'Extremely worrisome': Kidnappings of women, children surge in Haiti

‘Extremely worrisome’: Kidnappings of women, children surge in Haiti

UNICEF calls for immediate release of women and children as nearly 300 abductions are reported in first half of 2023.

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Haitian protesters in Port-au-Prince demand the release of US nurse Alix Dorsainvil and her daughter, who were kidnapped by armed men [Ralph Tedy Erol/Reuters]
Published On 7 Aug 20237 Aug 2023

Kidnappings of women and children are surging in Haiti as gang violence worsens, with the number of abductions in the first half of 2023 nearly reaching last year’s total. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said in a statement on Monday that close to 300 kidnappings have been reported in the Caribbean nation in the first six months of the year. Most often, the women and children were taken by armed groups “for financial or tactical gains”, said the agency. It called for the immediate release of those kidnapped. “Women and children are not commodities. They are not bargaining chips. And they must never be exposed to such unimaginable violence,” Garry Conille, UNICEF’s regional director for Latin America and the Caribbean, said in the statement.


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Gang violence has been on the rise across Haiti — particularly in the capital Port-au-Prince — after the July 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moise worsened widespread political instability.

The UN said in November that armed gangs controlled large swathes of the capital, where they carried out murders, kidnappings and sexual violence in an effort to expand their influence and “terrorise” residents. Healthcare facilities have been forced to temporarily close as a result of the violence, and thousands of people have fled their homes. “I have witnessed the remarkable resilience of Haitian children, women and families as they face seemingly insurmountable challenges, refusing to surrender,” UNICEF’s Conille said on Monday. “However, their bravery is being met with increasing, unthinkable terror. It must stop now.” The UN agency’s statement came days after United States nurse Alix Dorsainvil and her daughter were abducted near Port-au-Prince, spurring protests and calls for their release.
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A girl carries a sign that reads, ‘Free school is broken, release the nurse’, during a march to demand the release of a US nurse and her daughter in Port-au-Prince on July 31 [File: Odelyn Joseph/AP Photo]

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Late last year, Haiti’s acting prime minister, Ariel Henry, appealed for an international armed force to be deployed to Haiti to restore order and quell the violence.The demand enjoyed the backing of the United Nations and the US, but it also set off protests, as many Haitians rejected the prospect of foreign intervention.

Since then, efforts to mount a “multinational force” to assist Haiti have stalled. But Kenya said on July 29 that it was ready to lead such a mission, pending approval from the UN Security Council. The Haitian government welcomed Kenya’s statement, and the US Department of State said Washington would introduce a UN Security Council resolution with Ecuador to authorise the deployment.


Source: Al Jazeera and news agencies

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/8/7/extremely-worrisome-kidnappings-of-women-children-surge-in-haiti