| Haiti 16:32 - Mar 11 with 1592 views | WeWereZombies |
Been mentioned a few times on the 'photogate' thread that there are far worse things going on in the World at the moment than someone messing up their photo editing (sorry, Chelts, I meant post production...) and one of them is the seemingly dystopian fall of a nation of eleven million people into misrule by gang warfare. Again, another thread about fighting after the Cardiff game suggested that those responsible should be put into situations like this as a sort of kill or cure solution but my view is that violence begets violence. The latest from the BBC (rated as of ninth in the stories of interest to the viewing and listening public, the withdrawing of Kate's snap still most read) I find very sobering:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-68531759
'The situation is dire at the State University of Haiti Hospital, known as the general hospital, in downtown Port-au-Prince. There is no sign of any medical staff at all.
A dead body, covered by a sheet and swarming with flies, lies in a bed next to patients waiting in vain for treatment.
Despite the overpowering stench, no-one has come to remove the body. It is rapidly decomposing in the Caribbean heat.' |  |
| |  |
| Haiti on 20:50 - Mar 11 with 1400 views | DJR |
It is awful what is going on there and you do have to wonder if order will ever be restored, given an assassinated president a couple of years ago and a prime minister stranded outside the country.
Throw into the mix an earthquake and a recent mass jail break from two prisons, and things are looking pretty hopeless. [Post edited 11 Mar 21:09]
|  | | |
| Haiti on 10:05 - Mar 12 with 1204 views | Guthrum |
Indeed. See that Ariel Henry says this morning that he will resign. Not sure that will improve matters, just push the problem onto someone else.
Unfortunately, you can see why the Kenyans were not that keen to get involved. High likelihood of their people getting killed or wounded. |  |
| |
| Haiti on 10:36 - Mar 12 with 1173 views | WeWereZombies |
| Haiti on 10:05 - Mar 12 by Guthrum |
Indeed. See that Ariel Henry says this morning that he will resign. Not sure that will improve matters, just push the problem onto someone else.
Unfortunately, you can see why the Kenyans were not that keen to get involved. High likelihood of their people getting killed or wounded. |
Maybe typical of the bravado of Haitian leaders to declare that they will resign when they have already been stripped of power:
https://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/lead-stories/20240312/haiti-pm-out
Still encouraging that the commitment to fresh elections seems so resolute, if they can restore order in a short space of time they will be setting a decent example for one or two (or a dozen or more) parts of the World to follow.
Edit: original link has been replaced (but seems like the same story) [Post edited 12 Mar 10:43]
| |
| |
| Haiti on 11:22 - Mar 12 with 1129 views | Guthrum |
| Haiti on 10:36 - Mar 12 by WeWereZombies |
Maybe typical of the bravado of Haitian leaders to declare that they will resign when they have already been stripped of power:
https://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/lead-stories/20240312/haiti-pm-out
Still encouraging that the commitment to fresh elections seems so resolute, if they can restore order in a short space of time they will be setting a decent example for one or two (or a dozen or more) parts of the World to follow.
Edit: original link has been replaced (but seems like the same story) [Post edited 12 Mar 10:43]
|
The problem is that the gangs have now shown themselves willing to combine to attack (successfully in this case) anyone who intends to deal with the problem of their dominance. As things stand, don't hold a lot of hope for free and fair elections, or a government not under control of the gangs. | |
| |
| Haiti on 11:31 - Mar 12 with 1108 views | DanTheMan |
Weirdly I first started reading about this through Wikipedia as it was in their "In the news" section and I didn't realise how wild things had got there and how intertwined the gangs and politicians are.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gang_war_in_Haiti |  |
| |
| Haiti on 11:52 - Mar 12 with 1069 views | Guthrum |
| Haiti on 11:31 - Mar 12 by DanTheMan |
Weirdly I first started reading about this through Wikipedia as it was in their "In the news" section and I didn't realise how wild things had got there and how intertwined the gangs and politicians are.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gang_war_in_Haiti |
As so often, unemployment - especially among youths - is a big driver in the situation. Without legitimate work, joining a gang becomes the best option of getting some kind of income, plus social status of a sort. | |
| |
| Haiti on 14:05 - Mar 13 with 910 views | WeWereZombies |
| Haiti on 11:52 - Mar 12 by Guthrum |
As so often, unemployment - especially among youths - is a big driver in the situation. Without legitimate work, joining a gang becomes the best option of getting some kind of income, plus social status of a sort. |
Whilst it is true that gangs need members, and the more there are the more powerful they are likely to be, I doubt that explains why Haiti has gotten to the state it is in whereas, say, South Africa is still a functioning if flawed democracy ( https://static.poder360.com.br/2024/02/estudo-indice-de-democracia-2023-economis .) An interesting read has turned up on the BBC today:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-68534619
'Guy Philippe is another former police officer gone rogue. The 56-year-old helped lead the coup against President Bertrand Aristide in 2004.
In 2016, he ran for the Senate in Haiti and won. But days before he was sworn into office - which would have given him immunity from prosecution - he was arrested on drug-trafficking charges and extradited to the US.
He admitted taking bribes to protect narcotics shipments to the US while he was working as a senior police officer.
Philippe was repatriated to Haiti in November after serving his sentence, a move Michael Deibert describes as "pouring gasoline on an already raging fire"...Guy Philippe has openly expressed his desire to be Haiti's next president.' | |
| |
| Haiti on 01:36 - Apr 24 with 510 views | WeWereZombies |
BBC News - Haiti situation 'catastrophic' and growing worse, UN warns
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-68880579
'Three million children in Haiti are in need of humanitarian assistance as continuing gang violence hampers aid delivery, the head of the UN children's agency, Unicef, has said...Meanwhile, a transitional presidential council has still not been sworn in.' | |
| |
Login to get fewer ads
| Haiti on 07:47 - Apr 25 with 218 views | CoachRob |
I spoke to a student who is based in Port-au-Prince a couple of weeks ago and she talked about how cyclones had caused damage to plantations. This seems to have compounded things and tipped the nation towards collapse. I have not seen an attribution study to determine to what extent, if any, climate change contributed to this, but this vulnerability will play out across the world in coming decades.
It is worth pointing out that Greece suffered devastating flooding from Storm Daniel which has rendered agricultural land unusable for several years. The same storm led to thousands dying in Libya after infrastructure failed. At the EGU conference last week Subimal Ghosh was talking about India's vulnerability to climate change and the amount of people who rely on agriculture is very concerning. |  | | |
| |
By continuing to use the site, you agree to our use of cookies and to abide by our Terms and Conditions.
