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Situation in Haiti
- Members of the Viv Ansanm gang coalition attacked Port-au-Prince on 12 March, forcing families to flee as heavy gunfire erupted. Authorities evacuated students from a Catholic school near the renowned Oloffson Hotel.
- On the same day, in Carrefour-Feuilles, social media posts called for help as a group of priests remained trapped inside a church amid ongoing violence. The area endured much of the attack by the Viv Ansanm gang coalition on 12 March.
- Members of the Viv Ansanm coalition set fire to the former headquarters of Radio Télévision Caraïbes and attacked Radio Mélodie FM on 13 March, intensifying their assaults following government drone strikes on gang-controlled areas on 1 and 7-8 March.
- Gangs raided Télé Pluriel in Delmas 19 on 16 March, stealing equipment before burning down the building. Media groups condemned the attacks as an attempt to undermine journalists and to weaken the press.
- Reports emerged on 14 March of buildings in Port-au-Prince engulfed by flames and others being looted. Gang members were reportedly paying people to set fire to the buildings.
- Gang member Noëlson Mételus, alias “Zo Pipe,” lieutenant of the Canaan gang, was arrested in Saut-d’Eau on 4 March. However, during this arrest, local residents took him from the police and lynched him.
- Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) vehicles were fired at when its team members were conducting a hospital evacuation in Port-au-Prince on 17 March. No fatalities occurred, but staff sustained minor injuries.
- MSF has reported a rise in cholera cases, mainly in Cité Soleil, since early January, with around 70 cases in ten days. If the situation worsens, MSF will set up treatment centers to contain the spread.
- Escalating violence in Haiti has displaced nearly 60,000 people in one month. The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) warns of a worsening humanitarian crisis. Despite ongoing aid efforts, insecurity and limited resources hinder humanitarian response.
- The Federal Aviation Administration extended its ban on U.S. flights to Port-au-Prince until 8 September 2025, due to ongoing gang violence. Haitian authorities are expanding regional airports to maintain international access.
- Dr. Laurent Beaugé, a pulmonologist and former Secretary of State for Population, was assassinated on 11 March in Delmas 31. Known for his public health and political work, his death sparked outrage, with officials demanding an investigation.
Situation on the Transitional Presidential Council (CPT)
- Fritz Alphonse Jean was sworn in as Haiti’s CPT president on 7 March. He pledged security reforms, including a “war-adjusted budget,” recruitment of 3,000 police and military personnel, and anti-corruption measures.
- The CPT is struggling to organise the constitutional referendum and elections this year due to security issues and delays in publishing key documents. The Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) has submitted the necessary plans but cannot set a date without government action.
Situation on the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission
- The Kenyan National Police Service (NPS) denied claims that the government spent $34 million on the MSS mission to Haiti, stating the actual budget is $16.2 million. NPS clarified the mission is fully funded by the UN Trust Fund, which has already reimbursed $7.2 million.
- A Kenyan police officer deployed under the MSS mission was injured during a security operation in Kenscoff, Belot, on 19 March. He was evacuated to ASPEN Level 2 Hospital, where he is in stable condition.
- The body of Kenyan police officer Samuel Tompoi Kaetuai, the first Kenyan to be killed during the MSS mission, was returned to Nairobi. He was fatally shot on 23 February.
International situation
- A draft of a U.S. government list suggests Haiti could face partial travel suspensions, including for students and tourists, due to unspecified “deficiencies.” Haitian authorities have not yet responded.
- In collaboration with Japan, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) plans to provide daily school meals made from local produce to nearly 18,000 children in 80 schools in 2025 and 2026, to provide essential nutritional support and improve their education.
- The Trump administration’s decision to pause U.S. foreign aid threatens HIV treatment supplies in eight countries, including Haiti, warns the World Health Organization. Funding cuts and instability further endanger the country’s healthcare system.
- Nine Haitians, a union, and a Protestant group sued Trump and the Department of Homeland Security on March 14 over cutting Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for more than half a million Haitians in the U.S. by six months. The lawsuit claims the move is illegal and racially motivated.
Links of interest
Gangs unleash new attack on Haiti’s capital as police vow to hold them back
Dr. Laurent Beaugé, a Victim of Insecurity
Haiti gangs set fire to building once home to nation’s oldest radio station
New attacks on Haitian media reignites calls for gang crackdown
Haiti media under siege as armed gangs target news outlets in Port-au-Prince
PAP : Bandits loot and set fire
Médecins Sans Frontières says vehicles shot at during hospital evacuation in Haiti
Médecins Sans Frontières Raises Alarm Over Cholera Outbreak in Haiti
Haiti – Social : 60,000 people displaced by violence in 1 month
FAA extends US flight ban to Haiti’s capital through summer 2025
Fritz Alphonse Jean becomes new president of Haiti’s Transitional Presidential Council
Haiti’s Electoral Council Unable to Announce Election and Referendum Dates
Kenyan officer injured during security operation in Haiti
The body of a Kenyan officer who died in Haiti arrives home for burial
National Police Service denies gobbling up Sh 4.5 Billion in Haiti Security Mission
Caribbean leaders seek clarity as US mulls sweeping travel bans
Haiti – School canteen : Japan will support nearly 18,000 students daily (2025-2026)
Eight countries could run out of HIV treatments due to USAID cuts, WHO says
TPS : Complaint Against Trump and DHS
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