Over the weekend, heavily armed gangs in Haiti escalated their assault on the capital Port-au-Prince, attacking the National Palace and setting part of the Interior Ministry on fire with petrol bombs. The violence comes as the country spirals into chaos, with the international airport remaining closed to all flights, including one carrying Prime Minister Ariel Henry.
Prime Minister Henry, who has been unable to return to Haiti from the United States, is now stranded in Puerto Rico after his plane was refused permission to land in Haiti and the neighbouring Dominican Republic. Meanwhile, the US has evacuated non-essential staff from its embassy in Port-au-Prince, and the EU has withdrawn all its diplomats from the nation.
The situation at the State University of Haiti Hospital is dire, with no medical staff present. A dead body lies covered in a bed, decomposing in the heat, while patients wait in vain for treatment. 'There are no doctors, they all fled last week,' said a patient named Philippe. 'We can't go outside. We hear the explosions and gunfire.'
Gangs now control more than 80% of Port-au-Prince, and their leader Jimmy 'Barbecue' Chérizier has called for the prime minister's resignation, warning of a potential civil war and genocide. The police, outnumbered and demoralised, are struggling to maintain order, with one police station attacked and burnt out.
Despite the violence, many residents are forced to venture out to earn a living. 'I have three kids, and I'm all they have,' said market trader Jocelyn. 'Yesterday gunmen came here and stole all our money. But there's no way to stay at home when you have three mouths to feed.'
An emergency summit of Caricom regional leaders is underway in Jamaica to address the crisis, which poses a threat to the entire Caribbean community and to Washington. The UN has warned of the escalating situation, as Haiti faces its biggest humanitarian crisis since the 2010 earthquake.
