longer will they have to live under the yoke of gangs?
While waiting for better days, they leave everything behind, taking with them a broken past and heavy uncertainty.
Belly-Dave Bélizaire
Vant Beef Info (VBI)
