Brutal gang violence, fuel shortages and soaring food commodity prices have brought the capital city of Port-au-Prince in Haiti to a halt. According to United Nations estimates, approximately 234 people have lost their lives or got hurt in the violence, with new reports of sexual violence also coming to light.&nbsp;

According to deputy mayor Jean Hislain Frederick, the violence erupted in the Cite Soleil neighbourhood of the city last week (Thursday) when two rival gangs engaged in a bloody battle amongst themselves. Soon, the violence spread around and the entire city was in flames in no time.&nbsp;

According to the humanitarian organisation named Medecins Sans Frontieres, more colloquially known as Doctors Without Borders, thousands of people are trapped without drinking water, food or medical care. The aid organisation has been pleading with the armed groups to spare civilians. The aid outfit is also requesting the gangs&nbsp;to let them reach the isolated neighbourhood of Brooklyn that has been completely disconnected from the mainstream.&nbsp;

Meanwhile,&nbsp;Jeremy Laurence, spokesperson for&nbsp;UN Human Rights Office was quoted as saying, “Most of the victims were not directly involved in gangs and were directly targeted by gang elements. We have also received new reports of sexual violence,”&nbsp;&nbsp;

Read More:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/numerous-inmates-starve-to-death-in-haiti-prison-due-to-overcrowding-491471">Numerous inmates starve to death in Haiti prison due to overcrowding</a>

Jimmy Cherizier, nicknamed Barbecue, a former police officer is one of the main perpetrators and the leader of a gang named G-9. Last month, Cherizier was seen posting videos on various social media platforms to brainwash and recruit impressionable youngsters into joining his gang, whilst spreading his propaganda. &nbsp;

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Guerre des kulunas à Port-au-Prince, en Haïti—Les « G-Pèp » &amp; les « G-9 », 2 coalitions de gangs lourdement armés, se livrent des combats dans la capitale. Jimmy Chérizier alias Barbecue (à dr.) a même saisi des bulldozers pour raser des maisons.<a href="https://t.co/xvpI1oPh5s">https://t.co/xvpI1oPh5s</a> <a href="https://t.co/CdJ436a8nU">pic.twitter.com/CdJ436a8nU</a>
— alexengwete (@alexengwete) <a href="https://twitter.com/alexengwete/status/1548217221247160323?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 16, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The inaction of the law enforcement agencies has only bolstered the confidence of the gangs.&nbsp;United Nations’ World Food Programme (WFP) has already issued a warning that the hunger situation was set to worsen in the city as well as the country. Large-scale migration is expected to take place as ordinary Haitians flee for neighbouring Dominican Republic&nbsp;or leave the Carribean for United States.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Read More:<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/lawyers-fed-up-with-paralyzed-judicial-system-in-haiti-469577">&nbsp;Lawyers fed up with paralysed judicial system in Haiti</a>

(With inputs from agencies) 
 
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Brutal gang violence, fuel shortages and soaring food commodity prices have brought the capital city of Port-au-Prince in Haiti to a halt. According to United Nations estimates, approximately 234 people have lost their lives or got hurt in the violence, with new reports of sexual violence also coming to light.

Brutal gang violence, fuel shortages and soaring food commodity prices have brought the capital city of Port-au-Prince in Haiti to a halt. According to United Nations estimates, approximately 234 people have lost their lives or got hurt in the violence, with new reports of sexual violence also coming to light. According to deputy mayor Jean Hislain Frederick, the violence erupted in the Cite Soleil neighbourhood of the city last week (Thursday) when two rival gangs engaged in a bloody battle amongst themselves. Soon, the violence spread around and the entire city was in flames in no time. According to the humanitarian organisation named Medecins Sans Frontieres, more colloquially known as Doctors Without Borders, thousands of people are trapped without drinking water, food or medical care. The aid organisation has been pleading with the armed groups to spare civilians. The aid outfit is also requesting the gangs to let them reach the isolated neighbourhood of Brooklyn that has been completely disconnected from the mainstream. Meanwhile, Jeremy Laurence, spokesperson for UN Human Rights Office was quoted as saying, “Most of the victims were not directly involved in gangs and were directly targeted by gang elements. We have also received new reports of sexual violence,” Read More: Numerous inmates starve to death in Haiti prison due to overcrowding Jimmy Cherizier, nicknamed Barbecue, a former police officer is one of the main perpetrators and the leader of a gang named G-9. Last month, Cherizier was seen posting videos on various social media platforms to brainwash and recruit impressionable youngsters into joining his gang, whilst spreading his propaganda. Guerre des kulunas à Port-au-Prince, en Haïti—Les « G-Pèp » & les « G-9 », 2 coalitions de gangs lourdement armés, se livrent des combats dans la capitale. Jimmy Chérizier alias Barbecue (à dr.) a même saisi des bulldozers pour raser des maisons.https://t.co/xvpI1oPh5s pic.twitter.com/CdJ436a8nU — alexengwete (@alexengwete) July 16, 2022 × The inaction of the law enforcement agencies has only bolstered the confidence of the gangs. United Nations’ World Food Programme (WFP) has already issued a warning that the hunger situation was set to worsen in the city as well as the country. Large-scale migration is expected to take place as ordinary Haitians flee for neighbouring Dominican Republic or leave the Carribean for United States. Read More: Lawyers fed up with paralysed judicial system in Haiti (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

234 dead, thousands trapped without food, water or fuel; Haiti descends into chaos and anarchy

At an overcrowded prison in Haiti that ran out of food two months ago at least eight inmates have starved to death, adding to dozens of similar deaths this year as the country’s institutions crumble. Hunger and oppressive heat contributed to the inmates’ deaths reported this week by the prison in the southwest city of Les Cayes, Ronald Richemond, the city’s government commissioner, said on Thursday. He said the prison houses 833 inmates, as reported by AP.

Due to insufficient government funds, the country’s overcrowded prison system has long struggled to provide food and water to inmates. Prisoners in Haiti have the right to be provided with water and two meals a day.

The United Nations security council released a report last week saying 54 prison deaths related to malnutrition were documented in Haiti between January and April alone. It urged Haiti’s government “to take the necessary measures to find a long-lasting solution to the prison food, water and medicine crisis”.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/obama-pence-planned-parenthood-react-to-overturn-of-us-top-courts-1973-roe-vs-wade-judgement-491452">Roe vs Wade overturned: Biden, Obama, Planned Parenthood react to US top court judgement</a>

Michelle Karshan, co-founder of the non-profit Health Through Walls, which provides healthcare in Haiti’s prisons, told to The Guardian, “These deaths are very painful,” she said. “The internal organs start to fail one by one … It’s a horrible thing to witness.”

“The bottom line is the prison system has to take responsibility. They can’t sit back … They’re the government,” she added.

The cell occupancy rate in Haiti stands at more than 280% of capacity, with 83% of inmates stuck in pre-trial detentions that in some cases can drag on for more than a decade before an initial court appearance, according to the United Nations.&nbsp;

(with inputs from agencies) 
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At an overcrowded prison in Haiti that ran out of food two months ago at least eight inmates have starved to death, adding to dozens of similar deaths this year as the country’s institutions crumble.

At an overcrowded prison in Haiti that ran out of food two months ago at least eight inmates have starved to death, adding to dozens of similar deaths this year as the country’s institutions crumble. Hunger and oppressive heat contributed to the inmates’ deaths reported this week by the prison in the southwest city of Les Cayes, Ronald Richemond, the city’s government commissioner, said on Thursday. He said the prison houses 833 inmates, as reported by AP. Due to insufficient government funds, the country’s overcrowded prison system has long struggled to provide food and water to inmates. Prisoners in Haiti have the right to be provided with water and two meals a day. The United Nations security council released a report last week saying 54 prison deaths related to malnutrition were documented in Haiti between January and April alone. It urged Haiti’s government “to take the necessary measures to find a long-lasting solution to the prison food, water and medicine crisis”. Also Read: Roe vs Wade overturned: Biden, Obama, Planned Parenthood react to US top court judgement Michelle Karshan, co-founder of the non-profit Health Through Walls, which provides healthcare in Haiti’s prisons, told to The Guardian, “These deaths are very painful,” she said. “The internal organs start to fail one by one … It’s a horrible thing to witness.” “The bottom line is the prison system has to take responsibility. They can’t sit back … They’re the government,” she added. The cell occupancy rate in Haiti stands at more than 280% of capacity, with 83% of inmates stuck in pre-trial detentions that in some cases can drag on for more than a decade before an initial court appearance, according to the United Nations. (with inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Numerous inmates starve to death in Haiti prison due to overcrowding

In a stunning blue bay that spans the border of Haiti and the Dominican Republic, continuous violence has stalled the ongoing environmental work. Fishermen from both the countries aired their grievances in a rare face-to-face because of Marine Biologist Jean Weiner's efforts

Climate change: Loss of Marine Ecosystem in Haiti & Dominican Republic due to violence

In gang-ridden&nbsp;Haiti&nbsp;going to court has become so dangerous for&nbsp;lawyers&nbsp;that they avoid it altogether: at one lower-level tribunal no hearings or trials have been held for months.

"In February we had seven kidnappings within our ranks and one lawyer shot," Marie Suzy Legros, president of the bar association in Port-au-Prince, told AFP.

Legros was among dozens of robed&nbsp;lawyers&nbsp;who demonstrated Friday outside the home of Prime Minister Ariel Henry to complain about crime targeting attorneys in destitute and chaotic&nbsp;Haiti.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/one-journalist-killed-two-more-injured-as-haiti-police-open-fire-on-protesters-455920">One Journalist killed, two more injured as Haiti police open fire on protesters</a>

Moving the Palace of Justice is one of their main demands. Few&nbsp;lawyers&nbsp;dare even to go to this court complex because it is right next to a slum dominated by&nbsp;Haiti's most powerful gangs.

For years the gangs used to be based in these poorest of the poor areas, by the seaside in Port-au-Prince. But over time they grew in power and spread across the city and country, staging more and more murders and kidnappings for ransom.

So Haitian&nbsp;lawyers&nbsp;are exasperated and feel added frustration with a legal&nbsp;system&nbsp;lacking the resources to work properly.

Court attacked by gangs&nbsp;

Addressing the demand to move the court building, the government said it would create a sort of safety corridor manned by security forces so&nbsp;lawyers&nbsp;can actually get to court. But this idea never really got off the ground.

"Sometimes gang members go inside the court looking for accomplices or brothers, depending on what they call them, to help them escape," Legros added.

Watch | Cargo plane splits in 2 as it makes emergency landing

With the court&nbsp;system&nbsp;so&nbsp;paralyzed, overcrowding in&nbsp;Haiti's prisons -- among the highest in the world -- gets even worse.

The prison&nbsp;system&nbsp;has room for 3,000 inmates but holds more than 11,200, 80 percent of whom are simply waiting to go on trial, and some of them have been for years, according to penal officials. And the living conditions are deplorable.

Low pay, corruption&nbsp;

The&nbsp;judicial&nbsp;system&nbsp;will suffer another blow next week when court clerks go on an open-ended strike.

"Our working conditions are precarious in&nbsp;Haiti. There is no equipment, no computers. In some courts there is not even any paper," said Aine Martin, president of a national association of court clerks.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/dominican-republic-starts-building-border-wall-with-haiti-454949">Dominican Republic starts building border wall with Haiti</a>

Martin said pay is low -- at courts of first instance, at the bottom of the court hierarchy, as little as 150 dollars a month.

"You cannot live on that kind of wage and this is why there is so much corruption eating away at the Haitian&nbsp;judicial&nbsp;system," said Martin.

And the decrepit physical condition of the courts defies belief.

"Because the gutters are blocked, when it rains, water with garbage flows into the court. The&nbsp;lawyers' offices sometimes flood and there are files that cannot be saved," said Legros.

The Palace of Justice collapsed during the 2010 earthquake that killed more than 200,000 people in&nbsp;Haiti.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/in-haiti-garment-workers-protest-to-demand-higher-wages-454286">In Haiti, garment workers protest to demand higher wages</a>

"We broke ground on a new Palace of Justice in 2016, but since then nothing has been done," said Legros.&nbsp;

"With no court, the sense of impunity grows and without justice there is no country," she added.

Legros knows only too well how slowly the wheels of justice turn here. She took over the Port-au-Prince bar when her well known predecessor, Monferrier Dorval, was shot and killed outside his home in August 2020.

To this day no arrests have been made in that case.

Even the probe into the murder of president Jovenel Moise in July 2021 is going nowhere.

A fourth investigating magistrate was named to the case in March, but a month later this judge said he had not even received the case file or any resources with which to work.

In gang-ridden Haiti going to court has become so dangerous for lawyers that they avoid it altogether: at one lower-level tribunal no hearings or trials have been held for months.

In gang-ridden Haiti going to court has become so dangerous for lawyers that they avoid it altogether: at one lower-level tribunal no hearings or trials have been held for months. "In February we had seven kidnappings within our ranks and one lawyer shot," Marie Suzy Legros, president of the bar association in Port-au-Prince, told AFP. Legros was among dozens of robed lawyers who demonstrated Friday outside the home of Prime Minister Ariel Henry to complain about crime targeting attorneys in destitute and chaotic Haiti. Also read | One Journalist killed, two more injured as Haiti police open fire on protesters Moving the Palace of Justice is one of their main demands. Few lawyers dare even to go to this court complex because it is right next to a slum dominated by Haiti's most powerful gangs. For years the gangs used to be based in these poorest of the poor areas, by the seaside in Port-au-Prince. But over time they grew in power and spread across the city and country, staging more and more murders and kidnappings for ransom. So Haitian lawyers are exasperated and feel added frustration with a legal system lacking the resources to work properly. Court attacked by gangs Addressing the demand to move the court building, the government said it would create a sort of safety corridor manned by security forces so lawyers can actually get to court. But this idea never really got off the ground. "Sometimes gang members go inside the court looking for accomplices or brothers, depending on what they call them, to help them escape," Legros added. Watch | Cargo plane splits in 2 as it makes emergency landing With the court system so paralyzed, overcrowding in Haiti's prisons -- among the highest in the world -- gets even worse. The prison system has room for 3,000 inmates but holds more than 11,200, 80 percent of whom are simply waiting to go on trial, and some of them have been for years, according to penal officials. And the living conditions are deplorable. Low pay, corruption The judicial system will suffer another blow next week when court clerks go on an open-ended strike. "Our working conditions are precarious in Haiti. There is no equipment, no computers. In some courts there is not even any paper," said Aine Martin, president of a national association of court clerks. Also read | Dominican Republic starts building border wall with Haiti Martin said pay is low -- at courts of first instance, at the bottom of the court hierarchy, as little as 150 dollars a month. "You cannot live on that kind of wage and this is why there is so much corruption eating away at the Haitian judicial system," said Martin. And the decrepit physical condition of the courts defies belief. "Because the gutters are blocked, when it rains, water with garbage flows into the court. The lawyers' offices sometimes flood and there are files that cannot be saved," said Legros. The Palace of Justice collapsed during the 2010 earthquake that killed more than 200,000 people in Haiti. Also read | In Haiti, garment workers protest to demand higher wages "We broke ground on a new Palace of Justice in 2016, but since then nothing has been done," said Legros. "With no court, the sense of impunity grows and without justice there is no country," she added. Legros knows only too well how slowly the wheels of justice turn here. She took over the Port-au-Prince bar when her well known predecessor, Monferrier Dorval, was shot and killed outside his home in August 2020. To this day no arrests have been made in that case. Even the probe into the murder of president Jovenel Moise in July 2021 is going nowhere. A fourth investigating magistrate was named to the case in March, but a month later this judge said he had not even received the case file or any resources with which to work.

Lawyers fed up with paralysed judicial system in Haiti

A UK watchdog has accused the government of not listening to the victims of the "sex for aid" scandal and failing to tackle abuse in the humanitarian sector.

The case pertains to a revelation that Oxfam employees sexually exploited victims of the 2010 Haiti earthquake, following which the British government in 2018 launched an initiative to tackle sexual exploitation in the aid sector.

The government held an international safeguarding summit to tackle the problem.

The Independent Commission for Aid Impact (Icai) said the government failed to tackle the issue as it was adopting a "top-down" approach.

In the report, the agency said the government needed to listen to and learn from recipients of aid who remained reluctant to report abuse allegations.

"The UK has played an important role in galvanising international action on protecting people from sexual exploitation and abuse in humanitarian crises," The Guardian quoted Icai’s commissioner, Sir Hugh Bayley, as saying.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/oxfam-says-former-haiti-director-admitted-hiring-sex-workers-33343">Oxfam says former Haiti director admitted hiring sex workers</a>

But its top-down approach requires those delivering UK aid to spend more time reporting back to the FCDO [Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office] than listening to the people they are seeking to protect and addressing their needs.

Their report found that abuse cases were still underreported.

Citing a survey done in Uganda, Icai said it found people were hesitant to report cases to agencies because of long investigation processes and concerns about corruption and not being believed.

Mechanisms for dealing with complaints were often overwhelmed because they dealt with a broad range of safeguarding issues beyond sexual exploitation, Icai added.

Stephanie Draper, chief executive of Bond, a network of charities and NGOs in the UK, told the Guardian that FCDO had "taken important steps" but progress was being held back by a lack of data "around incidents of sexual exploitation and abuse and what works where and how to address and prevent it".

(With inputs from agencies)

A UK watchdog has accused the government of not listening to the victims of the "sex for aid" scandal and failing to tackle abuse in the humanitarian sector. The case pertains to a revelation that Oxfam employees sexually exploited victims of the 2010 Haiti earthquake, following which the British government in 2018 launched an initiative to tackle sexual exploitation in the aid sector.

A UK watchdog has accused the government of not listening to the victims of the "sex for aid" scandal and failing to tackle abuse in the humanitarian sector. The case pertains to a revelation that Oxfam employees sexually exploited victims of the 2010 Haiti earthquake, following which the British government in 2018 launched an initiative to tackle sexual exploitation in the aid sector. The government held an international safeguarding summit to tackle the problem. The Independent Commission for Aid Impact (Icai) said the government failed to tackle the issue as it was adopting a "top-down" approach. In the report, the agency said the government needed to listen to and learn from recipients of aid who remained reluctant to report abuse allegations. "The UK has played an important role in galvanising international action on protecting people from sexual exploitation and abuse in humanitarian crises," The Guardian quoted Icai’s commissioner, Sir Hugh Bayley, as saying. Also read | Oxfam says former Haiti director admitted hiring sex workers But its top-down approach requires those delivering UK aid to spend more time reporting back to the FCDO [Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office] than listening to the people they are seeking to protect and addressing their needs. Their report found that abuse cases were still underreported. Citing a survey done in Uganda, Icai said it found people were hesitant to report cases to agencies because of long investigation processes and concerns about corruption and not being believed. Mechanisms for dealing with complaints were often overwhelmed because they dealt with a broad range of safeguarding issues beyond sexual exploitation, Icai added. Stephanie Draper, chief executive of Bond, a network of charities and NGOs in the UK, told the Guardian that FCDO had "taken important steps" but progress was being held back by a lack of data "around incidents of sexual exploitation and abuse and what works where and how to address and prevent it". (With inputs from agencies)

UK government failed to listen to victims of ‘sex for aid’ scandal, says watchdog

One Journalist killed, two more injured as Haiti police open fire on protesters

The&nbsp;Dominican&nbsp;government on Sunday began&nbsp;building&nbsp;a&nbsp;wall&nbsp;that will cover almost half of the 392-kilometre (244 miles)&nbsp;border&nbsp;with&nbsp;Haiti, its only land neighbour, to stop irregular migration and the smuggling of goods, weapons and drugs.

While the two countries share the island of Hispaniola, they are worlds apart in terms of development.

Crime-plagued&nbsp;Haiti&nbsp;is one of the poorest nations in the Americas while the&nbsp;Dominican&nbsp;Republic, a popular Caribbean tourist destination, has prospered in recent decades amid marked political stability.

Many&nbsp;Haitians cross the&nbsp;border&nbsp;clandestinely in search of work in the fields or in the construction industry in the&nbsp;Dominican&nbsp;Republic.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/in-haiti-garment-workers-protest-to-demand-higher-wages-454286">In Haiti, garment workers protest to demand higher wages</a>

"The benefit for both nations will be of great importance," said&nbsp;Dominican&nbsp;President Luis Abinader shortly before pushing the button to begin pouring concrete into the foundations of what will be the&nbsp;wall&nbsp;in the province of Dajabón, some 230 kilometres northwest of the capital.

About 500,000&nbsp;Haitians and tens of thousands of their descendants live in the&nbsp;Dominican&nbsp;Republic, a Spanish-speaking nation of about 11 million people, according to the most recent immigration survey conducted in 2018.

Abinader estimated the&nbsp;border&nbsp;wall&nbsp;will reduce the smuggling of commercial goods, weapons and help fight organized crime in both nations.

Also read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/why-is-everyone-going-to-the-dominican-republic-448722">&nbsp;Why is everyone going to the Dominican Republic?</a>

He started the project, which aims to build a 164-kilometre&nbsp;wall, ahead of the anniversary of the Dominican Republic's independence from&nbsp;Haiti&nbsp;on Feb. 27, 1844.

Abinader said the first phase of the project will be completed within nine months at the latest.

The 20-centimetre-thick concrete&nbsp;wall&nbsp;topped by a metal mesh will be 3.9 meters (12.8 ft) high and will have fibre optics for communications, movement sensors, cameras, radars and drones.&nbsp;

The project also includes the construction of 70 watchtowers and 41 access gates for patrolling.&nbsp;

The Dominican government on Sunday began building a wall that will cover almost half of the 392-kilometre (244 miles) border with Haiti, its only land neighbour, to stop irregular migration and the smuggling of goods, weapons and drugs.

The Dominican government on Sunday began building a wall that will cover almost half of the 392-kilometre (244 miles) border with Haiti, its only land neighbour, to stop irregular migration and the smuggling of goods, weapons and drugs. While the two countries share the island of Hispaniola, they are worlds apart in terms of development. Crime-plagued Haiti is one of the poorest nations in the Americas while the Dominican Republic, a popular Caribbean tourist destination, has prospered in recent decades amid marked political stability. Many Haitians cross the border clandestinely in search of work in the fields or in the construction industry in the Dominican Republic. Also read | In Haiti, garment workers protest to demand higher wages "The benefit for both nations will be of great importance," said Dominican President Luis Abinader shortly before pushing the button to begin pouring concrete into the foundations of what will be the wall in the province of Dajabón, some 230 kilometres northwest of the capital. About 500,000 Haitians and tens of thousands of their descendants live in the Dominican Republic, a Spanish-speaking nation of about 11 million people, according to the most recent immigration survey conducted in 2018. Abinader estimated the border wall will reduce the smuggling of commercial goods, weapons and help fight organized crime in both nations. Also read | Why is everyone going to the Dominican Republic? He started the project, which aims to build a 164-kilometre wall, ahead of the anniversary of the Dominican Republic's independence from Haiti on Feb. 27, 1844. Abinader said the first phase of the project will be completed within nine months at the latest. The 20-centimetre-thick concrete wall topped by a metal mesh will be 3.9 meters (12.8 ft) high and will have fibre optics for communications, movement sensors, cameras, radars and drones. The project also includes the construction of 70 watchtowers and 41 access gates for patrolling.

Dominican Republic starts building border wall with Haiti

In Haiti, garment workers protest to demand higher wages

The Jamaican national police on Saturday (January 15) said that a former Haitian senator has been detained by the authorities in the murder of Haitian President Jovenel Moise.&nbsp;

The detained senator was a key suspect in the murder of President Moise, who was a Haitian entrepreneur and politician and served as the President of Haiti from 2017 until his assassination in 2021.

Moise died when assassins armed with assault rifles shot him down after storming his private residence in the hills above Port-au-Prince on July 7.&nbsp;

The killing had sparked a major manhunt and investigations across several countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Dennis Brooks, who is a Jamaica Constabulary Force spokesman confirmed to Reuters that John Joel Joseph was arrested by the authorities on Friday.&nbsp;

John Joel Joseph is a well-known Haitian politician, however, it was also unclear where Joseph was arrested in Jamaica.&nbsp;

After the confirmation, Brooks declined to comment on whether the arrest was following a request by the US Federal Bureau of Investigations, which is also investigating the murder.&nbsp;

Haiti has arrested dozens of people following the July murder that left a political vacuum in the Caribbean nation. But it has not charged anyone, and the investigation has drawn complaints in that country about delays and intimidation of officials.

(With inputs from agencies)

The Jamaican national police on Saturday (January 15) said that a former Haitian senator has been detained by the authorities in the murder of Haitian President Jovenel Moise.

The Jamaican national police on Saturday (January 15) said that a former Haitian senator has been detained by the authorities in the murder of Haitian President Jovenel Moise. The detained senator was a key suspect in the murder of President Moise, who was a Haitian entrepreneur and politician and served as the President of Haiti from 2017 until his assassination in 2021. Moise died when assassins armed with assault rifles shot him down after storming his private residence in the hills above Port-au-Prince on July 7. The killing had sparked a major manhunt and investigations across several countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. Dennis Brooks, who is a Jamaica Constabulary Force spokesman confirmed to Reuters that John Joel Joseph was arrested by the authorities on Friday. John Joel Joseph is a well-known Haitian politician, however, it was also unclear where Joseph was arrested in Jamaica. After the confirmation, Brooks declined to comment on whether the arrest was following a request by the US Federal Bureau of Investigations, which is also investigating the murder. Haiti has arrested dozens of people following the July murder that left a political vacuum in the Caribbean nation. But it has not charged anyone, and the investigation has drawn complaints in that country about delays and intimidation of officials. (With inputs from agencies)

Jamaican authorities detain a former senator, key suspect in assassination of Haitian president

Two Haitian journalists were shot and then burnt alive by a gang in the country's capital, Port-au-Prince, according to media reports.

The gruesome incident comes days after unidentified gunmen attempted to kill the country’s Prime Minister Ariel Henry after he vowed to crack down the gangs involved in the wave of kidnappings across the country.

According to reports, the two journalists —Wilguens Louissaint and John Wesley Amady —recently travelled to an area where rival gangs are fighting for control.

According to CNN, a third journalist managed to escape.

The motive and details of Thursday’s attack remain unclear. But according to local media, they may have been trying to interview one of the rival leaders.

Haitian media outlet Radio Écoute FM confirmed that one of its journalists, Amady, was killed in the attack.

In a statement posted on Facebook, Écoute FM said he was “savagely” killed while reporting on the area. It suggested that one of the gangs was behind the deaths.

It is being reported that a gang was had been brewing for the control of Laboule 12 place, just to the south of the capital.

Haiti’s law and order situation has been on the decline ever since the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in July.

The United States on Tuesday arrested a Colombian man for his alleged involvement in Moise's assassination.

Police have been largely ineffective to contain the gang wars. They have failed to organise any large-scale operations to tackle gang violence in the country since March 2021, when four police officers were killed in an attempted raid in a Port-au-Prince neighbourhood.

(With inputs from agencies)

Two Haitian journalists were shot and then burnt alive by a gang in the country's capital, Port-au-Prince, according to media reports. The gruesome incident comes days after unidentified gunmen attempted to kill the country’s Prime Minister Ariel Henry after he vowed to crack down the gangs involved in the wave of kidnappings across the country.

Two Haitian journalists were shot and then burnt alive by a gang in the country's capital, Port-au-Prince, according to media reports. The gruesome incident comes days after unidentified gunmen attempted to kill the country’s Prime Minister Ariel Henry after he vowed to crack down the gangs involved in the wave of kidnappings across the country. According to reports, the two journalists —Wilguens Louissaint and John Wesley Amady —recently travelled to an area where rival gangs are fighting for control. According to CNN, a third journalist managed to escape. The motive and details of Thursday’s attack remain unclear. But according to local media, they may have been trying to interview one of the rival leaders. Haitian media outlet Radio Écoute FM confirmed that one of its journalists, Amady, was killed in the attack. In a statement posted on Facebook, Écoute FM said he was “savagely” killed while reporting on the area. It suggested that one of the gangs was behind the deaths. It is being reported that a gang was had been brewing for the control of Laboule 12 place, just to the south of the capital. Haiti’s law and order situation has been on the decline ever since the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in July. The United States on Tuesday arrested a Colombian man for his alleged involvement in Moise's assassination. Police have been largely ineffective to contain the gang wars. They have failed to organise any large-scale operations to tackle gang violence in the country since March 2021, when four police officers were killed in an attempted raid in a Port-au-Prince neighbourhood. (With inputs from agencies)

Two journalists burnt alive amid gang war in Haiti

Haiti Prime Minister Ariel Henry has survived an assassination attempt at a church in the northern city of Gonaives where the ceremony marking the 218th anniversary of independence was taking place.

Haiti PM Ariel Henry survives assassination attempt

A mix of meat, vegetables, pasta and the squash for which it is named, Haitians enjoy joumou soup every January 1 to celebrate the new year and their country's independence. Before it became a symbol of Haiti's freedom, the soup was one of oppression.

Haiti's traditional joumou soup reminds of country's independence

At least 60&nbsp;people have lost their lives in a gas tanker explosion in Haitian city of Cap-Haitien. The blast took place on Tuesday morning as per local time.

"I saw on the scene between 50 and 54 people burned alive," Deputy Mayor Patrick Almonor said. "It is impossible to identify them."

He later said that the death toll had increased to 60

Almonor also said "about 20" houses in the area were set ablaze by the explosion.&nbsp;

"We can't yet give details on the number of people inside the houses," he said.

Haiti is in the midst of a severe fuel shortage as gangs have seized gas lines. 
 
Haitian authorities searched for victims of a fuel truck explosion, amid accusations that surrounding villagers attempted to steal fuel from the vehicle before it exploded.

On Tuesday, hundreds of people remained at the blast site, including stunned neighbours searching for loved ones among the ruined homes and workers attempting to disassemble the burned remnants of the truck for scrap metal.&nbsp;

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Fuel tank explodes killing at least 40 in the city of Cap-Haitien – dozens injured in blast.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Haiti?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Haiti</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/explosion?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#explosion</a> <a href="https://t.co/hWi36wSCTs">pic.twitter.com/hWi36wSCTs</a>
— shahinur (@shahinu_r) <a href="https://twitter.com/shahinu_r/status/1470749596674494464?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 14, 2021</a></blockquote>
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(The video above has not been independently verified by WION.)

Haitian newspaper Le Nouvelliste quoted Patrick Almonor of the Cap-Haitien municipal commission as saying, "Local residents were flocking to the truck when the explosion occurred."

Severe fuel shortages in recent months have left many Haitians desperate to ensure supplies of gasoline.

Earlier, rescue workers loaded bodies covered in white sheets onto trucks to be taken away. The blast damaged nearby houses and shops and destroyed motorbikes and cars.

Prime Minister Ariel Henry visited the Justinien University Hospital, where most of the victims are being treated. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

At least 60 people have lost their lives in a gas tanker explosion in Haitian city of Cap-Haitien. The blast took place on Tuesday morning as per local time. "I saw on the scene between 50 and 54 people burned alive," Deputy Mayor Patrick Almonor said.

At least 60 people have lost their lives in a gas tanker explosion in Haitian city of Cap-Haitien. The blast took place on Tuesday morning as per local time. "I saw on the scene between 50 and 54 people burned alive," Deputy Mayor Patrick Almonor said. "It is impossible to identify them." He later said that the death toll had increased to 60 Almonor also said "about 20" houses in the area were set ablaze by the explosion. "We can't yet give details on the number of people inside the houses," he said. Haiti is in the midst of a severe fuel shortage as gangs have seized gas lines. Haitian authorities searched for victims of a fuel truck explosion, amid accusations that surrounding villagers attempted to steal fuel from the vehicle before it exploded. On Tuesday, hundreds of people remained at the blast site, including stunned neighbours searching for loved ones among the ruined homes and workers attempting to disassemble the burned remnants of the truck for scrap metal. Fuel tank explodes killing at least 40 in the city of Cap-Haitien – dozens injured in blast.#Haiti #explosion pic.twitter.com/hWi36wSCTs — shahinur (@shahinu_r) December 14, 2021 × (The video above has not been independently verified by WION.) Haitian newspaper Le Nouvelliste quoted Patrick Almonor of the Cap-Haitien municipal commission as saying, "Local residents were flocking to the truck when the explosion occurred." Severe fuel shortages in recent months have left many Haitians desperate to ensure supplies of gasoline. Earlier, rescue workers loaded bodies covered in white sheets onto trucks to be taken away. The blast damaged nearby houses and shops and destroyed motorbikes and cars. Prime Minister Ariel Henry visited the Justinien University Hospital, where most of the victims are being treated. (With inputs from agencies)

Haiti: At least 60 dead in gas tanker explosion

President Jovenel Moïse of Haiti was about to name names.

Before being assassinated in July, he had been working on a list of powerful politicians and businesspeople involved in Haiti’s drug trade, with the intention of handing over the dossier to the US&nbsp;government, according to four senior Haitian advisers and officials tasked with drafting the document.

The president had ordered the officials to spare no one, not even the power brokers who had helped propel him into office, they said — one of several moves against suspected drug traffickers that could explain a motive for the assassination.

When gunmen burst into Moïse’s residence and killed him in his bedroom, his wife, Martine Moïse — who had also been shot and lay bleeding on the floor, pretending to be dead — described how they stayed to search the room, hurriedly digging through his files.

“‘That’s it,’ ” they finally declared to one another before fleeing, she told The New York Times in her first interview after the assassination, adding that she did not know what the gunmen had taken.

Investigators arrived at the crime scene to find Jovenel Moïse’s home office ransacked, papers strewn everywhere. In interrogations, some of the captured hit men confessed that retrieving the list Moïse had been working on — with the names of suspected drug traffickers — was a top priority, according to three senior Haitian officials with knowledge of the investigation.

The document was part of a broader series of clashes Moïse had with powerful political and business figures, some suspected of narcotics and arms trafficking. Moïse had known several of them for years, and they felt betrayed by his turn against them, his aides say.

In the months before his death, Moïse took steps to clean up Haiti’s customs department, nationalize a seaport with a history of smuggling, destroy an airstrip used by drug traffickers and investigate the lucrative eel trade, which has recently been identified as a conduit for money laundering.

The Times interviewed more than 70 people and traveled to eight of Haiti’s 10 departments, or states, to interview politicians, Moïse’s childhood friends, police officers, fishermen and participants in the drug trade to understand what happened in the last seven months of the president’s life that may have contributed to his death. Many of them now fear for their lives as well.

“I would be a fool to think that narco-trafficking and arms trafficking didn’t play a role in the assassination,” said Daniel Foote, who served as the U.S. special envoy to Haiti before stepping down last month.

A central figure on Moïse’s list was Charles Saint-Rémy, known as Kiko, two of the Haitian officials tasked with helping draft the dossier said. Saint-Rémy, a Haitian businessman, has long been suspected by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration of involvement in the drug trade. Notably, he is also the brother-in-law of former President Michel Martelly, who lifted Moïse out of political obscurity and tapped him to be his successor.

Martelly, who is considering another run for the presidency, and Saint-Rémy were hugely influential in Moïse’s government, with a say in everything from who got public contracts to which Cabinet ministers got appointed, according to Haitian officials inside and outside his administration. But Moïse came to feel that they and other oligarchs were stifling his presidency, his aides say.

American officials say that they are looking closely at Moïse’s efforts to disrupt the drug trade and challenge powerful families as motives in the assassination, and they note that Saint-Rémy emerged as a possible suspect early in the investigation. But they caution that Moïse threatened many of the economic elite, including a number of people with deep criminal connections.

Martelly and Saint-Rémy did not respond to a detailed list of questions for this article.

The investigation into Moïse’s killing has stalled, American officials say, and if the assassination is not solved, many Haitians fear it will add to the mountain of impunity in the country, further emboldening the criminal networks that have captured the state.

‘The True Leader Wasn’t the President’

When Moïse was chosen by Martelly in 2014 to be his successor, Martelly introduced the nation to a supposed outsider with peasant origins, a man of the countryside who had lifted himself out of poverty by running banana plantations.

Martelly’s associates said he first met Moïse during a conference and was struck by the entrepreneur’s business acumen.

But the story was misleading: Moïse had mostly grown up in the capital, several of the original board members of his banana plantation say it was a failure, and Moïse was already a close associate of Saint-Rémy and at least one other suspected drug trafficker.

Moïse, 53 at the time of his assassination, was born in Trou-du-Nord, French for “hole of the North,” an agricultural town that has suffered under decades of government neglect.

When Moïse was 7, his mother moved him and his siblings to Carrefour, a slum of Port-au-Prince. In university, Moïse met his wife, and they moved together to her hometown, Port-de-Paix, in the northwest.

By 2000, Moïse had met and become business partners with Evinx Daniel, according to relatives and acquaintances of both men. Daniel, a close friend of Martelly’s, would later be accused of drug trafficking.

Moïse worked with Daniel on one of his ventures, Mariella Food Products, which produced biscuits. A former high-ranking Haitian police officer said the company was suspected of being a money laundering front.

Saint-Rémy has publicly admitted that he sold drugs in the past but claims all his businesses are now legitimate. Haitian law enforcement officials and former DEA officers who recently served in Haiti say he is still believed to be one of the country’s biggest drug traffickers.

Jacques Jean Kinan, Moïse’s cousin, said he and Moïse worked with Saint-Rémy in the eel industry.

With his brother-in-law as president, Saint-Rémy wielded enormous influence, often demanding that choice licenses and contracts be awarded to him, particularly eel export licenses, according to officials in Martelly’s government.

When his demands were not heeded, he could turn violent: In 2015, Saint-Rémy assaulted an agriculture minister for issuing a contract without his consent, an altercation reported at the time and confirmed by a former government minister.

As Saint-Rémy’s hold on the eel trade solidified, Moïse decided to get out of the sector and focus on Agritrans, a banana plantation near his hometown.

Barred by the constitution from running for two consecutive terms, Martelly began looking for a successor. He wanted to find someone to keep the bench warm for him until he could launch another presidential bid and shield himself from corruption allegations involving the misappropriation of billions of dollars during his tenure, according to former officials in the Martelly and Moïse administrations.

He settled on Moïse, marketing him as a successful entrepreneur and nicknaming him the “Banana Man” on the campaign trail.

In interviews, three of the original board members of Agritrans described the venture as a failure, with their original investments lost and little but a barren field to show for it.

But as Martelly contemplated a successor, the company received a $6 million loan from the government.

When he won and took over the presidency in 2017, Moïse felt suffocated by Martelly but remained loyal to him, his aides said.

“The true leader wasn’t the president,” said Gabriel Fortuné, a close adviser to Moïse who died in an earthquake a day after speaking with the Times. “It was his godfather, Martelly. When we talk about the godfather we are talking about the Italian way,” he added, “the family.”

‘They Will Kill Me’

As Moïse settled into office, he soon realized that the withering control Martelly and his family exerted on the campaign trail extended to his personal security, several officials said.

Moïse inherited Dimitri Hérard, a pivotal member of Martelly’s presidential security force who became the head of the police unit protecting Moïse’s presidential palace

Hérard was also a drug-trafficking suspect. In 2015, when a Panamanian-flagged cargo ship docked in Port-au-Prince with 1,100 kilograms of cocaine and heroin aboard, Hérard was seen commanding police officers in uniform to load the drugs into vehicles before speeding off with them, according to a witness and Keith McNichols, a former DEA agent stationed in Haiti who led the agency’s investigation into the missing drug shipment.

Moïse deeply mistrusted Hérard, according to several presidential advisers and an international diplomat the president confided in.

Hérard, now in detention as a suspect in the assassination, could not be reached for comment.

In January, Hérard ordered about 260 weapons from Turkey — including M4 carbines and handguns — making out the order to the presidential palace, Fortuné and a former security official said. Hérard sold most of the weapons to gangs and businesses.

Moïse’s relationship with the presidential security forces, already on tenterhooks, further soured. But that changed in February, when Hérard claimed to have foiled a coup attempt against Moïse.

After the coup scare, Moïse went on the offensive, publicly blasting Haiti’s oligarchs and political elite for trying to kill him, including in one of his final interviews with the Times before his death.

Behind the scenes, Haitian officials say, Moïse began working to take down his perceived enemies.

In February, Josua Alusma, mayor of Port-du-Paix and a close Moïse ally, ordered a crackdown on the eel trade, the industry dominated by Saint-Rémy.

The same month, the president also started to discuss plans to nationalize a seaport owned by allies of Martelly, where several shipments of illegal weapons have been found and seized over the years, two senior Haitian officials said.

“Jovenel told me that he had an agenda that he wanted to implement but he couldn’t because, he said, ‘They will kill me,’ ” recounted a powerful politician who served as an informal aide to Moïse, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of his life. The port, he said, “was part of the plan.”

Moïse also tried to push customs, despite considerable resistance, to start inspecting Saint-Rémy’s shipments and charging taxes on his goods, according to several presidential aides, two senior security officials and an official at the customs department.

Drug trafficking routes in Haiti’s north also came under pressure. In the 1990s, little Cessna planes from Colombia landed on dirt airstrips on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince. But as the population expanded, the landing strips became surrounded by slums. Poor residents realized the valuable illicit cargo the planes held and began raiding them, according to a security official.

So, about a decade ago, traffickers moved the airstrips north, to Savane Diane, a sprawling, isolated area. Since then, the drug trade has evolved and boomed.

Moïse’s aides said he became aware of the airstrip after a furious call from the DEA.

Between May and June, the airstrip in Savane Diane and another in Haiti’s north hosted an inordinate amount of traffic, with at least a dozen planes coming through, potentially carrying thousands of kilos of cocaine, Haitian security officials say.

When Moïse found out about the deliveries in mid-June, he was fuming, his aides said. Then came an order from the presidential palace: Destroy the airstrip.

But local authorities refused to do it, according to several officials interviewed.

About a week later, Moïse was at home with his wife and two children when hitmen burst into his home. They had been let into the presidential compound by Hérard’s forces.

Not a single shot was fired between the assassins and Moïse’s guards. As the gunmen stormed the residence, the president called Hérard and another security official to rescue him, his widow told the Times. No help came.

President Jovenel Moïse of Haiti was about to name names. Before being assassinated in July, he had been working on a list of powerful politicians and businesspeople involved in Haiti’s drug trade, with the intention of handing over the dossier to the US government, according to four senior Haitian advisers and officials tasked with drafting the document.

President Jovenel Moïse of Haiti was about to name names. Before being assassinated in July, he had been working on a list of powerful politicians and businesspeople involved in Haiti’s drug trade, with the intention of handing over the dossier to the US government, according to four senior Haitian advisers and officials tasked with drafting the document. The president had ordered the officials to spare no one, not even the power brokers who had helped propel him into office, they said — one of several moves against suspected drug traffickers that could explain a motive for the assassination. When gunmen burst into Moïse’s residence and killed him in his bedroom, his wife, Martine Moïse — who had also been shot and lay bleeding on the floor, pretending to be dead — described how they stayed to search the room, hurriedly digging through his files. “‘That’s it,’ ” they finally declared to one another before fleeing, she told The New York Times in her first interview after the assassination, adding that she did not know what the gunmen had taken. Investigators arrived at the crime scene to find Jovenel Moïse’s home office ransacked, papers strewn everywhere. In interrogations, some of the captured hit men confessed that retrieving the list Moïse had been working on — with the names of suspected drug traffickers — was a top priority, according to three senior Haitian officials with knowledge of the investigation. The document was part of a broader series of clashes Moïse had with powerful political and business figures, some suspected of narcotics and arms trafficking. Moïse had known several of them for years, and they felt betrayed by his turn against them, his aides say. In the months before his death, Moïse took steps to clean up Haiti’s customs department, nationalize a seaport with a history of smuggling, destroy an airstrip used by drug traffickers and investigate the lucrative eel trade, which has recently been identified as a conduit for money laundering. The Times interviewed more than 70 people and traveled to eight of Haiti’s 10 departments, or states, to interview politicians, Moïse’s childhood friends, police officers, fishermen and participants in the drug trade to understand what happened in the last seven months of the president’s life that may have contributed to his death. Many of them now fear for their lives as well. “I would be a fool to think that narco-trafficking and arms trafficking didn’t play a role in the assassination,” said Daniel Foote, who served as the U.S. special envoy to Haiti before stepping down last month. A central figure on Moïse’s list was Charles Saint-Rémy, known as Kiko, two of the Haitian officials tasked with helping draft the dossier said. Saint-Rémy, a Haitian businessman, has long been suspected by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration of involvement in the drug trade. Notably, he is also the brother-in-law of former President Michel Martelly, who lifted Moïse out of political obscurity and tapped him to be his successor. Martelly, who is considering another run for the presidency, and Saint-Rémy were hugely influential in Moïse’s government, with a say in everything from who got public contracts to which Cabinet ministers got appointed, according to Haitian officials inside and outside his administration. But Moïse came to feel that they and other oligarchs were stifling his presidency, his aides say. American officials say that they are looking closely at Moïse’s efforts to disrupt the drug trade and challenge powerful families as motives in the assassination, and they note that Saint-Rémy emerged as a possible suspect early in the investigation. But they caution that Moïse threatened many of the economic elite, including a number of people with deep criminal connections. Martelly and Saint-Rémy did not respond to a detailed list of questions for this article. The investigation into Moïse’s killing has stalled, American officials say, and if the assassination is not solved, many Haitians fear it will add to the mountain of impunity in the country, further emboldening the criminal networks that have captured the state. ‘The True Leader Wasn’t the President’ When Moïse was chosen by Martelly in 2014 to be his successor, Martelly introduced the nation to a supposed outsider with peasant origins, a man of the countryside who had lifted himself out of poverty by running banana plantations. Martelly’s associates said he first met Moïse during a conference and was struck by the entrepreneur’s business acumen. But the story was misleading: Moïse had mostly grown up in the capital, several of the original board members of his banana plantation say it was a failure, and Moïse was already a close associate of Saint-Rémy and at least one other suspected drug trafficker. Moïse, 53 at the time of his assassination, was born in Trou-du-Nord, French for “hole of the North,” an agricultural town that has suffered under decades of government neglect. When Moïse was 7, his mother moved him and his siblings to Carrefour, a slum of Port-au-Prince. In university, Moïse met his wife, and they moved together to her hometown, Port-de-Paix, in the northwest. By 2000, Moïse had met and become business partners with Evinx Daniel, according to relatives and acquaintances of both men. Daniel, a close friend of Martelly’s, would later be accused of drug trafficking. Moïse worked with Daniel on one of his ventures, Mariella Food Products, which produced biscuits. A former high-ranking Haitian police officer said the company was suspected of being a money laundering front. Saint-Rémy has publicly admitted that he sold drugs in the past but claims all his businesses are now legitimate. Haitian law enforcement officials and former DEA officers who recently served in Haiti say he is still believed to be one of the country’s biggest drug traffickers. Jacques Jean Kinan, Moïse’s cousin, said he and Moïse worked with Saint-Rémy in the eel industry. With his brother-in-law as president, Saint-Rémy wielded enormous influence, often demanding that choice licenses and contracts be awarded to him, particularly eel export licenses, according to officials in Martelly’s government. When his demands were not heeded, he could turn violent: In 2015, Saint-Rémy assaulted an agriculture minister for issuing a contract without his consent, an altercation reported at the time and confirmed by a former government minister. As Saint-Rémy’s hold on the eel trade solidified, Moïse decided to get out of the sector and focus on Agritrans, a banana plantation near his hometown. Barred by the constitution from running for two consecutive terms, Martelly began looking for a successor. He wanted to find someone to keep the bench warm for him until he could launch another presidential bid and shield himself from corruption allegations involving the misappropriation of billions of dollars during his tenure, according to former officials in the Martelly and Moïse administrations. He settled on Moïse, marketing him as a successful entrepreneur and nicknaming him the “Banana Man” on the campaign trail. In interviews, three of the original board members of Agritrans described the venture as a failure, with their original investments lost and little but a barren field to show for it. But as Martelly contemplated a successor, the company received a $6 million loan from the government. When he won and took over the presidency in 2017, Moïse felt suffocated by Martelly but remained loyal to him, his aides said. “The true leader wasn’t the president,” said Gabriel Fortuné, a close adviser to Moïse who died in an earthquake a day after speaking with the Times. “It was his godfather, Martelly. When we talk about the godfather we are talking about the Italian way,” he added, “the family.” ‘They Will Kill Me’ As Moïse settled into office, he soon realized that the withering control Martelly and his family exerted on the campaign trail extended to his personal security, several officials said. Moïse inherited Dimitri Hérard, a pivotal member of Martelly’s presidential security force who became the head of the police unit protecting Moïse’s presidential palace Hérard was also a drug-trafficking suspect. In 2015, when a Panamanian-flagged cargo ship docked in Port-au-Prince with 1,100 kilograms of cocaine and heroin aboard, Hérard was seen commanding police officers in uniform to load the drugs into vehicles before speeding off with them, according to a witness and Keith McNichols, a former DEA agent stationed in Haiti who led the agency’s investigation into the missing drug shipment. Moïse deeply mistrusted Hérard, according to several presidential advisers and an international diplomat the president confided in. Hérard, now in detention as a suspect in the assassination, could not be reached for comment. In January, Hérard ordered about 260 weapons from Turkey — including M4 carbines and handguns — making out the order to the presidential palace, Fortuné and a former security official said. Hérard sold most of the weapons to gangs and businesses. Moïse’s relationship with the presidential security forces, already on tenterhooks, further soured. But that changed in February, when Hérard claimed to have foiled a coup attempt against Moïse. After the coup scare, Moïse went on the offensive, publicly blasting Haiti’s oligarchs and political elite for trying to kill him, including in one of his final interviews with the Times before his death. Behind the scenes, Haitian officials say, Moïse began working to take down his perceived enemies. In February, Josua Alusma, mayor of Port-du-Paix and a close Moïse ally, ordered a crackdown on the eel trade, the industry dominated by Saint-Rémy. The same month, the president also started to discuss plans to nationalize a seaport owned by allies of Martelly, where several shipments of illegal weapons have been found and seized over the years, two senior Haitian officials said. “Jovenel told me that he had an agenda that he wanted to implement but he couldn’t because, he said, ‘They will kill me,’ ” recounted a powerful politician who served as an informal aide to Moïse, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of his life. The port, he said, “was part of the plan.” Moïse also tried to push customs, despite considerable resistance, to start inspecting Saint-Rémy’s shipments and charging taxes on his goods, according to several presidential aides, two senior security officials and an official at the customs department. Drug trafficking routes in Haiti’s north also came under pressure. In the 1990s, little Cessna planes from Colombia landed on dirt airstrips on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince. But as the population expanded, the landing strips became surrounded by slums. Poor residents realized the valuable illicit cargo the planes held and began raiding them, according to a security official. So, about a decade ago, traffickers moved the airstrips north, to Savane Diane, a sprawling, isolated area. Since then, the drug trade has evolved and boomed. Moïse’s aides said he became aware of the airstrip after a furious call from the DEA. Between May and June, the airstrip in Savane Diane and another in Haiti’s north hosted an inordinate amount of traffic, with at least a dozen planes coming through, potentially carrying thousands of kilos of cocaine, Haitian security officials say. When Moïse found out about the deliveries in mid-June, he was fuming, his aides said. Then came an order from the presidential palace: Destroy the airstrip. But local authorities refused to do it, according to several officials interviewed. About a week later, Moïse was at home with his wife and two children when hitmen burst into his home. They had been let into the presidential compound by Hérard’s forces. Not a single shot was fired between the assassins and Moïse’s guards. As the gunmen stormed the residence, the president called Hérard and another security official to rescue him, his widow told the Times. No help came.

Haiti’s leader kept a list of drug traffickers. His assassins came for it

World Adoption Day: Countries that allow single-parent adoptions

Police in Guatemala have found 54 Haitian migrants, including 14 children, traveling toward Mexico in a truck trailer with the hope of reaching the United States, officials said Tuesday.

Two Guatemalans suspected of driving the truck were detained, police spokesman Jorge Aguilar said in a statement.

The Haitians were "immediately given assistance and transported to the border" with Honduras, from where they had entered Guatemala illegally.

Scores of Haitians have arrived in Central America trying to reach the United States, adding to the already large numbers of people from the region also looking for a brighter future there.

Many Haitians arrive in Central America after crossing the treacherous Darian Gap jungle between Colombia and Panama.&nbsp;

More than 100,000 migrants have crossed the Darian Gap in 2021 so far, according to official Panamanian figures, almost as many as during the past six years combined.

Over 50 migrants have died trying to cross that jungle this year alone, according to Panamanian authorities. 
The jungle route is full of peril, including wild animals, armed gangs and dangerous rivers.

Police in Guatemala have found 54 Haitian migrants, including 14 children, traveling toward Mexico in a truck trailer with the hope of reaching the United States, officials said Tuesday.

Police in Guatemala have found 54 Haitian migrants, including 14 children, traveling toward Mexico in a truck trailer with the hope of reaching the United States, officials said Tuesday. Two Guatemalans suspected of driving the truck were detained, police spokesman Jorge Aguilar said in a statement. The Haitians were "immediately given assistance and transported to the border" with Honduras, from where they had entered Guatemala illegally. Scores of Haitians have arrived in Central America trying to reach the United States, adding to the already large numbers of people from the region also looking for a brighter future there. Many Haitians arrive in Central America after crossing the treacherous Darian Gap jungle between Colombia and Panama. More than 100,000 migrants have crossed the Darian Gap in 2021 so far, according to official Panamanian figures, almost as many as during the past six years combined. Over 50 migrants have died trying to cross that jungle this year alone, according to Panamanian authorities. The jungle route is full of peril, including wild animals, armed gangs and dangerous rivers.

Guatemalan police find 54 Haitian migrants in truck trailer

Desperate to have her infant son Pierre admitted to hospital to treat his anemia and diarrhea, Mirlande Cherie set out two weeks ago on an odyssey to find a medical facility that had not already been shuttered by Haiti's fuel shortages.

Cherie rode on the back of a motorcycle with Pierre in her arms as one hospital after another in the capital Port-au-Prince told her they did not have enough diesel to run generators that ensure electricity in the Caribbean nation.

On Wednesday, she finally arrived at the La Paix University Hospital, where only the pediatric ward was operating.

Fuel remains scarce as a coalition of gangs blocks access to fuel terminals to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry, signaling the growing power of criminal organizations that this month kidnapped 17 US&nbsp;and Canadian missionaries.

"I left my house on October&nbsp;14 to make the rounds of several public hospitals," said Cherie, whose son first fell ill four months ago and worsened following treatment he received while staying with family in Haiti's provinces.

"We are going through difficult times."

The hospital, which is usually packed, was empty during a visit on Wednesday, because most wards were closed and few patients could arrive anyway due to lack of transport.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/haiti-gang-demands-17-million-ransom-for-kidnapped-missionaries-and-children-422157">Haiti gang demands $17 million ransom for kidnapped missionaries and children</a>

Haiti's fuel shortages continue to threaten the operations of medical facilities, which cannot depend on the unreliable power grid for electricity, putting an additional burden on a population already struggling under rising malnutrition and gang violence.

Haiti's hospitals generate electricity using diesel generators. But gangs in the increasingly lawless nation have blocked access to port terminals that supply that fuel, forcing hospitals to shut many of their wards.

La Paix University Hospital referred questions to Haiti's Health Ministry, which did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

Henry in a speech late on Thursday acknowledged that gangs have acted with impunity in blocking fuel trucks, but said the police have created a "security corridor" to ensure deliveries and that improvements should be visible in the coming days.

"The country's hospitals will be in great difficulty if they cannot find fuel to produce electricity to treat the sick," he said. "Thieves and murderers must be treated for who they are."

United Nations children's agency UNICEF said on Sunday&nbsp;that fuel shortages in Haiti are putting the lives of hundreds of women and children at risk.

The lack of fuel left the normally bustling streets of Port-au-Prince unusually quiet as drivers seek to conserve fuel, and a strike by transportation sector leaders further limited mobility.&nbsp;

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/colombian-linked-to-haiti-presidents-murder-captured-in-jamaica-423160">Colombian linked to Haiti president's murder captured in Jamaica</a>

Some fuel trucks by Friday had started moving thanks to police escorts, said Marc Andre Deriphonse, who heads the nation's association of gas station owners. But he added there was still limited access to the main fuel terminal of Varreux.

One La Paix hospital doctor who asked not to be identified said the pediatric ward was the only one functioning because it does not need electricity, though it is unable to treat babies born prematurely.

The hospital has halted all surgeries because doctors cannot take the risk of losing power in the middle of an operation, the doctor said, adding that hospital staff were struggling to come to work due to transportation problems.

"Sometimes some doctors come but with the greatest of difficulties because getting around is an obstacle course for everyone because fuel is just not available at the moment," he said.

Desperate to have her infant son Pierre admitted to hospital to treat his anemia and diarrhea, Mirlande Cherie set out two weeks ago on an odyssey to find a medical facility that had not already been shuttered by Haiti's fuel shortages.

Desperate to have her infant son Pierre admitted to hospital to treat his anemia and diarrhea, Mirlande Cherie set out two weeks ago on an odyssey to find a medical facility that had not already been shuttered by Haiti's fuel shortages. Cherie rode on the back of a motorcycle with Pierre in her arms as one hospital after another in the capital Port-au-Prince told her they did not have enough diesel to run generators that ensure electricity in the Caribbean nation. On Wednesday, she finally arrived at the La Paix University Hospital, where only the pediatric ward was operating. Fuel remains scarce as a coalition of gangs blocks access to fuel terminals to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry, signaling the growing power of criminal organizations that this month kidnapped 17 US and Canadian missionaries. "I left my house on October 14 to make the rounds of several public hospitals," said Cherie, whose son first fell ill four months ago and worsened following treatment he received while staying with family in Haiti's provinces. "We are going through difficult times." The hospital, which is usually packed, was empty during a visit on Wednesday, because most wards were closed and few patients could arrive anyway due to lack of transport. Also Read | Haiti gang demands $17 million ransom for kidnapped missionaries and children Haiti's fuel shortages continue to threaten the operations of medical facilities, which cannot depend on the unreliable power grid for electricity, putting an additional burden on a population already struggling under rising malnutrition and gang violence. Haiti's hospitals generate electricity using diesel generators. But gangs in the increasingly lawless nation have blocked access to port terminals that supply that fuel, forcing hospitals to shut many of their wards. La Paix University Hospital referred questions to Haiti's Health Ministry, which did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. Henry in a speech late on Thursday acknowledged that gangs have acted with impunity in blocking fuel trucks, but said the police have created a "security corridor" to ensure deliveries and that improvements should be visible in the coming days. "The country's hospitals will be in great difficulty if they cannot find fuel to produce electricity to treat the sick," he said. "Thieves and murderers must be treated for who they are." United Nations children's agency UNICEF said on Sunday that fuel shortages in Haiti are putting the lives of hundreds of women and children at risk. The lack of fuel left the normally bustling streets of Port-au-Prince unusually quiet as drivers seek to conserve fuel, and a strike by transportation sector leaders further limited mobility. Also Read | Colombian linked to Haiti president's murder captured in Jamaica Some fuel trucks by Friday had started moving thanks to police escorts, said Marc Andre Deriphonse, who heads the nation's association of gas station owners. But he added there was still limited access to the main fuel terminal of Varreux. One La Paix hospital doctor who asked not to be identified said the pediatric ward was the only one functioning because it does not need electricity, though it is unable to treat babies born prematurely. The hospital has halted all surgeries because doctors cannot take the risk of losing power in the middle of an operation, the doctor said, adding that hospital staff were struggling to come to work due to transportation problems. "Sometimes some doctors come but with the greatest of difficulties because getting around is an obstacle course for everyone because fuel is just not available at the moment," he said.

Haiti's hospitals close to collapse as fuel remains scarce

A former Colombian military officer wanted by Haitian authorities over the assassination of President Jovenel Moise has been captured in Jamaica, Colombian authorities said on Friday.

Mario Palacios is accused of being one of 26 Colombian mercenaries who allegedly took part in the July 7 murder of Moise at his home in Haiti's capital Port-au-Prince, in which his wife Martine was also shot and wounded.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/haiti-gang-leader-threatens-to-kill-kidnapped-american-missionaries-422879">Haiti gang leader threatens to kill kidnapped American missionaries</a>

"We have already been notified about the capture of Mr Palacios. What is happening now&nbsp;is the extradition process to Haiti," said Colombia's police chief Jorge Vargas in a video.

He said he was informed of the arrest by the Interpol office in Kingston, Jamaica.

No details were given about the arrest, nor how Palacios would have managed to reach the neighboring island of Jamaica from Haiti.

Palacios had been the subject of an Interpol red notice.

Three Colombians were killed by Haitian armed forces responding to the attack and 18 more were detained, alongside two US citizens of Haitian descent.

Vargas previously said the captured Colombians claimed that the initial plan was to arrest Moise and hand him over to the US Drug Enforcement Agency.

The mercenaries were contracted by Miami-based Venezuelan security firm CTU.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/haiti-gang-demands-17-million-ransom-for-kidnapped-missionaries-and-children-422157">Haiti gang demands $17 million ransom for kidnapped missionaries and children</a>

Colombia's government has complained about the poor treatment of its citizens by Haitian authorities.

The assassination deepened an already dramatic crisis in Haiti, which is suffering from a lack of security, soaring gang violence and a spate of kidnappings.

The capital has also been paralyzed by fuel shortages caused by gangs controlling oil access, and demonstrations by those angry that gasoline is only available on the black market.

A former Colombian military officer wanted by Haitian authorities over the assassination of President Jovenel Moise has been captured in Jamaica, Colombian authorities said on Friday.

A former Colombian military officer wanted by Haitian authorities over the assassination of President Jovenel Moise has been captured in Jamaica, Colombian authorities said on Friday. Mario Palacios is accused of being one of 26 Colombian mercenaries who allegedly took part in the July 7 murder of Moise at his home in Haiti's capital Port-au-Prince, in which his wife Martine was also shot and wounded. Also Read | Haiti gang leader threatens to kill kidnapped American missionaries "We have already been notified about the capture of Mr Palacios. What is happening now is the extradition process to Haiti," said Colombia's police chief Jorge Vargas in a video. He said he was informed of the arrest by the Interpol office in Kingston, Jamaica. No details were given about the arrest, nor how Palacios would have managed to reach the neighboring island of Jamaica from Haiti. Palacios had been the subject of an Interpol red notice. Three Colombians were killed by Haitian armed forces responding to the attack and 18 more were detained, alongside two US citizens of Haitian descent. Vargas previously said the captured Colombians claimed that the initial plan was to arrest Moise and hand him over to the US Drug Enforcement Agency. The mercenaries were contracted by Miami-based Venezuelan security firm CTU. Also Read | Haiti gang demands $17 million ransom for kidnapped missionaries and children Colombia's government has complained about the poor treatment of its citizens by Haitian authorities. The assassination deepened an already dramatic crisis in Haiti, which is suffering from a lack of security, soaring gang violence and a spate of kidnappings. The capital has also been paralyzed by fuel shortages caused by gangs controlling oil access, and demonstrations by those angry that gasoline is only available on the black market.

Colombian linked to Haiti president's murder captured in Jamaica

A Haitian man identifying himself as the leader of the gang that kidnapped a group of American and Canadian missionaries said in a video posted on YouTube on Thursday that he was willing to kill "these Americans" if he does not get what he needs.

The speaker in the video, dressed in a purple suit, is recognizable as the man known in Haiti by the alias Lamo Sanjou, the leader of the 400 Mawozo gang that authorities say is behind the abduction of the missionaries at the weekend.

Also Read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/haiti-gang-demands-17-million-ransom-for-kidnapped-missionaries-and-children-422157">&nbsp;Haiti gang demands $17 million ransom for kidnapped missionaries and children</a>

The sixteen Americans and one Canadian - including five children - were on a trip organized by the Ohio-based Christian Aid Ministries. The missionaries were not present in the video.

Reuters was unable to independently confirm the veracity of the video or when it was made.

"If I don't find what I need, these Americans, I'd rather kill them all, and I'll unload a big gun in the head of each of them," said the man in the video.

Haitian Justice Minister Liszt Quitel told Reuters this week that the kidnappers were demanding $1 million per person for the release of the missionaries.

The missionaries' seizure has focused global attention on Haiti's dire kidnapping problem, which has worsened amid economic and political crises in the Caribbean nation that have led to spiraling violence.

The video includes footage of what appear to be five dead men laying in coffins, who the man described as "fallen soldiers," blaming their deaths on police chief Leon Charles.

"Leon Charles made me cry, gentlemen. When it was my turn, I cried my eyes out, and when I make you cry, I will make you cry tears of blood," he said.

Haitian media outlet Le Nouvelliste on Thursday said that Charles had presented his resignation. A Haitian police spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The White House said on Thursday it would do all it could to help the missionaries. "We will do everything that we can to help resolve the situation," said White House deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.

A senior State Department official told reporters that the video was legitimate.

"If you are a kidnapper, your job is to say those kind of things," the official said. "We need to work with our Haitian law enforcement partners and the families and the institutions to try and move this process forward to a safe resolution."

Kidnapping Epidemic

Christian Aid Ministries said it was aware of the video but would not comment until the hostage negotiators determined that any such remarks would not jeopardize the well-being of the group.

The 400 Mawozo began as small-time local thieves and rose to become one of Haiti's most feared gangs, controlling a swathe of countryside east of the capital Port-au-Prince, according to security experts.

Haitian gangs have steadily expanded their territory in recent years, and have grown more brazen since the July assassination of President Jovenel Moise.

Their leaders - mostly notably Jimmy Cherizier, leader of a gang coalition called G9 - have taken on increasingly public roles, offering extensive interviews broadcast online and at times publicly threatening politicians.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/15-us-missionaries-and-family-kidnapped-in-haiti-security-source-421425">15 US missionaries and family kidnapped in Haiti: security source</a>

When Prime Minister Ariel Henry attempted on Sunday to lead a ceremony commemorating the death of one of Haiti's founding-fathers, Jean-Jacques Dessalines, gangs fired shots until his delegation withdrew to hold the ceremony elsewhere.

Cherizier, who goes by the alias 'Barbecue,' later emerged in a white suit and made a floral offering at the location of Dessalines' murder, taking the place of the prime minister

Fuel Protests

Widespread anger in Haiti over a weakening currency, double-digit inflation, soaring crime, and graft accusations lodged against public officials have sparked violent, sometimes deadly, protests.

Demonstrators on Thursday blocked streets of Port-au-Prince with rocks and tree branches, and burned tires to protest fuel shortages.

Drivers wound through the side streets of the capital, often forced to turn around after coming across barricades.

St Luc Lector, 26, a motorcycle driver in Petion-Ville, near the capital, said he joined the protest because he was angry about constantly searching for fuel.

"My motorcycle is my bread and butter," he said. "For months I have had to fight to find gasoline when I have to work. This strike is necessary because life is hard for us as motorcycle drivers."

A Haitian man identifying himself as the leader of the gang that kidnapped a group of American and Canadian missionaries said in a video posted on YouTube on Thursday that he was willing to kill "these Americans" if he does not get what he needs.

A Haitian man identifying himself as the leader of the gang that kidnapped a group of American and Canadian missionaries said in a video posted on YouTube on Thursday that he was willing to kill "these Americans" if he does not get what he needs. The speaker in the video, dressed in a purple suit, is recognizable as the man known in Haiti by the alias Lamo Sanjou, the leader of the 400 Mawozo gang that authorities say is behind the abduction of the missionaries at the weekend. Also Read | Haiti gang demands $17 million ransom for kidnapped missionaries and children The sixteen Americans and one Canadian - including five children - were on a trip organized by the Ohio-based Christian Aid Ministries. The missionaries were not present in the video. Reuters was unable to independently confirm the veracity of the video or when it was made. "If I don't find what I need, these Americans, I'd rather kill them all, and I'll unload a big gun in the head of each of them," said the man in the video. Haitian Justice Minister Liszt Quitel told Reuters this week that the kidnappers were demanding $1 million per person for the release of the missionaries. The missionaries' seizure has focused global attention on Haiti's dire kidnapping problem, which has worsened amid economic and political crises in the Caribbean nation that have led to spiraling violence. The video includes footage of what appear to be five dead men laying in coffins, who the man described as "fallen soldiers," blaming their deaths on police chief Leon Charles. "Leon Charles made me cry, gentlemen. When it was my turn, I cried my eyes out, and when I make you cry, I will make you cry tears of blood," he said. Haitian media outlet Le Nouvelliste on Thursday said that Charles had presented his resignation. A Haitian police spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The White House said on Thursday it would do all it could to help the missionaries. "We will do everything that we can to help resolve the situation," said White House deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. A senior State Department official told reporters that the video was legitimate. "If you are a kidnapper, your job is to say those kind of things," the official said. "We need to work with our Haitian law enforcement partners and the families and the institutions to try and move this process forward to a safe resolution." Kidnapping Epidemic Christian Aid Ministries said it was aware of the video but would not comment until the hostage negotiators determined that any such remarks would not jeopardize the well-being of the group. The 400 Mawozo began as small-time local thieves and rose to become one of Haiti's most feared gangs, controlling a swathe of countryside east of the capital Port-au-Prince, according to security experts. Haitian gangs have steadily expanded their territory in recent years, and have grown more brazen since the July assassination of President Jovenel Moise. Their leaders - mostly notably Jimmy Cherizier, leader of a gang coalition called G9 - have taken on increasingly public roles, offering extensive interviews broadcast online and at times publicly threatening politicians. Also Read | 15 US missionaries and family kidnapped in Haiti: security source When Prime Minister Ariel Henry attempted on Sunday to lead a ceremony commemorating the death of one of Haiti's founding-fathers, Jean-Jacques Dessalines, gangs fired shots until his delegation withdrew to hold the ceremony elsewhere. Cherizier, who goes by the alias 'Barbecue,' later emerged in a white suit and made a floral offering at the location of Dessalines' murder, taking the place of the prime minister Fuel Protests Widespread anger in Haiti over a weakening currency, double-digit inflation, soaring crime, and graft accusations lodged against public officials have sparked violent, sometimes deadly, protests. Demonstrators on Thursday blocked streets of Port-au-Prince with rocks and tree branches, and burned tires to protest fuel shortages. Drivers wound through the side streets of the capital, often forced to turn around after coming across barricades. St Luc Lector, 26, a motorcycle driver in Petion-Ville, near the capital, said he joined the protest because he was angry about constantly searching for fuel. "My motorcycle is my bread and butter," he said. "For months I have had to fight to find gasoline when I have to work. This strike is necessary because life is hard for us as motorcycle drivers."

Haiti gang leader threatens to kill kidnapped American missionaries

An armed gang is seeking a $17 million ransom for a group of American and Canadian missionaries kidnapped in Haiti last week.

According to Haitian Justice Minister Liszt Quitel, the renowned 400 Mawozo gangs is demanding $1 million for each captive. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/watch-haitis-pm-driven-out-from-official-ceremony-after-armed-gangs-shoot-in-the-air-421996">Watch: Haiti's PM driven out from official ceremony after armed gangs shoot in the air</a>

The Mawozo gang dominates the Ganthier commune in the eastern outskirts of the country's capital, Port-au-Prince, where a party of 16 Americans and one Canadian were abducted on Saturday while on their way to visit an orphanage.&nbsp;

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<h5>According to the Human Rights Analysis and Research Center, a Haitian nonprofit organisation, at least 628 kidnappings have occurred since January, with 29 of the victims being foreign nationals. The number of occurrences increased by 300 per cent in September compared to July.</h5>
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The hostages range in age from 8 months to 15 years old, according to Christian Aid Ministries, the charity that sponsors the missionaries' activities in Haiti.

Watch:

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/haiti-criminal-gang-kidnap-the-us-canadian-missionaries-group-421927/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The adults in the group range in age from 18 to 48 years old.

Earlier in the day, White House press secretary Jen Psaki stated that the FBI was part of a concerted US government operation to bring Americans to safety.

According to a source close to the Biden administration, the agents landed in Haiti the day before to help the State Department in securing the missionaries' release.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said that "We will do everything we can to help resolve the situation and we have in the administration been relentlessly focused on this."

In April, 400 Mawozo abducted and detained 10 people, including two French clergymen, for 20 days in the same location.

In August, the United States issued a red warning for Haiti, advising Americans not to go to the Caribbean country due to rampant abduction, crime, and civil instability.

Kidnappings in Haiti have more than quadrupled in the last year, as gangs become more numerous and strong, leaving an already understaffed police force unable to cope.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

An armed gang is seeking a $17 million ransom for a group of American and Canadian missionaries kidnapped in Haiti last week. According to Haitian Justice Minister Liszt Quitel, the renowned 400 Mawozo gangs is demanding $1 million for each captive.

An armed gang is seeking a $17 million ransom for a group of American and Canadian missionaries kidnapped in Haiti last week. According to Haitian Justice Minister Liszt Quitel, the renowned 400 Mawozo gangs is demanding $1 million for each captive. Watch: Haiti's PM driven out from official ceremony after armed gangs shoot in the air The Mawozo gang dominates the Ganthier commune in the eastern outskirts of the country's capital, Port-au-Prince, where a party of 16 Americans and one Canadian were abducted on Saturday while on their way to visit an orphanage. According to the Human Rights Analysis and Research Center, a Haitian nonprofit organisation, at least 628 kidnappings have occurred since January, with 29 of the victims being foreign nationals. The number of occurrences increased by 300 per cent in September compared to July. × The hostages range in age from 8 months to 15 years old, according to Christian Aid Ministries, the charity that sponsors the missionaries' activities in Haiti. Watch: The adults in the group range in age from 18 to 48 years old. Earlier in the day, White House press secretary Jen Psaki stated that the FBI was part of a concerted US government operation to bring Americans to safety. According to a source close to the Biden administration, the agents landed in Haiti the day before to help the State Department in securing the missionaries' release. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said that "We will do everything we can to help resolve the situation and we have in the administration been relentlessly focused on this." In April, 400 Mawozo abducted and detained 10 people, including two French clergymen, for 20 days in the same location. In August, the United States issued a red warning for Haiti, advising Americans not to go to the Caribbean country due to rampant abduction, crime, and civil instability. Kidnappings in Haiti have more than quadrupled in the last year, as gangs become more numerous and strong, leaving an already understaffed police force unable to cope. (With inputs from agencies)

Haiti gang demands $17 million ransom for kidnapped missionaries and children

A Haitian gang kidnapped a group of American and Canadian missionaries is asking for r $1 million each - to release them, watch this report for more.

Haiti gang kidnaps group of American, Canadian missionaries

Haiti's worsening security situation was highlighted on Sunday when Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry sought to lead a ceremony mourning the death of one of the country's founding fathers. His delegation was greeted by a barrage of gunfire, forcing officials to flee.&nbsp;

The highly armed gang members who then paraded in their place.

It was another example of the rising dominance of the Caribbean nation's gangs, who abducted a group of Christian missionaries near the capital, Port-au-Prince, on Saturday.

Since the death of President Jovenel Moise in July and an earthquake in August, gangs have gotten more comfortable committing crimes outside of the region they control, according to human rights researcher Pierre Esperance.&nbsp;

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A video circulating on social media and claims in the Haitian media showed Jimmy "Barbecue" Cherizier, the country's most renowned crime lord, officiating at a ceremony commemorating the killing of Jean-Jacques Dessalines, one of Haiti's revolutionary founding fathers.&nbsp;

The Sunday ceremony was a yearly event held in Port-au-Pont Prince's Rouge neighbourhood to commemorate Dessalines' assassination in 1806.

After defeating a Napoleonic army and eliminating slavery in the new republic, one of Haiti's founding fathers was assassinated.

While Henry was unable to attend the event, footage from the day showed numerous official vehicles departing Pont Rouge amid gunshots.

Other members, according to The Guardian, left the area on foot.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Haiti's worsening security situation was highlighted on Sunday when Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry sought to lead a ceremony mourning the death of one of the country's founding fathers.

Haiti's worsening security situation was highlighted on Sunday when Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry sought to lead a ceremony mourning the death of one of the country's founding fathers. His delegation was greeted by a barrage of gunfire, forcing officials to flee. The highly armed gang members who then paraded in their place. It was another example of the rising dominance of the Caribbean nation's gangs, who abducted a group of Christian missionaries near the capital, Port-au-Prince, on Saturday. Since the death of President Jovenel Moise in July and an earthquake in August, gangs have gotten more comfortable committing crimes outside of the region they control, according to human rights researcher Pierre Esperance. × A video circulating on social media and claims in the Haitian media showed Jimmy "Barbecue" Cherizier, the country's most renowned crime lord, officiating at a ceremony commemorating the killing of Jean-Jacques Dessalines, one of Haiti's revolutionary founding fathers. The Sunday ceremony was a yearly event held in Port-au-Pont Prince's Rouge neighbourhood to commemorate Dessalines' assassination in 1806. After defeating a Napoleonic army and eliminating slavery in the new republic, one of Haiti's founding fathers was assassinated. While Henry was unable to attend the event, footage from the day showed numerous official vehicles departing Pont Rouge amid gunshots. Other members, according to The Guardian, left the area on foot. (With inputs from agencies)

Watch: Haiti's PM driven out from official ceremony after armed gangs shoot in the air

Haiti's already fragile government faces a serious new crisis after one of the island nation's increasingly brazen criminal gangs kidnapped a large US and Canadian missionary group.&nbsp;

There has been little official reaction in Haiti, and local police did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/15-us-missionaries-and-family-kidnapped-in-haiti-security-source-421425">15 US missionaries and family kidnapped in Haiti: security source</a>

But civil groups called Sunday for the immediate release of the group of 17 missionaries, family members and staff abducted a day earlier while returning from an orphanage visit.

"We call for the liberation of the persons kidnapped, whether American citizens or of other nationalities," said Gedeon Jean, director of the Center for Analysis and Research in Human Rights, based in the capital Port-au-Prince. He said the current situation was "detrimental to human dignity."

The missionary group, including children and one Canadian, was traveling in several vehicles when stopped by members of a criminal gang some 30 kilometers (20 miles) east of the capital, a Haitian security source told AFP.

&nbsp;'Pray for us !'&nbsp;

One member of the group posted a desperate call for help in a WhatsApp group even as the attack unfolded, The Washington Post reported. "Please pray for us!!" the message read. "We are being held hostage, they kidnapped our driver. Pray pray pray. We don't know where they are taking us."

The Ohio-based Christian Aid Ministries said the group of 16 US citizens and one Canadian included five men, seven women and five children.

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"Join us in praying for those who are being held hostage, the kidnappers, and the families, friends, and churches of those affected," the group said in a statement. "Pray for those who are seeking God’s direction and making decisions regarding this matter."

The abduction was the work of the so-called "400 Mawozo" gang, which for months has carried out kidnappings and robberies in the area between Port-au-Prince and the Dominican Republic border, said a Haitian security source, who spoke on grounds of anonymity.

The gang has hijacked several vehicles -- even entire busloads of victims -- on roads it controls, kidnapping both Haitians and foreigners and holding them for ransoms often many times a Haitian's yearly earnings.

Such armed gangs have been steadily extending their reach, taking advantage of spreading insecurity and a political crisis aggravated by the assassination in July of President Jovenel Moise.&nbsp;

"The police have proven incapable of confronting the gangs, which have become better organized and which control more and more territory" around the capital and in provincial cities, Gedeon Jean said.

His group has tallied an alarming increase in kidnappings in Haiti: more than 600 occurred in the first three months of 2021, up sharply from 231 in the corresponding period of 2020.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-canada-colluded-to-provoke-trouble-says-china-after-warships-sail-through-taiwan-strait-421574">US, Canada colluded to provoke trouble, says China after warships sail through Taiwan Strait</a>

The US State Department offered no details on the situation.&nbsp;

A spokesperson said only: "The welfare and safety of US citizens abroad is one of the highest priorities of the Department of State.&nbsp;

"We are aware of these reports and have nothing additional to offer at this time."

Officials are typically close-mouthed about abductions, given the extraordinary sensitivity of such situations.

The State Department had issued a "Level 4: Do Not Travel" advisory for Haiti in August due to "kidnapping, crime, civil unrest, and COVID-19."

"Kidnapping is widespread and victims regularly include US citizens," the advisory warned.

&nbsp;Turmoil&nbsp;

In April, the Mawozo group held 10 people, including two French Catholic clergy members, for 20 days before releasing them.

The gangs often demand huge ransoms. Rights groups say the vast majority of women kidnapped by criminal gangs are sexually assaulted.&nbsp;

Haiti has struggled for years with natural and man-made challenges that have fueled disorder and paralyzed economic growth.

Barely a month after Moise's assassination in the presidential residence, an August 14 earthquake killed more than 2,200 people in the southwest.

Gedeon Jean said the absence of a strong state has left a void that criminal gangs have moved to fill, extending their hold from some of the capital's poorest districts into surrounding areas.&nbsp;

Even before Saturday's kidnappings, business and professional groups in Port-au-Prince had called for an indefinite strike beginning Monday to protest the spreading climate of insecurity.

Haiti's already fragile government faces a serious new crisis after one of the island nation's increasingly brazen criminal gangs kidnapped a large US and Canadian missionary group.

Haiti's already fragile government faces a serious new crisis after one of the island nation's increasingly brazen criminal gangs kidnapped a large US and Canadian missionary group. There has been little official reaction in Haiti, and local police did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment. Also Read | 15 US missionaries and family kidnapped in Haiti: security source But civil groups called Sunday for the immediate release of the group of 17 missionaries, family members and staff abducted a day earlier while returning from an orphanage visit. "We call for the liberation of the persons kidnapped, whether American citizens or of other nationalities," said Gedeon Jean, director of the Center for Analysis and Research in Human Rights, based in the capital Port-au-Prince. He said the current situation was "detrimental to human dignity." The missionary group, including children and one Canadian, was traveling in several vehicles when stopped by members of a criminal gang some 30 kilometers (20 miles) east of the capital, a Haitian security source told AFP. 'Pray for us !' One member of the group posted a desperate call for help in a WhatsApp group even as the attack unfolded, The Washington Post reported. "Please pray for us!!" the message read. "We are being held hostage, they kidnapped our driver. Pray pray pray. We don't know where they are taking us." The Ohio-based Christian Aid Ministries said the group of 16 US citizens and one Canadian included five men, seven women and five children. Also Read | With new hypersonic missile test in August, China surprised US officials "Join us in praying for those who are being held hostage, the kidnappers, and the families, friends, and churches of those affected," the group said in a statement. "Pray for those who are seeking God’s direction and making decisions regarding this matter." The abduction was the work of the so-called "400 Mawozo" gang, which for months has carried out kidnappings and robberies in the area between Port-au-Prince and the Dominican Republic border, said a Haitian security source, who spoke on grounds of anonymity. The gang has hijacked several vehicles -- even entire busloads of victims -- on roads it controls, kidnapping both Haitians and foreigners and holding them for ransoms often many times a Haitian's yearly earnings. Such armed gangs have been steadily extending their reach, taking advantage of spreading insecurity and a political crisis aggravated by the assassination in July of President Jovenel Moise. "The police have proven incapable of confronting the gangs, which have become better organized and which control more and more territory" around the capital and in provincial cities, Gedeon Jean said. His group has tallied an alarming increase in kidnappings in Haiti: more than 600 occurred in the first three months of 2021, up sharply from 231 in the corresponding period of 2020. Also Read | US, Canada colluded to provoke trouble, says China after warships sail through Taiwan Strait The US State Department offered no details on the situation. A spokesperson said only: "The welfare and safety of US citizens abroad is one of the highest priorities of the Department of State. "We are aware of these reports and have nothing additional to offer at this time." Officials are typically close-mouthed about abductions, given the extraordinary sensitivity of such situations. The State Department had issued a "Level 4: Do Not Travel" advisory for Haiti in August due to "kidnapping, crime, civil unrest, and COVID-19." "Kidnapping is widespread and victims regularly include US citizens," the advisory warned. Turmoil In April, the Mawozo group held 10 people, including two French Catholic clergy members, for 20 days before releasing them. The gangs often demand huge ransoms. Rights groups say the vast majority of women kidnapped by criminal gangs are sexually assaulted. Haiti has struggled for years with natural and man-made challenges that have fueled disorder and paralyzed economic growth. Barely a month after Moise's assassination in the presidential residence, an August 14 earthquake killed more than 2,200 people in the southwest. Gedeon Jean said the absence of a strong state has left a void that criminal gangs have moved to fill, extending their hold from some of the capital's poorest districts into surrounding areas. Even before Saturday's kidnappings, business and professional groups in Port-au-Prince had called for an indefinite strike beginning Monday to protest the spreading climate of insecurity.

US, Canadian missionaries' abduction poses latest test for a Haiti government in turmoil

One of Haiti's criminal gangs has kidnapped an American and Canadian missionary group. The group includes one Canadian and 16 U.S. citizens including five men, seven women and five children.

Haiti's criminal gang kidnaps American and Canadian missionary group

About 15 American missionaries and family members were kidnapped on Saturday by a gang outside the Haitian capital, a local security source told AFP.

The group of between 15 and 17 people, including children, were being held by an armed gang which for months has been engaged in theft and kidnappings in the area between Port-au-Prince and the border with the Dominican Republic, the source said.

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A spokesman for the US government declined to provide any information.

"The welfare and safety of US citizens abroad is one of the highest priorities of the Department of State," the official said. "We are aware of these reports and have nothing additional to offer at this time."

Armed gangs, which for years have controlled the poorest districts of the Haitian capital, have extended their hold to other parts of Port-au-Prince and its surroundings, sowing terror with kidnappings.

More than 600 kidnappings were recorded in the first three quarters of 2021, compared with 231 over the same period last year, according to the Center for Analysis and Research in Human Rights, a civil society group based in the Haitian capital.

For years, Haiti has been paralysed by a deep political and economic crisis, and the July assassination of President Jovenel Moise plunged the Caribbean country even further turmoil.

About 15 American missionaries and family members were kidnapped on Saturday by a gang outside the Haitian capital, a local security source told AFP. The group of between 15 and 17 people, including children, were being held by an armed gang which for months has been engaged in theft and kidnappings in the area between Port-au-Prince and the border with the Dominican Republic, the source said.

About 15 American missionaries and family members were kidnapped on Saturday by a gang outside the Haitian capital, a local security source told AFP. The group of between 15 and 17 people, including children, were being held by an armed gang which for months has been engaged in theft and kidnappings in the area between Port-au-Prince and the border with the Dominican Republic, the source said. Also Read | Top US naval commander hosts senior Indian Navy officers aboard USS Carl Vinson A spokesman for the US government declined to provide any information. "The welfare and safety of US citizens abroad is one of the highest priorities of the Department of State," the official said. "We are aware of these reports and have nothing additional to offer at this time." Armed gangs, which for years have controlled the poorest districts of the Haitian capital, have extended their hold to other parts of Port-au-Prince and its surroundings, sowing terror with kidnappings. More than 600 kidnappings were recorded in the first three quarters of 2021, compared with 231 over the same period last year, according to the Center for Analysis and Research in Human Rights, a civil society group based in the Haitian capital. For years, Haiti has been paralysed by a deep political and economic crisis, and the July assassination of President Jovenel Moise plunged the Caribbean country even further turmoil.

15 US missionaries and family kidnapped in Haiti: security source

More Haitian migrants could be released into the United States in coming days, US Homeland Security chief Alejandro Mayorkas said Sunday, after a days-long border crisis which became a major headache for Joe Biden's administration.

Officials said on Friday that some 12,400 migrants, most of them from Haiti, were released into the United States in recent days, part of a flow of thousands crossing the Rio Grande river from Mexico near Del Rio, Texas.

They will have their cases heard by an immigration judge to determine whether or not they will be allowed to stay.

The migrant number could yet rise, Mayorkas said in a series of appearances on US talk shows.

"It could be even higher," he told Fox News Sunday.

The situation facing the migrants on the border and in Del Rio in particular has provoked major backlash for the Biden administration.

Since September 9 some 30,000 migrants, most of them Haitian, have turned up in the town.

The number of people, along with controversial images of US border patrol on horseback appearing to threaten the migrants and the decision to deport thousands back to Haiti, ignited widespread fury.

On Friday officials said that the migrants had been dispersed.

In addition to the 12,400 who are being allowed to plead their case before a US judge, around 2,000 people were returned to Haiti on expulsion flights, and an estimated 8,000 have voluntarily returned to Mexico.

Another 5,000 are being processed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to determine if they will be subject to removal proceedings, officials said Friday. It is this 5,000 who could add to the numbers already entering the United States.&nbsp;

Republicans have seized on the situation to batter the Democratic president, with Senator Tim Scott accusing Biden of failing to secure the border.

"I think President Biden and his administration owns the crisis that they've created," Scott told CBS on Sunday.

Mayorkas, seeking to defuse the crisis, said DHS was following the law to determine whether to deport migrants who cross the border illegally.

But in another interview he deplored those same laws.

"We are working in a completely broken system," he told NBC Sunday. "I've never heard anyone say that the laws in immigration are well structured."

More Haitian migrants could be released into the United States in coming days, US Homeland Security chief Alejandro Mayorkas said Sunday, after a days-long border crisis which became a major headache for Joe Biden's administration.

More Haitian migrants could be released into the United States in coming days, US Homeland Security chief Alejandro Mayorkas said Sunday, after a days-long border crisis which became a major headache for Joe Biden's administration. Officials said on Friday that some 12,400 migrants, most of them from Haiti, were released into the United States in recent days, part of a flow of thousands crossing the Rio Grande river from Mexico near Del Rio, Texas. They will have their cases heard by an immigration judge to determine whether or not they will be allowed to stay. The migrant number could yet rise, Mayorkas said in a series of appearances on US talk shows. "It could be even higher," he told Fox News Sunday. The situation facing the migrants on the border and in Del Rio in particular has provoked major backlash for the Biden administration. Since September 9 some 30,000 migrants, most of them Haitian, have turned up in the town. The number of people, along with controversial images of US border patrol on horseback appearing to threaten the migrants and the decision to deport thousands back to Haiti, ignited widespread fury. On Friday officials said that the migrants had been dispersed. In addition to the 12,400 who are being allowed to plead their case before a US judge, around 2,000 people were returned to Haiti on expulsion flights, and an estimated 8,000 have voluntarily returned to Mexico. Another 5,000 are being processed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to determine if they will be subject to removal proceedings, officials said Friday. It is this 5,000 who could add to the numbers already entering the United States. Republicans have seized on the situation to batter the Democratic president, with Senator Tim Scott accusing Biden of failing to secure the border. "I think President Biden and his administration owns the crisis that they've created," Scott told CBS on Sunday. Mayorkas, seeking to defuse the crisis, said DHS was following the law to determine whether to deport migrants who cross the border illegally. But in another interview he deplored those same laws. "We are working in a completely broken system," he told NBC Sunday. "I've never heard anyone say that the laws in immigration are well structured."

US expects to release more Haitian migrants into country

An impromptu border camp that roiled the US&nbsp;government was cleared of thousands of Haitian migrants by Friday, with most remaining in the United States for now and others expelled on deportation flights or returned to Mexico.

Reuters witnesses said the jumble of makeshift shelters and tents had all but disappeared from Del Rio, Texas, with workers removing the last debris along the border with Mexico. State troopers lined the banks of the Rio Grande to discourage new crossings.

US&nbsp;Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said nearly 30,000 migrants had been encountered in Del Rio in the past two weeks and that by morning there were none left in the camp beneath its international bridge.

Mayorkas vowed a swift probe into "horrifying" images that had sparked outrage this week which showed a border guard on horseback using his reins to contain Haitian migrants.

"We know that those images painfully conjured up the worst elements of our nation's ongoing battle against systemic racism," he told a news conference.

More than 12,000 migrants will have a chance to make their case for protection before US&nbsp;immigration judges, an estimated 8,000 voluntarily returned to Mexico, and 2,000 were expelled to Haiti. The fate of others detained is to be decided.

Seeking to balance outrage about treatment of the migrants, Del Rio Mayor Bruno Lozano praised agents for trying to provide food and medical care, and said there were no fatalities.

As well as the Biden administration's decision to send migrants back to chronic instability convulsing Haiti, Mexico has sought to bus and fly Haitians to its southern states.

On Friday, Reuters reported that the International Organization for Migration (IOM) had formally asked Brazil to receive some of the Haitians from the camp, according to two sources with knowledge of the request.

Many of the Haitians arriving at the U.S. border had previously lived in Brazil and Chile, while others have transited through the South American countries.

U.S. President Joe Biden has faced criticism over the expulsions, including in a sternly worded resignation letter from the U.S. Special Envoy to Haiti, Daniel Foote, who described the Caribbean nation as a collapsed state.

Washington in May extended temporary protection from deportation to Haitians in the United States, citing political crisis, rights abuses, crime and lack of access to food, water and healthcare in the deeply impoverished country.

Since then, Haiti's president has been assassinated and it suffered a destructive earthquake.

But the Biden government has kept up deportations, mindful that letting in more Haitians may encourage others to try.

At least five more flights from the U.S. border were scheduled on Friday, flight tracking website FlightAware showed.

Thousands more Haitians are moving through Central America, with others among around 16,000 awaiting boats into the jungles of the Darien Gap in Panama, a bottleneck on the journey north.

Not all migrant traffic is U.S.-bound. On Friday, around 100 mostly Venezuelan migrants were moving south into Chile's northern border in a bid to make a fresh start there.

PUSHED SOUTH

Haitians who crossed back to Mexico in recent days were met by Mexican officials who urged them to return to Mexico's southern border with Guatemala to request asylum here.

"We're not taking them out of the country," Francisco Garduno, head of the Mexican government's National Migration Institute (INM), told Reuters. "We're bringing them away from the border so there are no hygiene and overcrowding problems."

Mexico's Commission for Refugee Assistance (COMAR) is overwhelmed and scheduling appointments months away.

Official data show Haitians are less likely to have asylum claims approved in Mexico compared with many nationalities.

Last year, of all asylum claims that were formally resolved, only 22% of Haitian cases won approval, compared with 98% for Venezuelans, 85% of Hondurans, 83% of Salvadorans and 44% of Cubans. So far this year, the Haitian number is up to 31%.

Willy Jean, who spent two fruitless months in the Mexican city of Tapachula, said if Mexico really wanted to help, it should allow them to make their applications elsewhere.

"Tapachula's really tough, really small, there's lots of people," he told an INM agent trying to persuade him to go south. "There's no work, there's nothing."

An impromptu border camp that roiled the US government was cleared of thousands of Haitian migrants by Friday, with most remaining in the United States for now and others expelled on deportation flights or returned to Mexico.

An impromptu border camp that roiled the US government was cleared of thousands of Haitian migrants by Friday, with most remaining in the United States for now and others expelled on deportation flights or returned to Mexico. Reuters witnesses said the jumble of makeshift shelters and tents had all but disappeared from Del Rio, Texas, with workers removing the last debris along the border with Mexico. State troopers lined the banks of the Rio Grande to discourage new crossings. US Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said nearly 30,000 migrants had been encountered in Del Rio in the past two weeks and that by morning there were none left in the camp beneath its international bridge. Mayorkas vowed a swift probe into "horrifying" images that had sparked outrage this week which showed a border guard on horseback using his reins to contain Haitian migrants. "We know that those images painfully conjured up the worst elements of our nation's ongoing battle against systemic racism," he told a news conference. More than 12,000 migrants will have a chance to make their case for protection before US immigration judges, an estimated 8,000 voluntarily returned to Mexico, and 2,000 were expelled to Haiti. The fate of others detained is to be decided. Seeking to balance outrage about treatment of the migrants, Del Rio Mayor Bruno Lozano praised agents for trying to provide food and medical care, and said there were no fatalities. As well as the Biden administration's decision to send migrants back to chronic instability convulsing Haiti, Mexico has sought to bus and fly Haitians to its southern states. On Friday, Reuters reported that the International Organization for Migration (IOM) had formally asked Brazil to receive some of the Haitians from the camp, according to two sources with knowledge of the request. Many of the Haitians arriving at the U.S. border had previously lived in Brazil and Chile, while others have transited through the South American countries. U.S. President Joe Biden has faced criticism over the expulsions, including in a sternly worded resignation letter from the U.S. Special Envoy to Haiti, Daniel Foote, who described the Caribbean nation as a collapsed state. Washington in May extended temporary protection from deportation to Haitians in the United States, citing political crisis, rights abuses, crime and lack of access to food, water and healthcare in the deeply impoverished country. Since then, Haiti's president has been assassinated and it suffered a destructive earthquake. But the Biden government has kept up deportations, mindful that letting in more Haitians may encourage others to try. At least five more flights from the U.S. border were scheduled on Friday, flight tracking website FlightAware showed. Thousands more Haitians are moving through Central America, with others among around 16,000 awaiting boats into the jungles of the Darien Gap in Panama, a bottleneck on the journey north. Not all migrant traffic is U.S.-bound. On Friday, around 100 mostly Venezuelan migrants were moving south into Chile's northern border in a bid to make a fresh start there. PUSHED SOUTH Haitians who crossed back to Mexico in recent days were met by Mexican officials who urged them to return to Mexico's southern border with Guatemala to request asylum here. "We're not taking them out of the country," Francisco Garduno, head of the Mexican government's National Migration Institute (INM), told Reuters. "We're bringing them away from the border so there are no hygiene and overcrowding problems." Mexico's Commission for Refugee Assistance (COMAR) is overwhelmed and scheduling appointments months away. Official data show Haitians are less likely to have asylum claims approved in Mexico compared with many nationalities. Last year, of all asylum claims that were formally resolved, only 22% of Haitian cases won approval, compared with 98% for Venezuelans, 85% of Hondurans, 83% of Salvadorans and 44% of Cubans. So far this year, the Haitian number is up to 31%. Willy Jean, who spent two fruitless months in the Mexican city of Tapachula, said if Mexico really wanted to help, it should allow them to make their applications elsewhere. "Tapachula's really tough, really small, there's lots of people," he told an INM agent trying to persuade him to go south. "There's no work, there's nothing."

US border camp cleared of Haitians, thousands more on the move

The US special envoy for Haiti has resigned after social media platforms were filled with Haitian migrants being treated inhumanely.

Calling it a 'collapsed state', the senior diplomat Daniel Foote resigned as a sign of protest against the deportation of Haitian migrants.

Foote said he "simply cannot support the forced infusion of thousands of returned migrants lacking food, shelter, and money without additional, avoidable human tragedy."

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-looks-to-reopen-migrant-detention-camp-at-guantanamo-bay-to-tackle-surge-in-asylum-seekers-415331">US looks to reopen migrant detention camp at Guantánamo Bay to tackle surge in asylum seekers</a>

The resignation came after people raised the issue of Haitian migrants being deported mercilessly from the US. Almost a week ago, the US started deportation flights from Texas border town.

This decision was taken after more than 13,000 migrants had gathered under a bridge in temperatures as high as 99F.

While the migrants tried to set up makeshift camps, the local officials were alleged of failing to provide basic food, safety and sanitation needs.

Foote has resigned in protest of these 'inhumane' conditions.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/migrants-make-their-way-to-mexico-from-us-415182">WATCH |</a>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/migrants-make-their-way-to-mexico-from-us-415182/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

However, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki has lashed out at the minister and alleged him of not raising these issues during his tenure. "Special Envoy Foote had ample opportunity to raise concerns about immigration during his tenure. He never once did so," she said in a press conference.

Meanwhile, the White House has also ordered a ban on horses being used by the Border Patrol in the area. The decision was taken after images and videos showed horse-mounted US border patrol officers beating migrants with horse whips while trying to stop them from crossing the border.

The US special envoy for Haiti has resigned after social media platforms were filled with Haitian migrants being treated inhumanely. Calling it a 'collapsed state', the senior diplomat Daniel Foote resigned as a sign of protest against the deportation of Haitian migrants.

The US special envoy for Haiti has resigned after social media platforms were filled with Haitian migrants being treated inhumanely. Calling it a 'collapsed state', the senior diplomat Daniel Foote resigned as a sign of protest against the deportation of Haitian migrants. Foote said he "simply cannot support the forced infusion of thousands of returned migrants lacking food, shelter, and money without additional, avoidable human tragedy." Also read | US looks to reopen migrant detention camp at Guantánamo Bay to tackle surge in asylum seekers The resignation came after people raised the issue of Haitian migrants being deported mercilessly from the US. Almost a week ago, the US started deportation flights from Texas border town. This decision was taken after more than 13,000 migrants had gathered under a bridge in temperatures as high as 99F. While the migrants tried to set up makeshift camps, the local officials were alleged of failing to provide basic food, safety and sanitation needs. Foote has resigned in protest of these 'inhumane' conditions. WATCH | However, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki has lashed out at the minister and alleged him of not raising these issues during his tenure. "Special Envoy Foote had ample opportunity to raise concerns about immigration during his tenure. He never once did so," she said in a press conference. Meanwhile, the White House has also ordered a ban on horses being used by the Border Patrol in the area. The decision was taken after images and videos showed horse-mounted US border patrol officers beating migrants with horse whips while trying to stop them from crossing the border.

Haiti US special envoy, Daniel Foote, resigns to protest 'inhumane' deportation of migrants

Mexico and the United States were on Wednesday preparing to fly more Haitian migrants away from chaotic U.S.-Mexico border camps, as pressure mounted on U.S. President Joe Biden to stop expulsions of Haitians to their poor, disaster-hit homeland. Watch this report for more details.

Migrants make their way to Mexico from US

Pictures of using whip-like horse reins to threaten migrants from Haiti by the US border guards are concerning. Images have shown United States border guards on horseback attempting to contain migrants at a riverside camp near the country’s border with Mexico. Watch this report for more details.

Haitian migrants sent back from Del Rio, Texas

The United States on Sunday (local time) started flying Haitian migrants back to their country. Three flights, each carrying 145 people landed at Haiti's Port-au-Prince airport.

Thousands of migrants have gathered under an international bridge in Texas. The Del Rio bridge connects Texas and Mexico's Ciudad Acuña

Title 42, an emergency public health order empowers US authorities to expel migrants before they can seek asylum in the US.

In recent days, more than 15,000 Haitians crossed into the country from Mexico. They are stranded at Del Rio bridge as they haven't been allowed to move ahead into US.

Deported migrants were angry and were quoted by AFP to have been fearful of returning back to life in their home country many parts of which are ravaged by gang violence.

"(US President Joe) Biden knows well what is happening, but he doesn't care," said one woman, tears streaming down her face as she described her time at a US migrant detention facility in Texas.&nbsp;

"He treated us, us and our children, worse than animals," she said.

According to flight manifests seen by AFP, nearly half of the 327 Haitians deported by the United States on Sunday are under five years old and were born abroad.&nbsp;

Before arriving at the US-Mexico border, several of the Haitians had emigrated to Chile and Brazil in 2016 and 2017.&nbsp;

"In Santiago, I had a small business, my husband worked. We were able to save money -- that's what allowed us to make the whole trip to the United States," said a 28-year-old woman, who identified herself only as Jeanne.&nbsp;

The family thought they would benefit from the extension of the Temporary Protected Status policy in the United States, which allowed Haitians to temporarily stay in the country regardless of their immigration status.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

The United States on Sunday (local time) started flying Haitian migrants back to their country. Three flights, each carrying 145 people landed at Haiti's Port-au-Prince airport.

The United States on Sunday (local time) started flying Haitian migrants back to their country. Three flights, each carrying 145 people landed at Haiti's Port-au-Prince airport. Thousands of migrants have gathered under an international bridge in Texas. The Del Rio bridge connects Texas and Mexico's Ciudad Acuña Title 42, an emergency public health order empowers US authorities to expel migrants before they can seek asylum in the US. In recent days, more than 15,000 Haitians crossed into the country from Mexico. They are stranded at Del Rio bridge as they haven't been allowed to move ahead into US. Deported migrants were angry and were quoted by AFP to have been fearful of returning back to life in their home country many parts of which are ravaged by gang violence. "(US President Joe) Biden knows well what is happening, but he doesn't care," said one woman, tears streaming down her face as she described her time at a US migrant detention facility in Texas. "He treated us, us and our children, worse than animals," she said. According to flight manifests seen by AFP, nearly half of the 327 Haitians deported by the United States on Sunday are under five years old and were born abroad. Before arriving at the US-Mexico border, several of the Haitians had emigrated to Chile and Brazil in 2016 and 2017. "In Santiago, I had a small business, my husband worked. We were able to save money -- that's what allowed us to make the whole trip to the United States," said a 28-year-old woman, who identified herself only as Jeanne. The family thought they would benefit from the extension of the Temporary Protected Status policy in the United States, which allowed Haitians to temporarily stay in the country regardless of their immigration status. (With inputs from agencies)

US starts deporting Haitian migrants from Texas

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