Is there a solution? Haiti’s capital has been paralysed by gang violence amid an acute security crisis which has its roots in a 200-year-old conflict. Some think it is time for the international community to step up.
Haiti 'like a scene from Mad Max' says UN boss
Is there a solution? Haiti's capital has been paralysed by gang violence amid an acute security crisis which has its roots in a 200-year-old conflict. Some think it is time for the international community to step up.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading eplus-wrapper">Haitian Fate</h2>
If you lived in Haiti, you might wake up to the sound of gunfire. If you managed to get to school, you might find it converted into a shelter for thousands of displacedForced to leave their homes people. There would be no school lunch, as food is scarce, and you would struggle to find water for drinking or washing.1
And this is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the country's many problems. Thousands of prisoners are on the loose. Following the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in 2021, armed gangs have flourishedGrew in a healthy way. .2
In 2023, almost 4,000 people were killed and 3,000 kidnapped in gang-related violence.3 More than 300,000 people have been displacedForced to leave their homes.
The anarchy shows no signs of slowing down. At least 12 people died on Tuesday after gunmen stormed two wealthy neighbourhoods in Haiti's capital Port-au-Prince.
In the early 19th Century, Haiti became the first independent CaribbeanThe region made up of the Caribbean Sea and its islands, including the West Indies. state after it threw off French colonialWhen a region or country is controlled politically by another. rule. But freedom did not come cheap. France demanded that Haiti pay reparationsProviding payment to make amends for a wrongdoing. until 1947.4
In the two centuries since it broke free from colonial control, Haiti has been struck repeatedly by dictatorshipsA form of government in which one person possesses all the power without any limits. , natural disasters and economic instability. It is the poorest country in the Western HemisphereThe half of the world that lies west of the prime (Greenwich) meridian and includes North and South America, the eastern Pacific Ocean, the Caribbean Sea, and the majority of the Atlantic Ocean..
The country was once a beaconA source of light or inspiration of hope for self-determinationThe right of a people to choose their political status without interference from others. and freedom from colonial oppressionLong-lasting cruel or unjust treatment. How can we tackle this grave and deep-rooted crisis?
To some, the answer could not be more obvious. For more than 120 years, Haiti was forced to pay sums amounting to 80% of its revenuesEarned money or income to France.. What arguments could there be against France returning this money to Haiti?
Others have taken the US as their target, criticising it for turning away refugees from Haiti.
Some have even called for an international security force to restore order. However, critics worry that such an intervention from a Western power could recallbring an event back to people's minds the country's colonial past.
Is there a solution?
Yes: Haiti's problems have their roots in the economic problems the country faced after independence. The only solution is for modern reparations from France and the US to make past injustices right.
No: There will be no clear-cut solution. Neither money or aid would be sufficient in this case, since money will go into the hands of a corrupt government, and aid will be intercepted by the country's many armed groups.
Or... A combination of a number of approaches is the only way to help the people of Haiti. There can be no single solution to such a complex problem.
displaced - Forced to leave their homes
Flourished - Grew in a healthy way.
Caribbean - The region made up of the Caribbean Sea and its islands, including the West Indies.
Colonial - When a region or country is controlled politically by another.
Reparations - Providing payment to make amends for a wrongdoing.
Dictatorships - A form of government in which one person possesses all the power without any limits.
Western Hemisphere - The half of the world that lies west of the prime (Greenwich) meridian and includes North and South America, the eastern Pacific Ocean, the Caribbean Sea, and the majority of the Atlantic Ocean.
beacon - A source of light or inspiration
Self-determination - The right of a people to choose their political status without interference from others.
oppression - Long-lasting cruel or unjust treatment
revenues - Earned money or income
recall - bring an event back to people's minds
Haiti ‘like a scene from Mad Max’ says UN boss

Glossary
displaced - Forced to leave their homes
Flourished - Grew in a healthy way.
Caribbean - The region made up of the Caribbean Sea and its islands, including the West Indies.
Colonial - When a region or country is controlled politically by another.
Reparations - Providing payment to make amends for a wrongdoing.
Dictatorships - A form of government in which one person possesses all the power without any limits.
Western Hemisphere - The half of the world that lies west of the prime (Greenwich) meridian and includes North and South America, the eastern Pacific Ocean, the Caribbean Sea, and the majority of the Atlantic Ocean.
beacon - A source of light or inspiration
Self-determination - The right of a people to choose their political status without interference from others.
oppression - Long-lasting cruel or unjust treatment
revenues - Earned money or income
recall - bring an event back to people's minds