Help from Austria

The curse of the Caribbean: murder gangs without mercy

A police vehicle in the capital of Haiti, Port-au-Prince(Bild: APA/AFP/Clarens SIFFROY)

In the midst of the horrific gang wars in Haiti, Caritas employees ensured that all the children in the orphanage set up by Austria were brought to safety.

The horror earthquake of 2010 with 300,000 deaths, the outbreak of plague and cholera, corrupt politicians embezzling donations - and now criminal gangs that the police are powerless to stop: Haiti, the poorhouse under palm trees, is the "chaos state" par excellence. In the metropolis of Port-au-Prince, bandits have 90 percent of the city under control. They control the entrances to the port and airport, the central fuel depot and all arterial roads.

In view of the escalating situation with 13,000 bandits in Port-au-Prince, a Caritas orphanage was evacuated. The girls are now living with Salesian nuns in different houses.(Bild: Caritas Wien)

Greedy looters turned into ice-cold kidnappers
Back in 2012, the then Caritas director Michael Landau and "Krone" reporter Christoph Matzl experienced the terror of kidnappers at first hand. It was only thanks to a taxi driver's daring drive amok that they were able to escape from an embattled district. At the time, Monsignor Landau was visiting the Caribbean island to see how the school and orphanage for survivors of the earthquake was progressing.

In the meantime, looters had taken everything there was to take. And so the criminals turned to drug dealing, extortion of protection money and kidnapping - including of children: Girls as teenage prostitutes and boys as up-and-coming bandits!

Hearty food in the home(Bild: Matzl Christoph)

Caritas manager: "People are desperate"
The situation in Haiti has worsened dramatically in recent months. Children are particularly affected. "We are experiencing the worst hunger crisis in years. Around 5.5 million people are currently dependent on humanitarian aid - that's half the population. Prices for basic foodstuffs have recently risen even more sharply and are simply no longer affordable for many people. The situation is deteriorating rapidly due to the rampant aggression of the bandits. People are desperate," says Caritas manager Daniela Pamminger, summing up the bleak situation.

Facts & Figures

• In December 1492, Christopher Columbus discovered the Antilles island of Hispaniola: Haiti comprises the western part, the eastern part is occupied by the Dominican Republic - where world star Falco died in an accident in 1998.
• Specifically, Santo Domingo separated from Haiti in 1844, became independent from Spain and called itself the Dominican Republic. On January 12, 2010, a magnitude 7.2 quake turned the thriving Caribbean city of Port-au-Prince into a pile of rubble. 300,000 people lost their lives and 1.5 million Haitians were left homeless.
• A UN intervention force is currently being planned to support a transitional council and ensure order in Haiti.

In addition, there is an unprecedented wave of violence. "When people go out in the morning, they often don't know whether they will return home in the evening. In the first three months of this year, more than 1500 people were killed in Haiti. Most of them because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time," says the Caritas employee, reflecting on the threat situation.

Children are not only suffering from a lack of supplies and the constant fear of violence. For one million children, school attendance is impossible. This is because 13,000 criminals - divided into 200 gangs - lurk in narrow alleyways waiting to kidnap victims ...

Caritas manager Pamminger in conversation with a nurse(Bild: Ricus Jacometti)

Almost every school in Port-au-Prince is closed
Almost all schools in Port-au-Prince are closed. Online lessons are being attempted, but many households either don't have computers or don't even have electricity to follow the lessons. "Against this backdrop, it is generally difficult to provide humanitarian aid. But the positive news is that Caritas and its partners are continuing to provide support," says the committed Vorarlberg resident, who is (still) confident.

"Without help, a famine threatens"
 Caritas Director Klaus Schwertner does not believe that the situation in Haiti will ease quickly, as he revealed in the "Krone" interview.

"Krone": Director Schwertner, how is the situation in Haiti at the moment?
Klaus Schwertner: Absolutely dramatic. We became aware of this when we had to evacuate our orphanage together with the Salesian Sisters of Don Bosco. This example shows how dangerous the situation really is.

Can Caritas still provide effective aid?
Yes, help is possible, but under the most difficult conditions. Together with the nuns, we support the children and give them a roof over their heads.

What is most urgently needed at the moment?
Due to the escalating violence, it is now very important to protect the people and especially the orphans in the particularly affected areas. Of course, we also need to ensure that the humanitarian needs of those in our care are met. At the moment, international aid is nowhere near enough. This means that there is an acute risk of famine.

Donations

www.caritas.at

IBAN AT23 2011 1000 0123 4560

BIC: GIBAATWWXXX

How do you think things will continue in Haiti?
At the moment, we have to assume that violence and insecurity will continue. If we slacken our aid now, even more men, women and, above all, children will be affected by hunger and violence. As Caritas, we want to continue to help. Our urgent request is that you support us in this. Every donation counts!