The port facilities of Port-au-Prince are timidly returning to maritime traffic after several weeks of virtual dysfunction caused by the action of criminal groups. This recovery is due to the improvement in security conditions around ports although minor incidents still occur, the renewed activity is palpable.
The Lafito, La Saline, Varreux, Abraham and Thor facilities all recorded a resumption of activity. Fuel tankers and container ships have been able to unload their goods, and deliveries have increased over the past two weeks, according to a source close to the Association of Industries of Haiti (ADIH). However, security conditions are not yet ideal, and hijackings of goods trucks persist despite police escorts.
Last week, during an audience at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, D.C., Gen. Laura Richardson, head of the U.S. Southern Command, announced that the U.S. military is focused on bringing the major seaport of Port-au-Prince, in addition to the Toussaint Louverture international airport. She also revealed that American personnel will participate in the Multinational Security Support Mission (MMAS).
Mackenson PHANOR
