Haiti is the most impoverished country in the Western Hemisphere, and facing one of the most severe humanitarian crises in the world. After enduring hurricanes, earthquakes, and deep political and social unrest, this small Caribbean nation has, in the past couple of years, gone from troubled to tormented.

A former French colony, Haiti won independence in the early 1800s after a successful slave liberation. However, it was, for decades, exploited by richer colonial nations. Forced to pay billions of dollars to France in reparations over 122 years, then violently occupied and financially manipulated by the United States, Haiti is understandably skeptical of foreign intervention. But unless something changes in the near future, it may be the only alternative to witnessing the total collapse of the nation.

But despite this almost certainly necessary step of international aid, there’s been very little progress on the international front in terms of aid. The UN has stalled progress on the issue, even as the conditions of millions of Haitians grows steadily worse. Without deep, urgent progress, Haiti runs the risk of becoming a forgotten crisis.

The Beginning

Haiti has long struggled from underdevelopment, both due to its colonial history and its geographical location. The unfortunate recipient of many natural disasters, a 2010 earthquake, 2016 hurricane, and recent 2021 hurricane that affected over 800,000 people has created mass poverty, a struggling economy, and decimated infrastructure. So when the COVID-19 pandemic and Russian invasion of Ukraine took place, Haiti’s economy and political stability were further injured.

Already a chronically weak state, corruption, democratic backsliding, and economic mismanagement by subsequent governments created a desperate political situation. As a result, 2021 and 2022 saw thousands of Haitians engaged in anti-government protests. And in July of 2021, the political fate of Haiti took a steep downturn when President Jovenel Moise was assassinated. Not only have the authorities made no progress in investigating the assassination, but the government fell apart. The assassination and subsequent political unrest created a power vacuum directly led to hundreds of gangs wreaking havoc on the nation. Seizing power, Haiti became more dangerous than ever before, and politicians have either been killed, evacuated, or gone into hiding. Right now, there is no effective government short of Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who holds little power within his own nation.

The gang takeover of the capital city Port-au-Prince, and subsequent decimation of order, has devastated the lives of millions of Haitians, creating a severe risk to security, and the future of the country.

Political Decimation

The government of Haiti, in ruins, provides very little support to its citizens. With no infrastructure, and no strategy to stabilize the country, Haitians are left to fend for themselves. Such conditions have made many angry towards the Prime Minister, the last concrete symbol of government. Without a functional democratic state, security, solutions, and progress within Haiti may well be impossible. Elections, though promised by Henry, have never happened. And according to Henry, they won’t be happening until conditions in Port-au-Prince are safer. But as gang control grows everyday and the humanitarian crisis worsens, that isn’t going to be happening, leaving the island in a government-created Catch-22. Without a government, there’s no accountability for the current crisis, meaning no solvency.

The only effective power structure in place is that of gang control. Having better and more weapons than the police, gangs in Haiti are in complete control. In Port-au-Prince, they are judge, jury, and executioner. As power struggles kill thousands, the impact of not having a functional political system creates one of the most challenging obstacles to alleviating the crisis.

Humanitarian Crisis

The humanitarian situation in Haiti is by far the most concerning, urgent aspect of the entire crisis. In the first four months of turmoil, more died in Haiti than did soldiers in Ukraine. From hunger to violence, the 11 million people of Haiti live everyday in dangerous conditions that have landed the nation on the watchlists of the International Rescue Committee, Human Rights Watch, and the United Nations.

One of the most pressing issues on the island is hunger. Over 5 million people are facing acute hunger, 2 million face emergency level hunger, and tens of thousands in slums are living in famine conditions – this is the first time that food insecurity at this level has ever been recorded by the World Food Program. Facing 40 to 80 percent inflation rates, and with many in the country living on 2 dollars a day, food is hard to come by. As a result, starvation-related deaths and malnutrition run rampant.

At the root of so many issues is gang violence. Right now, over 300 gangs are fighting to control territory throughout the nation, leading to bloody gang wars that often result in the deaths of innocent people. Moreover, many gangs use sexual violence in order to terrorize and control the people. So far, over 160,000 Haitians have been displaced by the violence.

Sealing the fate of millions is the fact that many are unable to leave. The airports have all been closed, and those who manage to escape by land or sea aren’t guaranteed safety. The United States has sent over 41,000 Haitian asylum seekers back to Haiti, and the neighboring Dominican Republic has blocked the entrance of more than 60,000.

Key terminals for travel, however, aren’t the only places blocked. Critical checkpoints for transportation, supplies, and services have been taken over by violent gangs, and often shut down. As such, there’s no way to transport fuel, food, water, or medicine. Consequently, people are unable to eat, secure medical help, or engage in business.

Furthermore, the ruined state of government and gang activity has destroyed an already struggling justice system. With local courts closed or destroyed, and only 3 of previously 12 federal judges still working, the system is slow-moving and overrun. As gangs and police kill hundreds  of journalists, civilians, and commit human rights violations, even more are stuck inside Haiti’s prisons. It’s estimated that the prisons are pushing more than three times their maximum capacity, that 85% of prisoners are living in inhumane conditions, and are subject to torture, rape, and malnutrition.

The impact of Haiti’s crisis is widespread among everyone, but has created a particularly dangerous environment for children, further endangering the future of the nation. Exposure to constant violence has profound physiological and psychological impacts, forced gang recruitment endangers thousands of children, a lack of a functioning healthcare system leads to thousands of deaths, closed schools strip kids of their right to education, and in the chaos of forced displacement, hundreds have been separated from their families.

While international aid organizations have been instrumental in helping to alleviate the suffering of thousands, it’s simply insufficient. Without supplies and living in constant violent conditions, the work done by these organizations isn’t as pronounced as it otherwise could be. For example, Doctors Without Border recently closed some of its clinics. Considering this organization routinely works in war zones in some of the most dangerous places in the world, this shows how truly serious the crisis in Haiti is.

Health Risks

In October of 2010, only months after a devastating earthquake killed over 200,000 and displaced over a million, Haiti witnessed its first outbreak of cholera, largely suspected to have been introduced by UN Peacekeepers. This outbreak went on to become the worst in history, with over 820,000 cases and over 10,000 deaths. From 2011 to 2019, cases decreased by 99%, and Haiti went three years without a reported case. But amidst the gang violence and lack of supplies, cholera has once again surged in Haiti, creating a crisis on the health front as well.

As of March 2023, there have been over 35,000 reported cases, and in the time since, likely tens of thousands more. Further complicating matters, these statistics are chronically underreported, meaning the true number of cases is likely much higher. Without healthcare, clean water, or medicine, there’s little that can be done about the issue. Hospitals are routinely underfunded, overrun, and short-staffed. Aid workers either can’t reach the affected, are killed, or don’t have the supplies needed to help. Without medical supplies and water, and soon, this health crisis is going to further spiral out of control, kill thousands, and hurt any chances Haiti may have of recovering.

Resistance

However, without help from the government and left to fend for themselves, some Haitians are fighting back. With the police force decimated, hundreds have resorted to vigilantism. Bwa Kale, previously known as a crude innuendo, has become a vigilante movement dedicated to protecting civilians from gangs and fighting back. Machetes are handed out in dangerous neighborhoods, and unofficial checkpoints have been set up throughout Port-au-Prince in an effort to slow and end gang activity.

But as inspiring as it is to see resistance, this approach is not without its flaws. Bwa Kale has carried out many extrajudicial killings, and is reported as stoning and burning suspected gang members to death, committing human rights violations in the process. But the largest problem with this isn’t necessarily treatment of the oppressors, but rather of the oppressed. Bwa Kale has also murdered innocents in their attempts to resist gang activity, leading some to fear the organization altogether.

Future Outlook

Right now, the future is bleak for Haiti. Despite the legacy of previous interventions, it’s apparent that Haiti cannot face these problems alone. As such, approximately 70% of Haitians support the creation of a task force to regain control from the gangs, open chokepoints, and help secure aid for the citizens. Many leaders recognize the need to address not just the violence, but the reasons it happens – that means profound political and social change within the nation. The United Nations has held several meetings, acknowledges the crisis, and the need for action. However, we haven’t actually seen that action. In fact, things may actually be worsening on that front. The UN World Food Program cut aid to Haiti by 25% due to a lack of funds, and out of 700 million dollars needed to provide support to the country, has only been able to secure about 23% of that.

After dialogue between Prime Minister Henry and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, countries agreed on the urgency of creating a multinational task force to provide aid, security, and stability to Haiti. The problem, however, is that there is no country actually willing to lead this effort. Other Latin American and Caribbean countries (LAC) have also had minimal involvement with the situation. Many have their own struggles, and certain political leaders don’t believe in Henry as a legitimate or capable leader.

The United Nations Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, has long stressed the importance of aid to Haiti, and the United Nations Security Council gave him until mid August to create a report on the full options and courses of action available to the UN in order to bring security and prosperity to the country. With each passing day of inaction, Haiti increasingly runs the risk of becoming a failed state. The UN has a unique obligation to support Haiti, and failure on its part to do so is nothing less than, in the words of Roberto Alvarez, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Dominican Republic, an ‘abdication of responsibility’.  It’s incredibly clear – Haiti needs help, and it needs it now.

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