May 13, 2025
In a recent report, the Office for the Protection of Citizens (OPC) sounded the alarm over the growing distress of internally displaced persons in the metropolitan area, driven out by armed violence. Thousands are now living in extreme precariousness, with little to no support or oversight from the State.
The report reveals that approximately 49,000 people are currently residing in makeshift shelters across Port-au-Prince and Delmas. Having fled neighborhoods now 85% controlled by armed groups, these families face daily insecurity and despair.
Living conditions in the camps are described as inhumane: a lack of clean water, sanitation, and medical care. Some are living in converted classrooms or parking lots, without privacy or even basic hygiene.
The most fundamental rights — housing, education, health, and security — are being violated. Pregnant women without medical support, children out of school, elderly people without care — the OPC paints a bleak picture of state neglect.
In response to this crisis, the OPC is calling for a national reintegration program aligned with UN standards. Yet in the absence of coordinated action, the number of camps continues to grow, leaving displaced persons vulnerable to violence and abandonment.
