HomeInternational NewsPrison Break in Haiti Leads to Deaths and Rising Unrest: Authorities

Prison Break in Haiti Leads to Deaths and Rising Unrest: Authorities

A recent prison escape in Saint-Marc, Haiti, has resulted in the deaths of at least 11 inmates, according to local authorities. This incident marks the third similar occurrence this year and comes amid an ongoing humanitarian crisis fueled by gang violence.

Police reported that inmates broke out of the prison in the coastal city, located approximately 88 kilometers north of the capital, Port-au-Prince, on a Friday. According to Michel Ange Louis Jeune, spokesperson for the Haitian National Police (Hôpital National Haïtiens), 11 of the presumed escaped inmates were killed in gunfights with police, while one was apprehended.

Authorities have not provided further information on how many inmates actually escaped. The public prosecutor for the state sector, Venson Francois, stated that the situation is under control, but the results are catastrophic. “All the officers’ dormitories have been burned down. The files have been destroyed. They set fire to everything except their cells,” reported Reuters.

However, the mayor of Saint-Marc, Myriam Fievre, stated that 12 prisoners were killed. Unverified clips on social media reportedly show individuals climbing over walls, smoke billowing from barbed-wire topped buildings, followed by a loud explosion and fire.

Haitian prisons are extremely overcrowded, and pretrial detention can last for years. Walter Montas, a local official, explained that the incident arose from a protest by inmates who were going without food and suffering from poor health conditions. According to the United Nations (UN), conditions in the country’s prisons are deplorable, with cells filled to nearly four times their intended capacity.

A strike among prison guards demanding better working conditions has also been reported. Early prison breaks in March reduced the incarcerated population from nearly 12,000 to 7,500 by June, according to UN data. The government was forced to declare a state of emergency in response to a rise in gang violence in the country.

An increase in attacks in Port-au-Prince led to the resignation of Haiti’s unelected Prime Minister, Ariel Henry, resulting in the establishment of a transitional presidential council and the deployment of Kenyan police forces as part of a UN-supported mission to curb the violence.

The police have struggled to keep gang groups in check, as the provision of funds, personnel, and equipment for the UN-supported security mission, initially requested in 2022, continues to lag behind. This unstable situation has forced around 600,000 people to flee their homes in Haiti, with approximately five million people—nearly half of the population—suffering from severe hunger.

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