Gang violence continued in Haiti over the weekend despite absentee Prime Minister Ariel Henry finally agreeing to resign last week – the situation on the ground has now been compared to Mad Max
Haiti has been compared to the post-apocalyptic world of Mad Max as gang chaos continues.
Gang leaders are still fighting despite absentee Prime Minister Ariel Henry agreeing to resign last week.
With Haitians awaiting the formation of a Transitional Governing Council that is set to take power before elections are held, gangs looted aid supplies over the weekend.
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UNICEF said containers with “essential items for maternal, neonatal, and child survival, including resuscitators and related equipment” were snared by gangs in the capital Port-au-Prince on Saturday.
With food, water and fuel becoming increasingly scarce for those trapped in gang-controlled areas, the situation on the ground is “the worst that anyone has seen in decades” according to Catherin Russell, UNICEF executive director.
She told CBS: “Many, many people there are suffering from serious hunger and malnutrition and we’re not able to get enough aid to them… it’s almost like a scene out of Mad Max, that’s what it seems like.”
A recent UN report warned Haiti has seen the “near-collapse of basic services” following natural disasters. The recent explosion of gang violence now appears to have pushed the country to the brink, with a state of emergency in place until April 3.
Over the weekend, the US State Department confirmed a chartered flight with more than 30 US citizens had landed in Florida, following on from the evacuation of all non-essential US embassy staff.
“We will continue to assist US citizens as long as commercial options remain unavailable and the security environment permits us to do so,” a US State Department spokesperson said.
The recent wave of violence started two weeks ago when gang boss Jimmy ‘Barbecue’ Cherizier attacked two prisons and freed nearly 4,000 inmates.
Despite having called for Henry’s resignation, Barbecue didn’t show any signs of relenting when it eventually came. He said his gang “do not care about Ariel Henry’s resignation”, telling W Radio: “We are going to continue the fight for Haiti’s liberation.”