In Haiti, the situation of the Covid-19 epidemic worsens

Port-au-Prince, Haiti, April 12, 2020. REUTERS / Jeanty Junior Augustin

Text by: Achim Lippold Follow

The confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Haiti continue to increase while the treatment capacities remain very limited. As the health crisis intensifies, the country faces a new threat: the cyclone season which officially opened on Monday June 1st. Several major hurricanes could hit the country by November. Interview with Gotson Pierre, editor-in-chief of the Alterpresse agency.

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RFI : What is the situation of the coronavirus epidemic in Haiti ?

Gotson Pierre : This Tuesday, June 2, there are 2,226 confirmed cases and 45 deaths. This is a lot, we have seen a very rapid evolution in recent days. There are areas where there are many cases with symptoms of Covid-19. We had the testimony of a resident of Cayes-Jacmel, a small town in the southeast of the country. She told us that there are cases in practically every family. Of course, people have not been tested, but they say they have all the symptoms of the coronavirus (fever, loss of taste and smell, body aches, etc.).

Regarding the prevention of Covid-19, you should know that there are civil society organizations that come together on a platform under the name of Proc-19. These organizations carry out weekly awareness tours in the neighborhoods. And this platform now advocates targeted awareness, centered on the individual by recommending the wearing of a mask and respect for barrier gestures. According to Proc-19, it is no longer worth dwelling on containment measures, measures based on the policies of Western countries, because it does not work in a country like Haiti. According to this platform, it must be emphasized that the disease really exists, that it is not a bad luck. People have to understand the mechanism to be able to protect themselves in order to protect others.

In the midst of a health crisis, another threat is looming on the horizon, with the hurricane season. According to forecasts, several major hurricanes could hit Haiti this year.

According to the University of Colorado forecasts, 21 hurricanes including 3 to 5 major ones are expected this year in the Caribbean. They could therefore fall on a country already weakened by the coronavirus, which represents an increased danger. Because we are in a period of extreme vulnerability. Some centers that are considered temporary shelters have been requisitioned to be set up as care centers for patients with Covid-19. There are not enough resources (material and financial) to deal with the two challenges, coronavirus and hurricanes. You should also know that the country has become more vulnerable to the impacts of bad weather than in the past. Last week, almost ordinary rains paralyzed part of the city of Port-au-Prince. Rockfalls and floods prevented traffic and therefore some economic activities, because people could not get to work. We are paying the price for a lack of investment in sanitation systems. Most watersheds remain in a very dilapidated state. Each rain brings considerable damage.

Another subject that makes the news in Haiti, the declarations of the Secretary General of the OAS (Organization of American States) concerning the mandate of the Haitian president.

Yes, because there is a controversy in Haiti over the date of the next presidential election. According to the Constitution, when the elections are postponed (like the previous presidential ones), the mandate begins to run on February 7 of the year of the elections. A little reminder: the first round of the presidential election was held in October 2015. But the vote was canceled after challenges and fraud. The poll finally took place on November 20, 2016. According to several political and human rights organizations, the five-year mandate of President Jovenel Moïse should end on February 7, 2021. Because for them, the mandate began in 2016, the election year. However, for the OAS, which asked the political forces to respect the presidential mandate, the latter ends on February 7, 2022. A reading that aligns with some of the political actors, in particular allies of the PHTK presidential party.

The collective of December 4 denounces for its part a "  gross interference  " of the Secretary General Luis Almagro in the internal affairs of Haiti, an interference which, according to the Collective, is contrary to the charter of the OAS. We are facing a political crisis looming on the horizon and which is likely to worsen. It should be noted that after Covid-19 risks being a very difficult period for the country, economically and politically.

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  • Haiti
  • Coronavirus