Haiti port closure amid gang violence: Military steps in
Access to the key goods delivery port in the capital of Haiti, Port-au-Prince, has been closed from the land side following attacks by armed gangs. The port operator, Caribbean Port Services (CPS), announced this decision on Thursday.
"CPS will shut its barriers to all types of land-based traffic from Sept. 26 to Sept. 29," the company stated in a communiqué. The decision aims to enable the military and police to secure the area.
This week, an official dealing with goods transportation informed Reuters that shots had been fired toward the ships, making it impossible to unload containers. Authorities also reported the kidnapping of two Filipino crew members from a cargo ship in the port.
An increasingly tense situation
Haiti's leaders, speaking at the United Nations General Assembly session this week, reported a worsening security crisis in the country. They emphasized that the situation is deteriorating despite the arrival of police and military reinforcements as part of a UN international mission.
Powerful gangs, using weapons mostly smuggled from the USA and controlling around 80% of Port-au-Prince's area, have allied with the capital and started expanding their influence beyond the city. As a result of the criminals' actions, thousands of people have been killed, and over half a million had to leave their homes.
