Friday February 16, 2024 ((rezonodwes.com))
Thousands more people could be forced to leave Ecuador and Haiti in 2024 due to humanitarian crises such as intensifying violence, climate impacts and deepening poverty, the International Rescue Committee said (IRC) in a report released Wednesday.
“Multiple factors will deteriorate the living conditions of millions of people in Ecuador and Haiti, which could force thousands of them to seek refuge elsewhere,” the International Rescue Committee said.
Last year, more than 57,000 Ecuadorians and 46,000 Haitians crossed the dangerous jungle region separating Colombia and Panama, known as the “Darien Gap,” a sharp increase from 2022, according to the Panamanian migration agency.
“The crises in Haiti and Ecuador are having a ripple effect throughout the region,” said Julio Rank Wright, IRC regional director.
In Ecuador, conflict between government forces and criminal groups is intensifying, according to the IRC. Last month, a wave of violence resurfaced after the prison escape of a gang leader, the most spectacular manifestation of which was the irruption of an armed group on a live television news broadcast.
The country is also likely to experience flooding from above-average rainfall caused by the El Nino weather phenomenon during the year, the IRC added, which could erode agricultural areas and increase food insecurity .
At the same time, Haiti has been shaken by the rise of gangs[[Editor’s note: on a mission to destabilize the country]following the assassination of former president Jovenel Moise in 2021.
According to a report released in February by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Crime, approximately 200 gangs[[for the most part federated and in the pay of the Tet Kale3/PHTK government]now operate in the country and anti-government protests and clashes have been frequent over the past month.
“Without a functioning political system, the (illegitimate) government will struggle to cope with violence and meet growing needs,” the IRC said in its report.
De facto Prime Minister Ariel Henry has requested support for a UN mission in the country, and although Kenya has offered to lead the force, the plan faces constitutional obstacles in the country and no date. ‘has been set for its deployment.
Food insecurity is also expected to worsen in Haiti in 2024, according to the IRC.
The gangs have entered rural areas, invading farmland, threatening farmers and demanding payments, according to the Global Initiative.
Both countries, according to the IRC, face funding gaps. He called on world leaders to make “concrete funding commitments” as nearly half of Haiti’s population requires humanitarian assistance and nearly 40% of Ecuadorians live below the poverty line.
