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A new report UN Women The report reveals the poor living conditions and lack of security faced by some 300,000 displaced women and girls amid ongoing political instability, escalating gang violence and the threat of the current hurricane season.
Always in danger
Women and girls make up more than half of Haiti’s 580,000 displaced people. UN Women Rapid Gender Assessment Emphasizing that makeshift camps lacking basic necessities make them particularly vulnerable to sexual and gender-based violence.
The survey was conducted in April in six of the most densely populated and ethnically diverse displaced areas in the capital, Port-au-Prince.
The investigation found that most camps had no lighting, no locks on key areas such as bedrooms and toilets, and residents faced daily threats from gangs. The ongoing threat of stray bullets and other security risks further highlights the urgent need to strengthen the protection of these camps.
In most camps, violations against women and girls, especially rape, are also used as A deliberate attempt to control their access to humanitarian assistanceThe agency pointed out.
Call for a new government
“Our report tells us Haitian women are experiencing unprecedented levels of insecurity and brutality, including sexual violence, at the hands of criminal gangs. This must stop immediately,” explain Seema Bauhaus, Executive Director of UN Women.
“We urge the new government Taking steps to prevent and respond to violence security issues faced by women and girls, and increasing women’s participation in camp management so that their security concerns are heard and acted upon.”
She added: “Humanitarian assistance must be safely distributed according to the differentiated needs of women and girls.”
Engage in sex work
The report also revealed that nearly 90 per cent of the women interviewed had no source of income in the camps.
More than 10% said they had resorted to or considered sex work or prostitution at least once to meet their needs, and 20% knew at least one person who had done so.
Other findings included that about 16% of respondents felt intimidated, harassed or traumatized by armed groups, and almost 70% said the increase in violence had a psychological impact on them.Only 10% reported receiving health services in the refugee camps.
Supporting women’s organizations and entrepreneurship
In response to the Haiti crisis, UN Women is supporting women’s organizations to reach displaced people in host communities and camps, including through United Nations Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fundthis United Nations Peacebuilding Fundand the German government.
The agency has also trained police officers to better prevent sexual and gender-based violence and provide services to survivors, and continues to support female entrepreneurs affected by road closures and ongoing violence through a Norwegian-funded project.
International security mission
Last October, the United Nations Security Council Authorizes the deployment of a Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission to assist the Haitian National Police in combating criminal gangs.
UN Women urges all stakeholders involved in non-UN missions to Ensuring immediate protection for women and girlsand giving Haitian women’s organizations a leading role in the management of camps for displaced persons.
The agency said only 2% of women surveyed reported having a leadership role in camp management, stressing the need to ensure their active participation in decision-making and implementation of immediate protection measures.
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