Haiti’s prime minister landed in Puerto Rico on Tuesday, clearing uncertainty around his whereabouts since a trip to Kenya, but questions on how and when he will return to Haiti still linger as gangs back home push for his ouster.

Humanitarian aid groups say they are chronically under-funded and workers have struggled to keep delivering services due to the violence.

Following an assessment of 500 testimonies, it found many families were skipping food for a day, over half of children were out of school, and a lack of money meant many felt they had no choice but to join gangs. Some 30% to 50% of gang members are estimated to be minors, the group said.

Support from abroad has been scarce. The U.N last year authorized a security mission but a deployment date has not been set. As of late February, the U.N. said five nations had formally pledged troops, with less than $11 million deposited into a fund.

  • Evilcoleslaw@lemmy.worldEnglish
    61·
    9 months ago

    It also leaves out one of the huge factors in why Haiti is how it is. In 1825, after the revolution (and the subsequent genocide of Europeans in the country), Haiti made various proposals to the French for recognition of its independence. Eventually France rolled up to Port-au-Prince with over a dozen warships informing the Haitian government that it owed France 150 million francs over the next 5 years and in return would be recognized as independent.

    Haiti obviously could not repay that sum in five years, so they obtained loans from French banks and eventually American banks, principally the bank that eventually became Citibank. Even after a reduction to 90 million francs they still didn’t finish making payments until 1947.