Looters burned and vandalized shops in the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince as protests over fuel price rises entered a third day. Several US church groups and volunteers are stranded with most flights remaining canceled.
Image: Reuters/A. Martinez Casares
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Protesters blocked streets in Port-au-Prince in Haiti on Sunday while looters pillaged stores that remained shut for a third day following violent protests over the government's attempt to raise fuel prices.
Several young men were seen stripping shelves bare in some supermarkets that were burned down during the protests.
The unrest began when the government announced that gasoline prices would rise by 38 percent, diesel by 47 percent and kerosene by 51 percent over the weekend.
Following the unrest, Prime Minister Jack Guy Lafontant rolled back the increases on Saturday — just a day after they were announced. But the rioting continued.
Many Haitians are now demanding the immediate departure of President Jovenel Moise.
"If the president stays one more day, the game will take on a new appearance: We will cut off the roads and burn everything, because we have nothing else to lose," said one masked protester.
US volunteers stranded
The US Embassy in Port-au-Prince on Sunday warned its citizens to avoid the unrest and instructed them to reschedule travel plans as several airlines canceled flights.
"Telecommunications services, including Internet and phone lines, have been affected throughout Haiti," the embassy added. "It may be difficult to reach people through normal communication methods."
American Airlines, which had canceled 10 flights since Saturday, said three of its planes had left on Sunday from Port-au-Prince and the northern city of Cap-Haitien bound for Miami and New York. JetBlue Airways flights to Haiti remained cancelled.
Dozens of people were left stranded at Port-au-Prince airport, unable to return to their accommodation due to the streets being blocked and a lack of alternative transportation.
Riots continued for a third day in Port-au-PrinceImage: Reuters/A. Martinez Casares
The unrest has also left several US church groups and volunteers stranded in the capital city.
Chapin United Methodist Church in South Carolina posted online that its mission team was safe but stranded. A North Carolina doctor and his son were part of another medical mission group that was unable to leave.
The embassies of France and Canada said they would remain closed on Monday.
Police Director-General Michel-Ange Gedeon ordered officers to crack down on what he called "bandits who disturb the peace and security of the country."
At least three people were killed in protests on Friday. Police on Sunday found the bodies of four people in the streets of the Delmas district, but it wasn't immediately clear if they were victims of the unrest.
Haitians uprooted by quake search Americas for a place to live
Thousands of Haitian migrants stranded in northern Mexico, face being pushed out of shelters to make room for Mexicans deported from the United States. Photographer Valerio Muscella reports from Tijuana.
Image: DW/V. Muscella
Haitian migrants' long journey
For Haitians who chose to leave the country after the devastating 2010 earthquake, exile often began in Brazil, which had a surplus of low-wage jobs and welcomed them with humanitarian visas. But political and economic turmoil there caused many to leave for the US, under the mistaken impression they would be taken in. Over 8,000 have found themselves stranded in Tijuana at the Mexican border.
Image: DW/V. Muscella
On the way to 'Little Haiti'
In the Canyon of the Scorpions, the Ambassadors of Jesus church has started building "Little Haiti" to host 225 Haitian migrants now living in the church hall. Many of the Haitians complain the settlement is hard to access: It is almost 30 minutes from the city and people need to take two buses to get here.
Image: DW/V. Muscella
Everyday life in Tijuana
A Haitian man gives another man a haircut in "Little Haiti." The settlement is located next to a dump, which gives off an overwhelming smell. The Haitians find the unhygienic conditions and lack of clean drinking water alarming. Migrants have been living in slums here for around 20 years. Local media worry the canyon could become a vast ghetto.
Image: DW/V. Muscella
Barely making a living
Most Haitians manage to make a living in Tijuana, although the informal jobs they find do not allow them to send money to their families, and their earnings are barely enough to pay rent in the city. Often they earn less than $1 an hour. Such economic hardship makes every day a struggle for survival.
Image: DW/V. Muscella
Overcrowded shelters
Numerous churches opened new shelters for migrants at the height of the Haitian influx in the second half of 2016. Mexican media put the number of shelters in Tijuana at 33, none of which are run by local authorities. Were it not for the generosity of Tijuana's residents, the shelters would have quickly run out of food, clothes and other necessities.
Image: DW/V. Muscella
Local solidarity
Linda Romero is the director of the Juventud 2000 shelter, where around 200 Haitian migrants, deported Mexicans and homeless people receive material and emotional support each day. She believes her mission is to help people regardless of their nationality.
Image: DW/V. Muscella
Warm welcome for all
Despite the scarcity of space and sanitary facilities, the Emmanuel Baptist Center has become home to around 100 migrants. The atmosphere is welcoming across cultures. Women and children especially feel safe here.
Image: DW/V. Muscella
Hope in Canada
Haitian youth pray during a Catholic mass at the Desayunador Salesiano shelter, which serves around 1,500 meals to deported Mexicans and Haitian and Central American migrants each day. The Haitians here are relying on a Canadian priest to help them establish whether Canada might accept them as climate refugees.
