At least 40 migrants dead after boat catches fire off Haiti

A tragedy that illustrates the scale of the crisis in the poorest country in the Caribbean. A migrant boat caught fire off the coast of Haiti, killing at least 40 people and injuring several others, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) announced on Friday, July 19. “The ship, carrying more than 80 people, left Labadie [dans le nord d’Haïti] towards the Turks and Caicos Islands”, before the tragic fire, the IOM said in a statement.

At least 41 migrants have been rescued by the Haitian Coast Guard and are currently being cared for by IOM. Eleven others have been transported to a hospital for treatment, including for burns. “Haiti’s socio-economic situation is in agony. The extreme violence of recent months has only incited Haitians to resort to even more desperate measures.” to flee the country, reacted Grégoire Goodstein, head of the IOM mission in the country.

Since February 29, Haitian coastguards in the north of the country have observed an increase in the number of attempted and departing migrants by boat, IOM reports. “Lack of economic opportunities, collapse of the health system, school closures and lack of prospects are pushing many people to consider migration as the only means of survival”the organization continues.

Haiti, already in the grip of a deep political and security crisis, has been gripped by renewed violence since the beginning of the year, when several gangs joined forces, saying they wanted to overthrow the disputing Prime Minister Ariel Henry. Henry eventually resigned and was replaced by transitional authorities who are tasked with restoring security. The capital is 80% in the hands of gangs, accused of murder, rape, looting and kidnapping for ransom.