Seeking refuge from gangs in Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Over 165,000 people fled their homes in recent years due to gang violence in Haiti. Peeling back the data from an IOM survey in March 2023 gives a look into where they came from, where they went, and how living conditions are now.
By Bennett Hanson
Photo: Anne Myriam Bolivar, Global Press Journal Haiti
Nearly one-third of Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital, is plagued by criminal activity and violence caused by an estimated 95 armed gangs, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Since June 1, 2021, the city has witnessed a sharp increase in deadly clashes between these rival gangs, fueled by shifts in gang alliances and ongoing territorial disputes. This escalation of violence has led to widespread insecurity which forced over 165,000 people to flee their homes into makeshift shelters and safer communities, leading to devastating consequences for much of the city.
The data analyzed below comes from the International Organization for Migration's Displacement Tracking Matrix, a joint data collection effort done in February and March 2023. That data shows the living conditions of over 127,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) in and around Port-au-Prince and can be found here.
According to IOM's data, the areas known as 6th Turgeau and 2nd Varreux (Canaan - Jerusalem) saw the largest waves of out-migration due to gang violence since 2020. Explore the map below to see how the various municipal sections in and around Port-au-Prince have been affected.
Let's compare this with a map of gangland territories. Note, however, that the accuracy of the map below is not certain and it should only be used to get a rough understanding of gang control at one point in early 2023.
Where are they seeking shelter? Most displaced people are seeking shelter in the commune of Port-au-Prince, followed by Delmas and Cité Soleil.
What are the sites like? About 82% of the sites visited by IOM are what are called "host communities," or simply, groups of nearby homes who allow displaced people to live in their homes. The rest are spontaneous, makeshift sites built at churches, schools, etc.
How many children are displaced? How many elderly? Of all the IDPs counted by IOM, half of the displaced were children (27,773 boys and 36,131 girls). People over the age of 60 made up just 6% of the displaced population.
Are there tensions between the IDPs and their host communities? Tension exists between the IDPs and their hosts in about a quarter of host communities (55 sites).
What kind of relief has been received? Very few sites had received any form of relief when IOM visited in February and March 2023. About 5% of sites had received food, health or cash assistance, while 4% received water and sanitation aid and less than 1% received education or psychosocial assistance.
Can humanitarian workers access these displacement sites? Yes, in about 81% of cases. In the cases when the sites aren't accessible, 60% of the time it's due to physical constraints; 40% of the time it's due to insecurity.
How many IDPs don't have identification documents? In about 39% of the IDP sites, the majority of displaced persons don't have personal identification documents, which makes it incredibly challenging to receive official aid from the government, or to use official channels of migration.
How many displaced people have died from cholera? At least 590 people in these displaced camps have died from cholera, a disease which has plagued Haiti for years.
To read more about this project, see the Github page.