GUATEMALA CITY—As Haiti once again spirals into chaos with another wave of gang violence, a number of government and aid agencies reported Saturday that their facilities and aid supplies have been looted. Gangs have raged through Haiti in recent weeks, attacking key institutions and shutting down the main international airport.
National Police stand guard outside the empty National Penitentiary after a small fire inside in downtown Port-au-Prince, Haiti on Thursday, March 14, 2024. This is the same facility that armed gangs stormed late March 2 and hundreds of inmates escaped.
Gangs have raged through Haiti in recent weeks, attacking key institutions and shutting down the main international airport. The chaos has pushed many Haitians to the brink of famine and left many more in increasingly desperate conditions. “Looting of supplies that are essential for life saving support for children must end immediately and humanitarian access must remain safe,” Bruno Maes, UNICEF representative in Haiti, said in a statement.
That same day, the Guatemala’s Foreign Ministry said that the offices of its honorary consul in Haiti was ransacked, but didn’t give any details of damage or thefts, nor did it say who was responsible.