Rashaed Esson

Staff Writer

#Haiti, March 9, 2024 – Following speculations, it is now being reported that the recent gang uprising in Haiti was triggered by Prime Minister Ariel Henry’s signing of agreements with Kenya to allow them to legally enter Haiti. Now Henry is unable to go home.

Gangs are now outraged, the reason behind the major prison break and attack on the Toussaint Louverture International Airport.

Gang leader Jimmy Cherizier, who is considered one of the most powerful gang leaders in Haiti, the main force behind the recent spike in instability, was featured on CBC News:The National.  He warned of civil war if countries like the United States, The United Kingdom, and Canada continued to support Henry, who is illegally occupying office as of February 7th, 2024.

Cherizier and other gangs and gang leaders, even fellow Haitians, according to CBC News (Canada), are calling for Henry’s resignation.  It is for this reason they attempted to take control of the airport, in efforts to keep Henry out of the country, who is currently in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Reports say they didn’t manage to take control of the airport as forces fought back.  However, they are still more than capable of opening fire on the airport like they did last week.

Considering this, as well as the level of instability in the country, it wouldn’t be wise for Henry to even attempt to return to Haiti as expressed by Dan Foote, Former US Special Envoy for Haiti, featured on CBC.

He highlights Henry will more than likely be killed if he returns to Haiti where there isn’t and hasn’t been a government for far too long.

In fact, there is now a massive power vacuum as there hasn’t been an election in the Republic for years, leaving the position of any current official unconstitutional.

While the economic and social fabric of the nation deteriorates rapidly, humanitarian organizations are finding it difficult to reach vulnerable Haitians. But they refuse to give up, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), in a report. The report says organizations are making every effort to help Haitians as The World Food Programme and its partners have delivered over 7,600 meals to displaced Haitians currently living in four displacement sites

Also, the International Organization for Migration has distributed emergency shelter material to almost 650 families.

The OCHA also informed that the health system and health response are barely in operation with at least 3 main hospitals under forced closure along with several other health facilities, some of which have limited operations due to lack of medicine, employees and violence.

Photo Caption: CBC News Screenshot