For nearly three years, for the reason that assassination of Haiti’s president, Jovenel Moïse, in 2021, the country has been run by lawless gangs, whose haphazard rule has exacerbated the poverty left by an earthquake in 2010. Recently, a surge in violence amongst these gangs has thrown crucial sectors into chaos, particularly impacting the health care system, educational system and child dietary status.
The current food crisis is grave, with at the least 115,000 children in Haiti expected to suffer from life-threatening malnutrition this yr — a 30% increase over 2022. Approximately 40% of them reside in and across the capital, Port-au-Prince, which is significantly affected by gang violence obstructing critical food supplies. Most faith-based nonprofits serving in Haiti have needed to stop or decrease operations because of the danger the gangs pose, as shown by the kidnapping of multiple aid staff and missionaries.
Meanwhile just one in 4 health facilities today remain reachable, leaving a good portion of the population without proper medical care. This poses a lethal threat to malnourished children who’re already vulnerable to cholera. Haiti has been among the many top five countries in numbers of recorded cholera cases, and the spread of violence has disrupted water treatment plants, making it difficult to combat the resurgent epidemic.
Children are also being denied their right to education, with the brutal violence forcibly displacing families, disrupting educational routines. Many schools are situated in areas which can be now unsafe because of gang activity. The disruption of rice and agricultural production, a lifeline for the economy, further affects families’ ability to support their kid’s education.
Urgent humanitarian efforts are needed to handle this crisis and protect Haiti’s future generations. But that cannot be provided until a global peacekeeping force might be dispatched to Haiti to assist restore law and order, disarm gangs and create a secure environment for residents. This is vital to facilitate democratic processes, akin to free and fair elections, which must happen to ensure that Haiti’s government to be restored and for the need of the people to be enacted.
Such stability can also be essential for delivering humanitarian aid to vulnerable populations. A secure environment allows for rebuilding infrastructure, improving health care and addressing food insecurity. International peacekeepers can collaborate with local authorities to create a conducive environment for economic development.
This can also be vital for stopping regional instability. Haiti’s chaos has spillover effects on neighbouring countries. A peacekeeping force may prevent the crisis from destabilising your complete region; regional stability is crucial for trade, cooperation, and addressing shared challenges.
For all these reasons, the international community has an ethical obligation to support Haiti during this crisis.
Peacekeeping forces reveal solidarity and commitment to peace, justice and human rights. Collective efforts can prevent further suffering and promote a path toward sustainable development. It is a vital step toward stability and the eventual re-establishment of a functioning democratic government.
Those who care about Haiti and its people have been petitioning for such a force for the reason that gangs first began wreaking havoc. It is disappointing that the violence was allowed to escalate so far before world leaders took notice, but I’m hopeful we’re seeing more momentum to facilitate this process.
However, a complicating factor is the return of Guy Philippe, a notorious coup leader whose presence within the country is sparking grave concerns given the present turmoil Haiti faces. There is a leadership vacuum following the resignation of self-appointed Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who was unable to return to Haiti from a visit abroad where he was raising support for peacekeeping forces. Philippe, nonetheless, is just not more likely to be the reply.
A charismatic leader who was instrumental within the 2004 riot against former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, Philippe has powerful ties to police, politicians and the business elite. His influence, connections and past actions raise concerns that he may increase violence, undermine governance and hinder recovery efforts, while his messianic self-perception as a pacesetter who should guide the nation adds to the uncertainty and turmoil.
The solutions for Haiti have all the time been fraught. But step one historically has been to determine security with the intervention of the international community to stop the bloodshed and ongoing human rights violations. Only then, after peace has been achieved throughout the country, can Haitian civil society rebuild democratic principles and hold free and fair elections.
Then, to understand long-term success, Haitians must themselves control corruption and construct critical infrastructure so their economy and population will thrive. But until individuals are free to depart their homes without being kidnapped or killed, we won’t expect to see any of that occur.
David Vanderpool is a surgeon who leads the international faith-based nonprofit LiveBeyond and provided emergency medical response in Haiti following the earthquake in 2010. Since then, he returned full time to determine a compound providing clean water, dietary support and health care to the poor of Thomazeau, Haiti (currently run by Haitian staff with distant oversight).
© Religion News Service
