Crises pile up in Haiti

Text by: Romain Lemaresquier Follow

Faced with the many crises in Haiti, President Jovenel Moïse spoke on Monday to try to meet the expectations of Haitians. His speech did not dispel the fears and once again highlighted the lack of responsiveness of the authorities to the latest crisis, the coronavirus, said Gotson Pierre, editor of the Haitian agency Alter Hurry.

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If for months an institutional and social crisis shakes Haiti, since March 20 a new crisis, this time health, has been added: that of the coronavirus. In a country where the authorities are unable to solve problems linked to the daily lives of its citizens, this new crisis raises fears of the worst. 

The presidential speech of Monday, April 27 was therefore expected, "  even if it was announced,  " according to Gotson Pierre. In the midst of the Covid-19 crisis, in a country which advocates containment and where schools and universities have been closed since March 20 (the day after the announcement of the first Covid-19 case on the territory), the president Jovenel Moïse had to reassure.

Haitians "  awaited new announcements, new elements. Finally, there was no particular announcement in this speech,  ”explains Gotson Pierre. "  In my opinion, this speech allowed the President to say" I'm here, I have things in hand and I am making arrangements. " And in reality, Jovenel Moïse has only taken up promises already made  ”, especially concerning orders for medical equipment which is sorely lacking in Haiti. The president confirmed a next delivery (between May 1 and May 15) of 30 containers from China, delivered by air. These are mainly hospital beds, respirators, masks, gowns and gloves. An order that poses many questions, especially on the side of civil society where we wonder about the multiplication of intermediaries in these transactions, which could inflate the bill.

Broken promises

Jovenel Moïse also returned to the financial aid put in place by the State. "  Promises made a month ago and which have still not been kept,  " said the editor of Alter Presse. “  Except for part of the workers' wages. Two million dollars have been made available to subcontracting companies, which is equivalent to about two weeks' wages for nearly 54,000 workers.  Among the broken promises is the aid promised to families. The equivalent of 30 dollars will be paid to approximately one and a half million families, without giving a date. Teachers will also receive financial aid, but no figures have been released yet. The vagueness therefore persists.

The post crisis will be very complicated

This is one of the other subjects addressed by the Haitian president on Monday. How to manage the post-crisis which promises to be very complicated in a country which already had a very high unemployment rate? Jovenel Moïse says he apprehends this period, according to Gotson Pierre. “  According to him, there will be a global recession. For Jovenel Moïse, Haiti will only know the consequences after the end of the epidemic crisis. He speaks in particular of the threat of famine in Haiti. Suddenly the President asked his Prime Minister to set up an economic cell.  The head of state is not the first to say so, according to Gotson Pierre. “  Alter Presse was able to interview specialists who believe that it is now time to think about the post-crisis. Haiti is so helpless in terms of infrastructure or long-term projects that we must already anticipate and not think only of the health crisis.  "

Prices are rising faster than the number of cases

A recent report from the National Food Security Coordination (CNSA) shows that the prices of basic necessities are increasing sharply in Haiti, says the editor of Alter Presse. And according to this report, the future would not be very bright. “  Rice, a staple food in Haiti, has increased since the start of the health crisis (March 19) by 34%, peas by 39% and sugar and oil by 28%.  Import and production have certainly dropped, but there is an escalation, explains Gotson Pierre. “  And the problem is that the state is unable to exercise control. Despite the existence of a Ministry of Commerce, the State does not have the means to act. He can sometimes call people to be reasonable, but he can't do much else. He has neither the capacity nor the will to intervene.  Gotson Pierre believes that the state could do more. “  It could for example publish the prices of certain products, which would allow the consumer to be warned and ultimately to harmonize prices.  And in the absence of a reaction from the authorities, the situation should get worse, according to the CNSA, for whom the next few months will look very complicated in terms of food security.

Police growls and insecurity still relevant

"  Even if the police threatened to start demonstrating again, we did not expect that,  " says Gotson Pierre. Monday, April 27, Delmas, a commune in Haiti, located in the department of the West and in the district of Port-au-Prince, lived a very tense situation with the police officers of the group "Ghost 509" who came down on the streets to demand the substantial bailout of their debit card, which is provided to them by the state. “  Heavy automatic fire was heard, barricades of burning tires were erected, vehicle windshields were smashed. It was a particularly eventful day  , ”explains the editor-in-chief of Alter Presse. Two institutions were targeted: the National Insurance Office (ONA) and the Ministry of Economy and Finance.

" A lost year for students "

Distance education is being promoted right now in Haiti, as in many other countries, while schools and universities have been closed for more than a month. But if some manage to take online courses, this is not the case for a very large part of the students, whether they are at school or at university. The fault is a cruel lack of means and infrastructure. Internet connections are very expensive for the average citizen who very rarely has a computer connected to the Internet. As a result: “  Children spend a lot of time during the day doing nothing. It is practically a lost year for them, even if the Ministry of National Education announces that it has set up a digital platform,  ”explains Gotson Pierre. A ministry that has also become aware of the problem since it has already announced that students will not be evaluated by the end of the school year which ends in June in Haiti.

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