port-au-prince, haiti
CNN
—
In a city silenced by gangs, everyone notices the noise of helicopters flying overhead at night. This is a brief sign that someone very lucky was able to leave Port-au-Prince.
CNN was able to land by helicopter in the Haitian capital on Friday after days of repeated planning that required detailed security arrangements and multiple layers of diplomatic approval. Since my last visit to Haiti last month, the situation has deteriorated rapidly. Embattled Prime Minister Ariel Henry has announced his decision to step down, but it is not clear who will fill his role and when. A promised transitional government has yet to materialize, and plans for a Kenyan-led stabilization force have stalled.
Ordinary people in Port-au-Prince rarely leave their homes these days, and daily battles between police and gangs fill the air with smoke and gunshots echoing through the quiet streets. The main streets, usually crowded with cars and vendors, are empty, and the city's “tap-tap” livery taxis are rarely full.
Evelio Contreras/CNN
Port-au-Prince as seen from a helicopter on March 15, 2024.
There are only a few places left to go. All roads leading out of the city have been blocked by gangs, access to the port has been blocked, the city's international airport has been closed, and bullet holes are left in the walls. Nothing comes in. Grocery stores in the city are running out of food. The gas station is out of fuel. Hospitals are running out of blood.
On Friday night, gunfire could be heard in the city's hills. Further down the line, a police investigation was underway in the turf of notorious gang leader and former police officer Jimmy Sheridier, also known as Barbecue.
The United Nations is working to build an air bridge between Port-au-Prince and Santo Domingo in the neighboring Dominican Republic that would bring vital supplies to the city. But for now, only civilian evacuation helicopters are coming to Port-au-Prince. It's a stark reminder of the deep inequality that has plagued Haiti for decades, where most people live on less than $4 a day.
Hundreds of people are on a list to flee Port-au-Prince by air, several pilots told CNN. They are a small class of wealthy foreigners and diplomats with the resources and networks to consider private air charter, which currently costs a single seat. Over $10,000.
Residents of Port-au-Prince say the noise from helicopters can be heard regularly in the evenings and early mornings, but also includes small civilian helicopters arriving from the Dominican Republic and larger military helicopters believed to be used by some diplomatic missions. There is an audible difference between them. US.
But no amount of money or planning can eliminate the risks of flying over combat zones, and pilots say they are becoming increasingly wary of participating in evacuation flights. From day to day, it is never clear when the next flight will be available.
Two pilots told CNN they heard gunshots during the evacuation. “When you hear the ping, ping, bullets, you don't want to do it anymore,” one person said.
“As far as I know, the whole city is run by gangs,” another man said, showing CNN a map of Port-au-Prince's dense urban areas, saying it was impossible to predict where fires would start. . .
According to United Nations estimates, 80 percent of Port-au-Prince is now controlled by gangs. Haiti was plunged into crisis in early March, when gangs demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Henry and his government. For the first time, rival gangs and coalitions have begun sharing territory for tactical advances and wreaking organized havoc, security officials said.
Evelio Contreras/CNN
March 15, 2024, Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
The Haitian National Police fought back bravely, but with limited resources. They cannot be everywhere at once and are often targets themselves, with several police stations attacked or set on fire in the past two weeks.
Haiti's current security crisis is the most devastating it has faced in years and was once unthinkable for a country that has long suffered from chronic violence, political crisis, and drought. The situation has escalated, and approximately 5.5 million Haitians, or about half of the population, are in need of humanitarian assistance.
Henry came to power unelected in 2021 following the assassination of then-Haitian President Jovenel Moïse. His premiership has been marred by months of spiraling gang violence, which escalated after he failed to hold an election last month, saying the country's unstable security jeopardized the vote.
On Monday, Henry announced his resignation amid huge pressure to do something to quell the violence in Port-au-Prince. He said he intends to transfer powers to a transitional council. However, as of the weekend, the council had not yet been established.
The last hope for Port-au-Prince may be to send in foreign troops to strengthen police and confront gangs, in a mission requested by Henry and authorized by the United Nations Security Council and led by Kenya.
Returning peace to the streets would be the first step in allowing Haitians to vote and ultimately elect a new government. In fact, Henry was in Kenya to sign an agreement to send 1,000 Kenyan police officers to Haiti when the worst violence erupted last week.
But as the turmoil continues, hopes for Port-au-Prince's cavalry are fading. Following Henry's announcement of his resignation, Kenya announced that it would postpone sending his troops to Haiti, citing instability in the Haitian government.
