More than half a million Haitians have been internally displaced by gang violence that has killed hundreds of people this year.
At least 40 Haitians died at sea and several people were injured after their boat caught fire, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said.
The boat, which was carrying more than 80 people, left Fort Saint-Michel, in northern Haiti, on Wednesday, bound for the Turks and Caicos islands, on a journey of 250 kilometers, the IOM reported on Friday, citing the country’s migration authority.
The boat caught fire off the coast of Cap-Haitien in northern Haiti, according to the United Nations migration agency, which said 41 people were rescued by the Haitian coast guard. Eleven people were being treated for injuries, including burns.
People on the boat used matches to light candles in a ritual to plead for safe passage, causing drums full of gasoline to catch fire and explode, Jean-Henry Petit, who runs the civil protection office in northern Haiti, told the Miami Herald .
“This devastating event highlights the risks faced by children, women and men who migrate via irregular routes, demonstrating the crucial need for safe and legal pathways for migration,” said Gregoire Goodstein, IOM country chief.
Haiti has, for years, been plagued by violence, with armed gangs fighting for control of the territory. In February, gangs launched coordinated attacks in the capital, Port-au-Prince, taking control of police stations and main access roads, opening fire on the main airport and forcing tens of thousands of people to flee.
More than 570,000 Haitians have been internally displaced as a result of the violence, according to the UN.
“The socioeconomic situation in Haiti is distressing. The extreme violence of recent months has only caused Haitians to resort to desperate measures even more,” said Goodstein.
Several hundred Kenyan police officers arrived in Haiti as part of a UN-mandated mission to help the Caribbean country’s police combat gangs.
The IOM said more than 86,000 migrants and refugees have been forcibly returned to Haiti by neighboring countries this year. In March alone, despite the increase in violence and the closure of airports across the country, forced returns increased by 46 percent, reaching 13,000 people.
Since February 29, the Northern Coast Guard has seen an increase in the number of boat attempts and departures. Coast guards from countries in the region, including the United States, the Bahamas, the Turks and Caicos Islands and Jamaica, have also reported an increasing number of boats from Haiti being intercepted at sea.
This story originally appeared on Aljazeera.com read the full story
