Insecurity Threatens Aid Operations In Haiti Amidst Large-Scale Relief Ope

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Source: NGO latest
Catholic Relief Services


Catholic Relief Services (CRS) - USA
Website: http://www.catholicrelief.org
Port-au-Prince, Haiti, October 15, 2004 — Growing insecurity in the Haitian city of Gonaïves, the scene of massive flooding in the wake of Hurricane Jeanne, threatens to halt relief operations in the city. More than 4,000 homes were destroyed by the flooding, and 80,000 city residents remain in critical need of humanitarian relief.

“We are very concerned about the deteriorating security situation in Gonaïves and the impact it is having on our ability to reach those most in need with humanitarian supplies,” said Jed Hoffman, Catholic Relief Services’ (CRS) Regional Director for Latin American and the Caribbean. “While we make every possible effort to reach those in need, the safety and security of our staff must come first, and we are finding it increasingly difficult to work safely in Gonaïves.”

The heavy rains brought by Hurricane Jeanne as it passed through the Caribbean in mid-September caused large-scale flooding in northern Haiti. More than 300,000 people were directly affected, and 2,600 lives were lost. Relief efforts, however, have been hampered by increasing insecurity in Gonaïves—the site of some of the most severe damage—where armed gangs have looted several trucks of relief supplies and attacked aid workers working to distribute food and other emergency supplies. A CRS staff member was injured in an attack at a distribution on October 8, and tensions remain high in the city.

The violence affecting Gonaïves is also manifest in the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince, where violence has been growing in intensity in recent days. Though the cause and instigators of the violence are difficult to pinpoint, Haiti has been racked by political turmoil since the February ouster of Haitian President Jean Bertrand Aristide—turmoil that has turned increasingly violent in recent weeks.

In Gonaïves, CRS and Caritas Haiti have thus far reached 2,500 flood victims with emergency non-food items such as clothing, shovels, soap and cooking supplies. CRS is working to secure $1 million in additional funding to address the long-term clean up needs now facing Gonaïves—clean up that can only begin when the security environment improves.
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http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/fromthefield/109785619076.htm

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1. A Letter to Colin Powell on Haiti

The War on Haiti's Priests
By Rep. MAXINE WATERS

Dear Secretary Powell:

I write to urge you to take immediate action to protect the life of Father Gerard Jean-Juste, the pastor of Saint Claire Church in the Delmas area of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, as well as the lives of several other Haitian priests and parishioners, who are reportedly in imminent danger.

Earlier this afternoon, I received reports that Saint Claire Church was surrounded by heavily-armed, hooded men, while Father Jean-Juste was inside. My Legislative Assistant, Ms. Kathleen Sengstock, contacted the U.S. Embassy in Haiti and spoke with Mr. Doug Griffith, the Deputy Chief of Mission, to express my grave concerns for Father Jean-Juste's safety.

During a follow-up phone call, Mr. Griffith told Ms. Sengstock that he had informed both the Haitian National Police and the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) of the reports and that the Haitian National Police were sending a patrol to look into the situation.

Subsequent to the conversations with Mr. Griffith, I have been told that Father Jean-Juste was taken away by the hooded men, and I fear for his life. Moreover, I have been told that at least one other church in the Delmas area of Port-au-Prince, Saint Yves Church, was surrounded by heavily-armed, hooded men in a similar manner. Two priests, Father Francois and Father Sauvageur, as well as several children, were inside this church, and I fear for their lives as well.

I implore you to urge MINUSTAH and the Interim Haitian Government to intervene immediately to save the lives of Father Gerard Jean-Juste and the priests and parishioners of Saint Claire and Saint Yves Churches. I would appreciate it if you would contact me as soon as possible to discuss these ominous developments, and I look forward to your prompt response.

Sincerely,

Maxine Waters
Member of Congress


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