YWCA Haiti and World YWCA Statement on the Crisis in Haiti
The YWCA Haiti calls for the solidarity of the YWCA global movement, partner organisations, and worldwide support for lasting peace and humanitarian support.
World YWCA movement and leaders have a long and constant history of responding to conflict and post-conflict situations, and demanding the protection of the human rights of internally displaced people, especially girls, young women and women, as they are usually most adversely affected.
Haiti, a Caribbean state sharing an island with the Dominican Republic, is currently grappling with an unprecedented and quickly escalating security crisis. Following the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021, the country has been left with a power vacuum plunging the nation into chaos marked by escalating political instability and corruption, collapse of infrastructure, economic paralysis, and soaring gang violence and gender-based violence. Today, criminal groups control approximately 80% of Port-au-Prince, the national capital, and continue to expand their grip over the country. These gangs operate with impunity, undermining the rule of law, dominating neighbourhoods, and deepening the suffering of the Haitian people. Alarmingly, previously rival factions have now formed alliances, further complicating efforts by Haiti’s overstretched and under resourced National Police (PNH) to contain the violence.
The scale of displacement resulting from gang violence is staggering. As of now, there are 702,973 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Haiti, a figure that grows daily. Among them, 54% are women and 52% are children, reflecting the disproportionate impact on the most vulnerable populations. Over 1,042 displacement sites have been established, with more than 20,000 individuals displaced in just four days across Port-au-Prince. Many of these people have faced repeated displacements, forced to flee violence multiple times and leaving behind what little they had managed to rebuild. The current scale of displacement is the worst Haiti has seen since August 2023.
The YWCA Haiti, located in Pétion-Ville, a city of Port-au-Prince, has been working for the past 15 years to support young women and girls in marginalised at-risk communities, providing a safe space and life skills training aimed at promoting their leadership, providing educational support, and providing access to essential health care services through partnerships with local organisations. Through our work at the grassroots level, we realise that women and girls too often face increased risks of sexual violence, abduction, and exploitation as gangs use these acts as weapons of war to instil fear and control communities. Children not only have to suffer the trauma of violence in their neighbourhoods but also interrupted education, malnutrition, exposure to cholera, and severe mental health distress.
This week, this crisis has disrupted critical supply chains, isolating Port-au-Prince and leaving the metropolitan area in near-total paralysis. The closure of air traffic following targeted shootings last week at three commercial aircraft over the city, restricted access to the main seaport, and unsafe roads controlled by armed groups have compounded the suffering of already vulnerable populations. Gang-related violence has caused nearly 4,000 deaths in 2024 alone, and gender-based violence, including sexual violence as a weapon of terror, has reached alarming levels. Women and children, who make up 94% of those at heightened risk of violence, endure the worst of this relentless brutality.
The recent attack on Solino, displacing over 17,000 people to 15 emergency sites, and the massacre in Pont-Sondé are grim examples of the terror inflicted on communities. These events underscore the human cost of unchecked gang violence. The international community cannot afford to stand by as Haiti descends further into turmoil. Urgent humanitarian assistance is needed to support displaced populations, address the immediate risks of sexual and gender-based violence, and restore access to critical infrastructure. At the same time, a coordinated and sustainable effort is essential to strengthen the rule of law, protect human rights, and empower Haitian communities to rebuild their country.
Born of a collective commitment made at the World Council of the YWCA in 2007, we call on all international bodies to be accountable and implement United National Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security (2000). We also want to ensure the leadership role and meaningful engagement of Haitian women in resolving the internal conflict and in peace-building efforts.
Women, young women, and children must be at the heart of these efforts, as they hold the key to creating a peaceful, equitable, and resilient Haiti that can secure a better and safer future for all, especially the young generations.
To learn more about how to support YWCA Haiti, contact Sandrine Kénol Wiener, Executive Director of YWCA Haïti at skenol@ywcahaiti.com or info@ywcahaiti.com.
Listen to powerful stories and first-hand accounts of YWCA leaders from countries facing conflict and violence through our #BulletAndDove peace and justice campaign.
References:
17 November 2024. Over 20,000 Flee as Rising Gang Violence Spurs Mass Displacement in Haiti. By OIM UN Migration
Retrieved from: https://www.iom.int/news/over-20000-flee-rising-gang-violence-spurs-mass-displacement-haiti
18 November 2024. Haiti: Over 20,000 flee as gang violence spurs mass displacement. By UN
Retrieved from: https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/11/1157131
Crisis Update November 2024. A Crisis Spiraling Out of Control. GHESKIO
Retrieved from: https://www.instagram.com/p/DCR1qswvKVI/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
Thursday, November 21st, 2024