translated from Spanish: IOM believes 34,000 Haitians will remain displaced forever

At least 34,000 people who lost their homes in the decade-long Haiti earthquake will remain permanently in the fragile temporary shelters erected after the earthquake, the Organization estimates International Organization for Migration (IOM).
This was stated by the head of the IOM mission in Haiti, Giuseppe Loprete, in an interview with Efe in which he reviewed the most urgent needs of Haitians who remain displaced after the devastating earthquake of 12 January 2010.
Loprete also warned of the growing migratory pressures affecting the Haitian population in the wake of the current political crisis in the country and criticized the unutility of the deportations of tens of thousands of Haitians carried out by the Republic each year Dominican.
“It will soon be the tenth anniversary of the 2010 earthquake. January 12th. At that time there were 1.5 million displaced persons in more than 1,500 camps and displacement sites. There are now about 22 sites still open and 34,000 people living on the way, he said.
“Although, after 10 years, we have to say that for many of them the normal situation has become. They do not want or have no possibility to leave the places of travel. Some are building or trying to settle in those areas. So we believe that those who are displaced now will remain in this situation,” he added.
According to Loprete, “over 10 years, IOM was involved in many activities to achieve a 98% or 99% reduction in the number of displaced persons, who have returned home or to their normal situation. Many were able to do so thanks to the support of ioMe.”
“or example we paid the rent for a year, many families were given the possibility to repair, rebuild their homes in various installments, negotiate with the owners, etc. At IOM, we believe this was a crucial role for thousands of people who benefited from this support,” he exemplified.
“We are still monitoring the remaining settlements. There’s one last project still open. We are working with the Korean embassy in Léogone, where it was the epicentre of the earthquake. It is the only place where there are families displaced outside Port-au-Prince. We are helping the most vulnerable families and the project is coming to an end in a few weeks,” he said.
“The situation of people in the camps is exacerbated, it is serious, but it is the same situation that the population is experiencing right now. There are several areas in Port-au-Prince where there is no electricity in most of the day, which access to water is also difficult. With just a walk, you see areas that are clearly overcrowded. The situation in the temporary settlements is, of course, more difficult for people to deal with,” he said.
“The situation of people in the camps is exacerbated, it is serious, but it is the same situation that the population is experiencing right now. There are several areas in Port-au-Prince where there is no electricity in most of the day, which access to water is also difficult. With just a walk, you see areas that are clearly overcrowded. The situation in the temporary settlements is, of course, more difficult for people to deal with,” the delegate said.
Loprete also warned of the growing migratory pressures affecting the Haitian population in the wake of the current political crisis in the country and criticized the unutility of the deportations of tens of thousands of Haitians carried out by the Republic each year Dominican.
According to the official, migration pressures have increased “especially where food insecurity affects most of the population, namely the north, where they can go to the Dominican Republic only by crossing the border by one of the 100 steps Haiti and the Dominican Republic.”
“But also by boat, because they try to go to Turks and Caicos, to the Bahamas, or to the United States and Canada. There are other routes to Brazil and Chile, transiting through countries such as Guyana, French Guyana and Dominica,” he said.
“Because of the situation in Haiti, at least one family member, mainly men between the ages of 18 and 35, are looking for job opportunities (abroad). We realize, through IOM offices in the region and the authorities, that many Haitians are using these routes now,” said the mission chief.

Original source in Spanish

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