UNITED NATIONS, Oct 4 (IPS) – Escalating gang violence and mass displacement in Haiti over the previous few months have attracted heightened concern from humanitarian organizations. Extreme armed violence has led to extreme instability, with meals insecurity, sexual violence, civilian casualties and restrictions on freedom of motion plaguing the nation. Instances of displacement have elevated so dramatically that the Dominican Republic has ordered the return of hundreds of Haitian migrants.
On October 3, the federal government of the Dominican Republic introduced that they’d deport roughly 10,000 Haitian immigrants per week in an effort to scale back overpopulation within the nation. Homero Figueroa, spokesman for Dominican President Luis Abinadel, informed reporters this morning that the deportation order “goals to scale back the extreme immigrant inhabitants present in Dominican communities.”
Final 12 months, Abinadel assisted the return of greater than 250,000 undocumented Haitians from the Dominican Republic. The order introduced at this time states they plan to deport greater than twice that quantity, efficient instantly. “We’re warning on the United Nations that both it and all international locations which have dedicated to behave responsibly in Haiti, or we’ll accomplish that,” Abinader mentioned at a press convention this morning.
Beforehand, the United Nations Refugee Company (UNHCR) urged the US and Haiti’s neighbors to cease forcing migrants to return to Haiti. On Might 17, the United Nations Refugee Company issued a press release on social media, asking the Biden administration “to not forcibly repatriate Haitians who might face life threats or additional displacement.”
On September 27 final week, the United Nations reported that no less than 3,661 civilians had been killed as a result of “mindless gang violence” within the first half of 2024, greater than 100 of them kids. The Workplace of the United Nations Excessive Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) added that this was a transparent indication of the “continuance” of instability in Haiti.
The scenario in Haiti has worsened over the previous few months, with greater than 59% of the inhabitants residing under the poverty line, based on the United Nations Kids’s Fund (UNICEF). The Worldwide Group for Migration (IOM) experiences that greater than half of the 700,000 internally displaced individuals are kids. 1 / 4 of them stay in extremely insecure and overcrowded displacement shelters, with out entry to primary providers reminiscent of well being care, sanitation and meals.
President Abinadr’s new mandate has been broadly criticized by activists and humanitarian teams, with many saying it’s fueled by xenophobia. Seventy % of the Dominican Republic’s inhabitants is mestizo, whereas the overwhelming majority of Haiti’s inhabitants is black.
“Amnesty Worldwide emphasizes the pressing want for Dominican establishments to get rid of racial profiling, structural racism and racial discrimination, and to ensure respect for Haitian immigrants and Dominicans,” mentioned a press release issued by Amnesty Worldwide on August 28. human dignity and bodily integrity.
It needs to be famous that the mandate follows experiences of circumstances of bias and abuse towards Haitian immigrants within the Dominican Republic.
“Organizations engaged on the border between Haiti and the Dominican Republic proceed to report circumstances of deportees being crushed by Dominican authorities,” mentioned Johanna Sirano Pelles, Amnesty Worldwide’s Caribbean researcher.
Moreover, Haitian immigrants have been topic to undocumented raids, abductions, and sexual violence by uniformed and non-uniformed personnel.
The United Nations and its affiliated organizations are at the moment on the entrance strains in Haiti, distributing assets reminiscent of meals, water, money transfers and college provides. Nevertheless, aid efforts are severely underfunded, with solely 30% of the $674 million requested raised thus far.
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