Gang violence in Haiti has displaced 300,000 children, the United Nations says
NPR Online NewsJun 20
UN: Displaced Haitian Women Face Alarming Violence
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The Facts
The UN agency for gender equality, UN Women, has warned that displaced women and girls in Haiti are facing an "unprecedented" spike in insecurity, including sexual and gender-based violence, amid ongoing political instability.
In a report published Wednesday, UN Women pointed out that poor living conditions and lack of security in makeshift camps have exposed most of the women — who comprise about 54% of the 580K internally displaced Haitians — to violence — notably rape — daily.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
The international community is finally fulfilling its responsibility to protect civilians in Haiti, as the dire situation there has shown the world that effective humanitarian intervention remains important despite previous misapplications elsewhere. Hopefully, the MSS mission will restore peace and security in the Caribbean country and tackle violence against displaced women.
Establishment-critical narrative
Given the country's past experiences with foreign assistance, it's hard to believe that Kenyan police officers can do more good than harm. Even if this so-called "foreign stabilization mission" has the best intentions, it still lacks the legitimacy to win local support and help create lasting democratic institutions.