A Quebec humanitarian worker, on her third mission to Haiti, has observed how the situation has deteriorated over the past 25 years in this country, where armed gangs now rule as kings and lords, terrorizing the local population.
“There is a blatant deterioration. Almost all the neighborhoods are controlled by gangs. If we want to travel, we have to pay fees. Three weeks ago, an entire bus was hijacked,” says Gaby Britton.
As the director of humanitarian affairs and partnerships at the international charity Save the Children, she saw the situation deteriorate during her assignments in 1997, 2015-2017 and 2024.
She arrived on the island of Hispaniola in January, moving between Les Cayes, Cap-Haïtien and the capital, Port-au-Prince, where she has been based since May and where armed groups control 80% of the territory.
“It was better after the 2010 earthquake, at least we could move around without fear,” she says.
crowded in schools
It is sad to see the streets deserted by people who have taken refuge in their homes or fled the country because of the looting. In the capital, only two hospitals out of five are functioning.
Once gangs take control of a neighborhood, people take refuge in churches and schools, the only places they feel safe.
At the National School of the Republic of Colombia, located west of Port-au-Prince, desks are used as beds.
Photo courtesy of Gaby Britton
“It's terrible. They are on the ground, they have almost no food, and I'm not talking about sanitary conditions. The corridors and stairs are full,” the humanitarian worker laments.
His work consists, among other things, of helping people leave their places by giving them an initial amount of $120 to meet their basic needs and then other financial aid so that they can move and even start a business.
Meanwhile, the organization is launching an emergency education program for children in nearby homes.
People took refuge at the National School of the Republic of Colombia, west of Port-au-Prince, after gangs looted their homes.
Photo courtesy of Gaby Britton
Every day, the humanitarian worker sees human tragedies, such as this woman who was no longer able to feed her five children and one of her five sons left her to join the gangs.
“She hasn’t heard from him, she doesn’t know what he’s doing. She risks being tarnished if society learns he’s gone to the gangs. He’s a danger to her and her life, she’s helpless,” she said.
Call for solidarity
MI Breton is the only Quebecer among 109 Save the Children staff in Haiti, most of whom are Haitians. She wants to send a message of solidarity “so that Haitians, especially children, are not forgotten.”
According to her, the Canadian government should be more involved, not just by supporting the national force. She stressed that “security is very important, but we also need to support education and the economic recovery program.”
