Haiti Violence: Nearly 90 Killed as Gangs Fight in Port-au-Prince Over Control of Country's Capital
At least 89 people from Haiti died on Thursday as gang violence escalate in the country's capital, Port-au-Prince.
According to BBC, the latest gang fight in Haiti's capital erupted Thursday last week, when two rival groups are seeking control of Port -au-Prince.
The said rival gangs are specifically from Cite Soleil, which is an impoverished and densely populated neighborhood of Haiti's capital, per France 24.
Cite Soleil mayor Joel Janeus confirmed that the rival gangs fighting in the area of the capital are known as G9 and G-Pep.
The number of people killed in the crossfire between the gangs was from a local human rights group, known as RNDDH. The government has not yet given an official death toll in connection to the gang violence in Port-au-Prince.
RNDDH also noted that 47 of those killed have been identified as gang members. Meanwhile, the remaining 42 victims were reportedly civilians who were caught in the crossfire between the rival gangs.
Sixteen people were also reported missing in connection to the gang violence in Haiti. Furthermore, at least 74 people were reportedly injured.
Other Effects of Haiti Gang Violence
According to Doctors Without Borders, an isolated part of Cite Soleil, known as Brooklyn, was heavily affected by the violence caused by Haiti's gangs.
According to Doctors Without Borders head of local mission, Mumuza Muhindo, their group has operated an average of 15 people per day since last Friday.
He also noted that his colleagues witnessed burned and rotting corpses along a road leading to the Brooklyn neighborhood, contending that the area is a "real battlefield."
"They could be people killed during the clashes or people trying to leave who were shot... It is not possible to estimate how many people have been killed," Muhindo noted.
On Wednesday, Muhindo urged the combatants to allow medics to safely enter Brooklyn.
Aside from the rate of hospitalizations, a fuel crisis also loomed in Haiti's Port-au-Prince, as Cite Soleil is known to be the home of an oil terminal that supplies the capital and all of northern Haiti.
Gas stations in Haiti's capital do not have any gas to sell, prompting prices on the black market to heighten. Furthermore, residents were allowed to travel within the neighborhood using their motorcycles, after outraged drivers placed barricades on some of the city's main roads on Wednesday.
Hunger Looms Amid Haiti Gang Fights
Another issue faced by Haitians in the light of the violence caused by gangs is hunger.
On Tuesday, United Nations (UN) Worlds Food Program (WFP) reported that the violence in the country also contributed to more difficult food access the country. The agency noted that gangs have also blocked roads leading to the country's southern peninsula, prompting it to utilize sea routes to distribute food assistance.
On Thursday, thousands of residents from Brooklyn were reportedly hungry and thirsty, as the trucks that deliver water and food supply to them were completely cut off by gang violence.
The issues arose after rival gangs, G9 and G-Pep, stepped up their rivalry. The clashes began when G9 stormed a territory held by G-Pep to unseat its leader, Ti Gabriel.
Both groups formed alliances with local gangs heightening their strength in terms of weaponry, manpower, and resources.
Haiti's G9 is known to be led by former police turned criminal Jimmy Cherizier also known as Barbecue.
This article is owned by Latin Post.
Written By: Joshua Summers
WATCH: Nearly 90 Dead in Haiti Gang Violence - From FRANCE 24 English
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