- Haiti’s youth suffer as nation spirals into failed state
- Displaced families, including Sarah’s, live in dire conditions
- Nutrition programs in Cap-Haitien offer hope amid chaos
The 20-year-old was a computer science student residing in a Port-au-Prince suburb a year ago.
However, the nation that Haiti is swiftly transforming into a failed state has most significantly failed its youth.
Following the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021, months of unrest and political instability have culminated in the current outbreak of severe gang violence.
Thousands of people have been killed in the conflict thus far, ranging from those whose remains are strewn through the streets to Sarah and her family, who were evicted from their home in August and are now residing in an abandoned movie theatre.
Approximately one hundred families have established a provisional camp within the condemned structure, which is unfit for human habitation under normal circumstances. Sarah reports that the lack of running water and sewage is critically affecting their ability to locate food daily.
“We encounter food shortages and successes,” she explains with a fatigued tone.
With her infant grandson perched on her knee and her entire extended family present in the abandoned Rex Cinema camp, she presents herself as a considerably more mature individual.
She explains, “I go to school without any food, endure the day hungry, and then retire to bed with nothing in my stomach.”
There are numerous camp members afflicted with ailments. Sarah reports that contamination is currently circulating in their squatter community. Medication and drugs are frequently unaffordable for them, considering their food budget rarely covers the bare necessities.
She states that we can provide for a family of four adults for a day with six dollars. When they are unable to obtain those funds, they rely on meager donations and assistance. That may even exacerbate Sarah’s sense of loss rather than inspire the desperately needed compassion she requires.
She claims that there are instances where the staff presents aid as if it were a favor, and we feel humiliated as if we were utilizing their food instead of donating funds.
Sarah is among the over 360,000 individuals who are internally displaced in Haiti.
The delivery of humanitarian assistance from the Dominican Republic has commenced via helicopter. However, given that both the port and the airport in Port-au-Prince remain closed, significantly more is required weekly.
The ongoing political deadlock persists after the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry. Constantly, Haitians are informed that a seven-member transitional council sponsored by the United States is imminent.
However, neither permanent stability nor the assumption of power by the interim government in Haiti has yet occurred.
As the period of power vacuum persists, the security situation further deteriorates into a state of anarchy.
It precipitates a perfect storm of violence, politics, homelessness, and starvation that engulfs millions.
Many fled to Cap-Haitien, a northern coastal city that has housed thousands of individuals fleeing the capital, in quest of a port during that storm.
In terms of security, Cap-Haitien is relatively tranquil.
A senior municipal official informed me that whenever gangs attempted to establish themselves in a community, they were expelled swiftly through citizen support and police operations.
However, before becoming the primary safe refuge of the nation, the port city was already facing challenges in meeting the infrastructure demands of its populace, specifically in the areas of water and electricity.
Nonetheless, it appears that children have a greater opportunity in Cap-Haitien.
Jeselin Joseph, age six months, was critically malnourished several weeks ago. Thankfully, he was contentedly depleting a bottle of infant formula and regaining weight when I encountered him. His slightly distended abdomen and sagging skin, both of which are symptoms of malnutrition in children, persisted. However, his grandmother Elvire Desir laughed as he devoured his meal with ravenousness.
Jeselin was in a fortunate position. In the residential malnutrition center operated by Second Mile, a Haitian-run NGO, he was receiving treatment.
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Due to her illness, his mother has been incapable of providing him with care. The team was able to transfer him to the hospital, where he was started on an IV, after a series of indicators, including arm circumference, determined that his condition was critical.
Just outside of Cap-Haitien, cofounder Jenn Schenk informed me, “We have space to support 22 families,” as we strolled through their tranquil facility. On average, mothers remain with us for approximately four weeks.” However, we also conduct follow-up visits in their communities to ensure the children do not relapse into severe starvation and to continue reinforcing the program.
It appears to be operating. A mere 1% of the children will be readmitted to Second Mile in the future due to malnutrition.
A nutrition class was being conducted outdoors under a corrugated iron roof as we walked. The instructor instructed Creole on strategies for obtaining nutritious foods on a budget, as well as methods for diagnosing malnutrition in children and treating diarrhea in infants. These were straightforward, potentially life-saving lessons that could be implemented by families throughout Haiti.
As assistance is scarce and the main thoroughfares leading to and from Port-au-Prince are under the control of gangs, the Second Mile team has stocked up on emergency supplies while they are still accessible.
