In Haiti's Port-au-Prince, Survival Now A Daily Challenge As Locals Find Ways To Protect Themselves From Gangs

Survival has become a daily challenge for residents of Haiti's Port-au-Prince, with Haitians constantly finding ways to evade danger amid the overwhelming presence of gangs and the absence of effective governmental intervention. From erecting metal barricades, speeding past gang-controlled zones, or hoarding essential supplies like water, food, money, and medication, the scarcity of which intensified after the closure of the main international airport in March, residents have been resorting to various tactics for safety. Moreover, the country's primary seaport struggles under the grip of roaming gangs, exacerbating the overall sense of paralysis and insecurity.

Photo Webdesk

Updated on: 22 April 2024 5:30 pm

Haiti Survival Mode | Photo: AP/Ramon Espinosa

A resident uses a loudspeaker to ask neighbors for a donation to pay for a metal gate to be installed as a barricade as protection against gangs, in the Petion-Ville neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

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Haiti Survival Mode | Photo: AP/Ramon Espinosa

A man lifts a chain being used as a barricade for neighbors to pass into the neighborhood as they work to prepare a metal gate to protect themselves from gangs, in the Petion-Ville neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

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Haiti Survival Mode | Photo: AP/Ramon Espinosa

Neighbors pass in and out of a passageway as others erect a metal gate as protection against gangs, in the Petion-Ville neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

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Haiti Survival Mode | Photo: AP/Ramon Espinosa

Neighbors pass in and out of a passageway as others erect a metal gate as protection against gangs, in the Petion-Ville neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

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Haiti Survival Mode | Photo: AP/Ramon Espinosa

Neighbors raise a metal gate as they work to install it as a barricade against gangs, in the Petion-Ville neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

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Haiti Survival Mode | Photo: AP/Ramon Espinosa

Neighbors raise a metal gate as they work to install it as a barricade against gangs, in the Petion-Ville neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

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Haiti Survival Mode | Photo: AP/Ramon Espinosa

A resident takes a cigarette break from helping to install a metal gate as protection against gangs, in the Petion-Ville neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

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Haiti Survival Mode | Photo: AP/Ramon Espinosa

A man, who says he was shot in the hand by a gang member, is treated at a Doctors Without Borders emergency room in the Cite Soleil neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti.