more than 50,000 people fled the capital Port-au-Prince in the month of March alone

The vast majority left to escape the gang violence ravaging the Haitian capital, according to the International Organization for Migration.

The UN already qualifiedin the situation of “cataclysmic”. Between March 8 and 27, more than 50,000 people fled Port-au-Prince, the vast majority to escape the gang violence ravaging the Haitian capital. “In addition to creating movements within the [métropole de Port-au-Prince], “Attacks and widespread insecurity are pushing more and more people to leave the capital to find refuge in the provinces, taking the risks of passing through routes controlled by gangs.”notes the International Organization for Migration (IOM), in a study made public on Tuesday April 2.

The first conclusions reveal that 53,125 people left the metropolitan area during the period studied, of which 61% went to the departments of the Great South of the country, which already welcome “more than 116,000 people” having fled Port-au-Prince “during the past months”. Eight in 10 people have left because of gang violence and nearly six in 10 plan to stay away from the capital region “as long as necessary”.

Most Haitians take refuge with their families

More than half of people (53%) indicated that they chose their final destination because they came from there. Furthermore, almost all of the people questioned (97%) mentioned having a family who would welcome them.

Perhaps more surprisingly, when authorities in nearby countries feared a wave of refugees, 96% of those surveyed indicated they wanted to stay in Haiti. Only 3% want to go to the neighboring Dominican Republic, and less than 1% to the United States and Brazil.

Haiti has no longer had a president since the assassination of Jovenel Moïse in 2021 and no longer has a functioning Parliament. The last elections were held in 2016. Since late February, Haiti’s powerful gangs have joined forces to attack police stations, prisons, the airport and the seaport, in an effort to oust Prime Minister Ariel Henry. The latter announced his resignation on March 11, but the transition council supposed to name his successor has still not been formed, due to lack of agreement between the stakeholders.