Some of the pastel-coloured homes in Haiti's capital of Port-au-Prince. Photo / Instagram / @EDKASHI
Some of the pastel-coloured homes in Haiti's capital of Port-au-Prince. Photo / Instagram / @EDKASHI
With its jumble of pastel-coloured homes tumbling down a hillside between lush palm trees, Port-au-Prince can look – at first glance – like a beautiful Caribbean tourist hotspot.
But this capital city of 2.6 million, which lies just a couple of hours of flying time from the US, has become so riddled with gang violence that over just a 10-day period this month more than 209 people have been killed.
On average, between July 8 and July 17, 21 people a day were murdered in the city that serves as Haiti's capital. That's one death every 68 minutes or so.
According to the United Nations, in total 471 people have been killed, injured or are currently unaccounted for in the city in less than a fortnight, and 140 homes have been destroyed or burned to the ground.
One resident of the Cité Soleil suburb of Port-au-Prince said gunfire was so constant he tried to use the "rhythmical sound of bullets being fired to lull me to sleep".
"My life is now a cycle of fear, stress and despair," said 'Edwin', who didn't want to use his real name.
Haiti is the poorest and one of the most politically unstable countries in the Western Hemisphere. The nation has seen 23 coups since it gained independence from France and has suffered through long periods of dictatorship.
A man carries a coffin in Port-au-Prince after the 2010 quake. Photo / Supplied
The country of 11.5 million takes up the western third of the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, which is close to Jamaica and Cuba and lies 1100 kilometres south of Miami. The far richer and more stable Dominican Republic holds sovereignty over the eastern two-thirds of the island.
A devastating earthquake in 2010 is thought to have killed 250,000 Haitians and left 1.3 million people homeless. In the process, it further wrecked the country's fragile economy and infrastructure.
Another earthquake in 2021 killed 2200 people and damaged 140,000 buildings.
President of Haiti Jovenel Moïse was assassinated in 2021. Photo / Getty Images
Last July, President Jovenel Moïse was assassinated in his home. The country currently does not have a permanent president or prime minister and has a dysfunctional high court.
The assassination led to an uptick in crime in an already dangerous country. The violence has gotten even worse since July 8, with battles breaking out between two warring gangs in the Cité Soleil – translated into English as "city of the sun" – neighbourhood.
The suburb of 300,000 people near the centre of Port-au-Prince is one of the city's poorest areas.
Gangs wreak havoc
The G-PEP gang, allied with Haiti's opposition, has long held sway in Cité Soleil. But their dominance is now being challenged by the G9 gang, which is connected with the ruling party.
The gangs are now operating with widespread impunity, 155 kidnappings reportedly being attributed to either side in June.
A US navy helicopter takes off in front of the stricken National Palace in Port-au-Prince. Photo / AP
Acting Prime Minister Ariel Henry has yet to comment on the outbreak of violence.
An area within Cité Soleil known as Brooklyn has become the epicentre of bloodshed.
Many of the deaths in the suburb are due to guns. Of the 209 people killed recently, 114 were gang members, the UN has reported. But significant numbers of local residents not affiliated with gangs have been felled by stray bullets.
"The humanitarian needs in Cité Soleil are immense and are growing due to poverty, lack of basic services, including security, and a recent spike in violence," the UN humanitarian coordinator in Haiti Ulrika Richardson said.
As well as deaths and kidnappings, incidents of sexual violence against women and girls have been reported, while boys have been recruited to the gangs.
Access to health care is essentially non-existent, supplies of clean water and food are low, and at least 3000 people have fled their homes.
"There is heavy fighting in the streets and everyone is very stressed. We cannot leave our homes most of the time and there is no traffic coming in and out of the neighbourhood," said Edwin, in a statement published by the UN.
"You think you are safe at home, but bullets know every pathway and back alley in our neighbourhood."
The youth leader, who previously had helped members of the warring gangs to come together, said the sound of gunfire is the first thing he hears in the morning and the last thing at night.
"I try and use the rhythmical sound of bullets being fired to lull me to sleep; this is the only way I can survive through this difficult period.
Port-au-Prince has seen more than 200 deaths in 10 days. Photo / United Nations
"Sometimes, you can use music to escape the constant shooting noise, but not when shots are being fired so close to your house; it's just too loud."
Earlier this month, the UN Security Council voted to ban some weapon sales to Haiti to try to slow the level of violence.
The UN, through its various agencies, has begun to deliver 1400 kits to the area with hygiene and baby supplies including lamps, water and blankets. UNICEF, the UN's children's fund, has delivered enough water for 20,000 residents, while the World Food Programme is trying to distribute rice, beans and oil to feed at least 7000 Cité Soleil residents a week.
But until the violence in the seaside suburb of Haiti's capital drops, the prospects for its residents remain bleak.
