Overall Risk Level
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Riskline / Country Report / 29 August 2021 HAITI Overall risk level High Reconsider travel Can be dangerous and may present unexpected security risks Travel is possible, but there is a potential for disruptions Overview Emergency Numbers Medical 116 Upcoming Events There are no upcoming events scheduled Riskline / Country Report / 29 August 2021 / Haiti 2 Travel Advisories Riskline / Country Report / 29 August 2021 / Haiti 3 High risk: Major earthquake in southern departments Reconsider travel to Grande-Anse, Sud, Sud-Est, Nippes and Ouest departments in the near-term due to extensive damage and associated disruptions following a major earthquake near Saint-Louis du Sud. On 14 August, a 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck 12km (7.5 miles) northeast of Saint-Louis du Sud, Sud department, at a shallow depth of 10km (6.2 miles) at around 08:30 local time (12:30 GMT). Local reports indicate that at least 2,189 people have been killed with some 12,200 more injured in Grande-Anse, Nippes and Sud departments, including in Les Cayes, Les Anglais, Jeremie, Maniche, Okay and Arniquet, following the earthquake. The death toll is expected to rise. Tens of thousands of buildings have also collapsed or been damaged, including hundreds in Port-au-Prince, Ouest department, and Jacmel, Sud-Est department, with over 30,000 families displaced and some 600,000 people affected. Emergency operations are ongoing following the earthquake and hospitals have so far been overwhelmed by patients. The emergency response was hindered due to flooding triggered by Tropical Depression (TD) Grace, which tracked over the country on 16-17 August. Anticipate major disruptions to travel and possible disruptions to services, including power, communications and water supplies in affected areas in the near- term. Note that there is an ongoing risk of destablising aftershocks; in case of aftershocks, take cover under and hold onto a strong piece of furniture such as a heavy desk or table that can provide you with air space if the building collapses. If you are not near a strong piece of furniture, crouch down and protect your head and face in an inner corner of a building; only stand in a doorway if you know it is strongly supported. Stay away from windows or glass panels. Hazardous tsunami waves are possible in the immediate aftermath of a shallow earthquake in coastal areas. In the event of a strong earthquake in coastal areas, relocate to higher ground away from the coast for the next several hours. Comply with emergency directives from local authorities and emergency management personnel. Check the status of intended travel routes prior to departure as some roads could be impassable. Avoid entering buildings that have been structurally damaged by the earthquake. Riskline / Country Report / 29 August 2021 / Haiti 4 High risk: Anti-corruption protests Reconsider travel to Haiti until further notice because of nationwide unrest. Haiti has been gripped by a series of violent protests and riots since early July 2018 that has left dozens of people dead including former president Jovenel Moïse who was assassinated on 7 July 2021. What began as social unrest in response to a proposed government hike in fuel prices has since morphed into an anti- corruption protest campaign, with deadly violence reigniting in November 2018 and again in February and September-December 2019 with sporadic killings reported at protests throughout 2020 and into 2021. Makeshift protest blockades have since been reported across Port-au-Prince, including at Carrefour de l’Aéroport, Delmas 23/32/40/48/60/75, Avenue John Brown, Rue Capois, Champ de Mars, Sans Fil, Place de la Constitution, Auto Plaza,Carrefour Gerald Bataille, Ministry of Justice and of Public Security (MJSP) in the Pétionville, Peguy Ville, Delmas, La Saline, Cité Soleil, Nazon, Bel- Air, Bourdon, Tabarre, Musseau, Turgeau, and Canapé-Vert areas and in Cap- Haïtien, Gonaïves, Hinche, Jeremie, Les Cayes, Port-de-Paix and Saint-Marc. Overland transport, including bus and taxi services, has been heavily disrupted and the majority of petrol stations have closed amid pro-opposition shutdown strikes. Local sources reported that new security forces dressed in black uniforms, and believed to consist partially of foreign soldiers, were seen on the streets among the General Security Unit of the National Palace (USGPN) forces, raising questions about the lack of support by Haiti National Police (HNP) to the president. To add to the sentiment, the police have held their own protests demanding better pay and working conditions. In February 2020, police exchanged gunfire with soldiers outside the National Palace amid such protest. The impunity that various armed groups are afforded are illustrated by incidents like these as well as by an uptick in kidnappings-for-ransom that continue as of May 2021. Disgruntled "Fantômes 509" police officers protested violently in Port-au-Prince after several of their colleagues were detained by Haitian security forces in connection to targeted attacks in September 2020 and in March 2021. Violent protest clashes erupted again on 17 October 2020 – the Dessalines Day – as thousands of people marched from Pétionville to Downtown Port-au-Prince, on 18 November 2020 – Battle of Vertieres commemoration day – and on 28 February amid nationwide protests calling for the resignation of former president Jovenel Moïse over corruption Riskline / Country Report / 29 August 2021 / Haiti 5 charges. Further protests are called on 28-30 March to mark the 34th anniversary of the Haitian Constitution of 29 March 1987. In Port-au-PrinceThe 'G9 Family and Allies' gang – which has allegedly united Port-au-Prince's warring factions and attacked Moïse’s political opponents, facing little resistance from authorities – banned protesters from entering areas under its control. On 7 July 2021, after Jovenel Moïse was assassinated by mercernaries at his home in the Petion-Ville area of the capital, Haiti's borders and international airports in Port-au-Prince and Cap-Haïtien were temporarily closed and martial law was temporarily imposed. Since the incident, borders and airports have reopened though the political and economic crisis that Haiti finds itself in will likely deepen as a result. Haiti’s Prime Minister Jack Guy Lafontant resigned on 14 July 2018 following a wave of violent protests and riots in Port-au-Prince and other cities in the country triggered by a government plan, backed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), to increase fuel prices upwards of 50 percent. The country’s inflation rate has exceeded 13 percent over the past three years and even basic goods, such as rice and cooking oil, are often not within reach for the poorest in the country. Both former president Jovenel Moïse and former prime minister Lafontant stated that maintaining security and preserving democracy was of the utmost importance; however, neither politician offered any concrete solution on how to make up the revenue that increases in petroleum products were supposed to bring. Moreover, both the government cabinet and the Senate have members who are believed to be involved in the misuse of public funds or tax evasion. Protests have erupted even during COVID-19 restrictions, and further protests are likely as tensions remain high and protesters continue to demand the resignation of leading politicians and press for new elections. Haiti plunged deeper into a constitutional crisis on 7 February 2021 after at least 23 opposition figures, including the Inspector General of the National Police of Haiti and Supreme Court Justice Yvickel Dabrézil, were arrested on charges of organising a coup against Moïse. Protest clashes erupted in Port-au-Prince on 8 February amid a general strike as opposition figures appointed Supreme Court Judge Joseph Mécène Jean-Louis as an interim president, claiming that Moïse’s term had ended on 7 February. A constitutional committee mounted by the president published a draft of a new constitution, which is to eliminate the Senate, strengthen the presidency, mandate military service and schedule all elections for every five years; after multiple postponements, a referendum is set to be held on 26 September with general Riskline / Country Report / 29 August 2021 / Haiti 6 elections slated for the same day. Reconsider travel to Haiti until further notice because of nationwide unrest. Political and social tensions remain high and protests may erupt without warning. Immediately seek shelter indoors in the event of violence. Security forces frequently employ a heavy-handed response in dispersing protests, and at times with fatal consequences. A lack of essential goods and supplies creates a heightened risk of looting and/or violence near supermarkets and at aid distribution centres. Exercise increased caution and vigilance, and do not walk alone in unlit areas due to the risk of opportunistic crime. The United States (US) Embassy in Port-au-Prince has previously advised its personnel to shelter-in-place amid clashes between police and anti-corruption protesters. The overbooking of flights has been reported at Toussaint Louverture International Airport; travellers are advised to confirm tickets and seats prior to departure for the airport. In-country expats are advised to contact their relevant consulates. Riskline / Country Report / 29 August 2021 / Haiti 7 Summary Haiti is a High Risk destination: reconsider travel. High Risk locations can be dangerous and may present unexpected security risks. Travel is possible, but there is a potential for severe or widespread disruptions. Covid-19 Medium Risk Authorities have been successful in keeping the infection rate considerably lower than neighbouring Dominican Republic. Case figures could be under-reported, as testing capacity is limited, particularly in the countryside. Then President Jovenel Moïse approved a state of health emergency and a nightly curfew in May, due to increasing COVID-19 infection rates. International flights were temporarily banned and borders closed as part of a state of siege imposed following the assassination of President Moïse on 7 July; international travel has resumed since.