More than 3,000 people displaced by the violence between armed gangs in Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti, live in inhumane conditions in Plaza Hugo Chávez, in the face of the indifference of the authorities of this country, submerged in a serious crisis, with a high cost for the poorest.
The displaced, including hundreds of children, packed the square, located in the Tabarre neighborhood and less than a kilometer from the airport, many of them with just what they were wearing, without water or food, amid chaos and anarchy.
They fled more than a dozen neighborhoods in Cité-Soleil, mired in a war that this year has claimed more than 300 lives.
Complicated life
Kesnel Franck, 49, the father of a family, tells Efe that he had no choice after leaving his home in Cité-Soleil, so he settled in this square, adorned by a seven-meter statue inspired by the leader of the Venezuelan Revolution. Franck has been in the place for ten days and survives “thanks to the good faith of others”, he assures.
“The most serious problem is food and sleep,” confesses Franck, who has been forced to stand for hours due to the heavy rains these days.
Nearby is Kettia Pierre, 42, who took refuge with her five children after her husband was killed in her presence by gang members.
He has never received a visit from an official, Pierre says in statements.
“I live very badly (…). We have to find someone who meets our needs. We are not dogs. We are living Christians”, she argues, while denouncing that men prevent women from accessing food during distributions.
sleep, an ordeal
Many of the displaced leave in the morning to work or run errands, so it is at night, at bedtime, when the situation gets complicated.
“At night, when it rains, it is impossible for us to sleep”, . Last night the rain stopped around two. She could not sleep ”, says Saint Louis Marie Lande, 38 years old and mother of 5 children, although she only accompanies one of her, since the other 4 are with relatives.
Very few have a sheet to put on the floor or to cover themselves at night.
Pregnant women, hundreds of babies, children and the disabled live in these conditions, fleeing en masse from the atrocities of an urban war between gangs vying for territory.
The displaced denounce the lack of support from the Government, which should send officials from the Ministry of Social Affairs and the Social Assistance Fund to the site, Jean Ernst Désilian, spokesperson for a committee that manages the camp, told Efe.
in points
Relocate them.
“These people cannot stay in the square. We have to relocate them as soon as possible”, pleads Désilian, who calls on all the authorities and NGOs working on the ground to help the displaced.
Households.
Many of the displaced saw their homes burn during the armed conflicts that have taken place in this shantytown for the past five years.
Plates.
Little by little, the amount has been increasing until it reaches 1,100 plates, but it is not enough. Meanwhile, the NGO Solidarités Internationales provides them with treated water for consumption and cleaning.
