Haiti's Internal Displacement Crisis Triples Amid Gang Violence

The UN migration agency reports that gang violence in Haiti has caused a threefold increase in internal displacement within a year, affecting over 1 million people. The violence has led to a collapse of services and food security in Port-au-Prince, with children comprising more than half the displaced population.

In a concerning development, the UN migration agency disclosed that internal displacement in Haiti, driven predominantly by gang violence, has surged threefold over the past year, now affecting over a million individuals. This marks a record high for the Caribbean nation.

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) highlighted how relentless gang violence in the capital, Port-au-Prince, has significantly exacerbated displacement while crippling health services and worsening food insecurity in one of the world's poorest countries.

Furthermore, spokesperson Kennedy Okoth emphasized that the forced return of approximately 200,000 people from the Dominican Republic has intensified the crisis, with increasing numbers of displacement sites. He expressed concern about potential changes to US deportation policies under President-elect Donald Trump, which may exacerbate hardships.

(With inputs from agencies.)