Residents of the Cité Soleil neighborhood in Port-au-Prince have taken to the streets to demand government protection following a recent surge in gang violence that has compelled hundreds to flee their homes over the weekend. Protesters have reported witnessing killings in the area, although Haitian authorities have yet to provide casualty information. Since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021, armed gangs have intensified their control over the capital, now governing approximately 70 percent of the city and extending their criminal activities—including looting, kidnapping, and sexual violence—into rural areas. The ongoing violence has severely impacted medical services, with Doctors Without Borders evacuating its hospital in Cité Soleil due to intense clashes and another local hospital ceasing operations and evacuating all patients, including 11 newborns. These developments coincide with the deployment of an international security mission backed by the United Nations. In September, the UN Security Council approved a plan for a 5,550-member mission, with initial troops from Chad already on the ground. Gang-related violence has displaced an estimated 1.4 million Haitians, with around 200,000 individuals currently residing in overcrowded, underfunded facilities in the capital.
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