Haiti: UN reacts as unrest continues to disrupt daily life & services

The disturbances in Haiti have disrupted several public services such as hospitals, orphanages, and emergency services, keeping 2 million students from attending school, as confirmed by the United Nations.  

Banks and businesses cautiously reopened

Warning sent by Stephane Djuarric, the U.N. spokesman had relatively paused the unrest in Haiti’s capital as the protesters have tried to overthrow President Jovenel Moïse from his position. However, people have recently shown courage to continue with their regular chores, as they stood in line to buy gasoline and some banks and businesses cautiously reopened, despite scattered roadblocks formed by burning tires. 

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Stephane Djuarric also mentioned how Fuel shortages, lack of safe water and other essentials are affecting orphanages, civil protection units, and other emergency services, resulting in functioning with limited capacity, at the United Nations. He also informed that many schools are closed for the past two weeks with an estimated 2 million children having no access to education. 

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The protesters or the president: Who will yield first?

Dujarric also added that U.N. humanitarian officials warned that the disturbances could eventually lead to worsening hunger in one of the hemisphere’s poorest nations. However, President Jovenel Moïse has kept largely out of the public eye in recent days but has given no clues of backing down. As the disturbances continue, Haitians wonder who will yield first: the protesters or the president. 

Evans Paul, a former prime minister expressed his concerns with respect to the situation by calling it a dramatic situation, a chaotic situation. According to sources, Evans and Moïse ally have privately discussed the crisis Monday with the Core Group, which includes officials from the United Nations, United States, Canada, France, and others. 

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Paul said he believes Moïse has two options: choose a prime minister backed by the opposition or possibly reduce the length of his presidential term. However, Paul said many problems remain, including the lack of a provisional electoral commission to oversee any vote. Paul said that while he has encouraged Moïse to make bigger concessions, “He can’t put everything on the table.

The protests have paralyzed the economy and closed roads across the country, upending the supply chain and disrupting the distribution of food and gasoline, with long lines forming at a handful of gas stations and water kiosks that remain open.  “It’s an extremely serious situation,” said Haitian economist Kesner Pharel. “The political situation has been disastrous, and we are paying dearly for it.” 

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