Health
Haitian Chicagoans Shine Light on the Country as Large Portions of Capital City Remain Under Gang Control
It’s been just over four months since gangs in Haiti launched an attack on the island nation’s capital, pushing Prime Minister Ariel Henry to resign.
Today, 80% of Port-au-Prince remains under gang control, ravaged by the ongoing violence, according to interim Prime Minister Garry Conille.
Amid the instability, more than 300,000 Haitians have been displaced in the last year. The United Nations authorized international forces to help restore some sense of stability with Kenya leading the contingent after arriving just days ago. They’ll soon be joined by the Bahamas, Bangladesh, Benin, Chad and Jamaica.
On the American front, Conille met Tuesday with top Democrats in Congress, where lawmakers pledged to push for increased American assistance. Despite Republican opposition, the Biden administration plans to allocate $100 million to Haiti. However, Conille emphasized the need for more funding to implement and repair basic infrastructure and ensure essential services.
The crisis is also making waves in Chicago.
“I’ve always seen the image of Haitians and Haiti being destitute, that we have all these problems or we’re living in poverty,” said Darryl Auguste of the Haitian American Lawyers Association. “We’re here to build and to make this community and country better.”
A major win for Haitian Chicagoans happened a couple months ago when May was declared Haitian Heritage Month, the same month as Haitian Flag Day.
Members of the Coalition of Haitian American Organizations in the Chicagoland Area advocated for the holiday along with other measures of recognition like the renaming of Jean Baptiste Point du Sable Lake Shore Drive.
“There is a brighter future for Haiti,” said Cyndee Newman from Daughters of Haiti. “Haiti is one of the most beautiful islands in the Caribbean, and it will return to exactly what it was supposed to be.”
