Conflict and Poverty in Haiti

• 80% of the population live in poverty
• Highest rate of kidnapping in the world
• 400,000 Haitians are living in the Dominican Republic without access to basic human rights

Haiti's history of conflict and instability began when tens of thousands of people were killed under the 29 year brutal dictatorship of Francois Duvalier and his son. The promises brought by successive governments have been short-lived with civil unrest and internal violence peaking in the last two decades. A UN Mission in 2004 helped to provide a safer environment for the Presidential elections and in February 2006, former President Rene Preval was re-elected.

However, Haiti is still ravaged by the legacy of war and corruption. Gang violence and crime remain rife and the country's infrastructure has all but collapsed. This situation has forced many to emigrate to the Dominican Republic in search of safety. However, migrants have faced new problems such as trafficking, assassinations, child prostitution and racism. An estimated 400,000 Haitians are living in the Dominican Republic without even the most basic human rights and have no way of gaining legal employment. At birth, children born to Haitian parents are given different coloured birth certificates to ensure that they are not officially registered.

With the help of SCIAF funding, the Jesuit Refugee Service is campaigning for the rights of Haitian refugees in the Dominican Republic and providing desperately needed services such as food, medical treatment, preventative healthcare and education to people of Haitian descent.

Click here to read our Latin America Projects Officer's blog from his trip to Haiti