Haiti: gangs continue to terrorise local population

In the Solino neighbourhood of Haiti’s capital Port au Prince, residents are hard at work cleaning up what is left of their homes. The area was seized by gangs around a year ago, before they suddenly left in recent weeks and told residents they could return. Some have seen their entire livelihoods destroyed.

Among them is Gerald Jean, an entrepreneur. He says, “I am an entrepreneur. I owned a funeral home, a hardware store, a botanica (apothecary), and a house rental service. In November, since November 13 or 14, I have been left with only a pair of pants and sandals.”

Police have told residents that it’s unsafe to return to the area - a warning that some are taking on board, including Marie-Marthe Vernet. ''There is no way I will return to live here. I am not going to live with Viv Ansanm (gang),” she says.

Others have ignored the warning - since being able to return home is a rare option with the capital being almost entirely controlled by gangs. They include Louisnor Felix, a bakery manager. “It's really serious; they took what they could and broke everything. What they couldn’t take, they broke and left behind,'' Felix says.

An estimated 90% of Port-au-Prince is now controlled by armed gangs, who have tightened their grip on Haiti since the assassination of president Jovenel Moise in 2021.