PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti, CMC – The United Nations Expert on Human Rights in Haiti, William O’Neill, Wednesday ended a visit to Haiti expressing alarm at the “worrying” situation in the French-speaking Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country.
“Murders, injuries, and kidnappings are the daily prerogative of the population. Sexual violence against women and girls remains endemic, and no progress regarding access to services and justice for survivors has been recorded since my last visit,” he told a news conference.
O’Neil, who made his second visit to the country since his appointment by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights just over six months ago, said he was particularly concerned about the impact of insecurity and violence on children.
“The testimonies received are edifying. It is an entire generation that seems to be sacrificed by the violence and the future of a country that is threatened by the dramatic situation of its youth. I urge the authorities to give priority attention to the situation of children.
“Many have suffered – and continue to suffer – serious violence and violations of their rights. They are also victims of the catastrophic humanitarian situation with access to health, water, food, and education severely hampered,” he said, adding that this is mainly the case in disadvantaged neighborhoods under the control of gangs and deserted by the State.
O’Neill, who met with Haitian authorities, including Prime Minister Ariel Henry and Minister of Foreign Affairs Jean Victor Généus, as well as other high-level officials, told reporters that he had received numerous reports indicating that many children suffer from wasting, the deadliest form of malnutrition.
“More than 500,000 young people do not have access to education. Gangs recruit many children from these neighborhoods due to lack of opportunities or fear of reprisals.”
O’Neil said that the Haitian justice system remains dysfunctional and has not adapted to protect children in danger or to judge minors in conflict with the law.
“The Children’s Court is paralyzed. I visited the Port-au-Prince juvenile prison, Cermicol, and noted the alarming prison overcrowding, with an occupancy rate exceeding 350 percent, but also the unsanitary conditions and the lack of access to drinking water exposing children to diseases.”
He said 99 percent of minors detained in the prison have not been convicted. Most are in prolonged preventive detention.
“They have been incarcerated for years for stealing a chicken, shoes, or a telephone without having seen a judge. I was nevertheless encouraged by the establishment of an intergovernmental Commission to help relieve prison congestion. We need results quickly,” said O’Neil.
The UN human rights expert, who also met with the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Haiti, Maria Isabel Salvador, and delegates of other UN entities, said he is concerned about “the situation of internally displaced persons.
“There are at least 200,000 displaced people in Haiti. Many find themselves in inhumane living conditions, without access to essential services, surviving in makeshift camps. I have received appalling testimonies of children and older adults who sleep on the ground, near mounds of waste, and without access to drinking water.
“I have also heard testimonies of women and girls who are victims of repeated rape without access to care. The State must take its responsibilities to prevent violations and abuses of human rights but also to protect its population, in particular the most vulnerable populations.”
Last month, the United Nations Security Council authorized the renewal for one year of the sanctions regime on Haiti, continuing a targeted arms embargo, travel ban, and asset freeze established in October last year to address the widespread violence, criminal activity, and human rights abuses plaguing the country.
The Council unanimously adopted the resolution and demanded an immediate cessation of kidnappings, sexual and gender-based violence, trafficking in persons, migrant smuggling, homicides, extrajudicial killings, and recruitment of children by armed groups and criminal networks.
The Security Council said those designated for sanctions have been deemed directly or indirectly responsible for or complicit in actions that threaten the peace, security, or stability of the country.
The Security Council was also told last month that the security situation continues to deteriorate in Haiti as gang violence grows, and elections are crucial for the sustainable rule of law.
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