Haiti: fuel shortage shut down two-thirds of Digicel telephone antennas
A Haitian charges phones in Petion-Ville, April 16, 2019. AP - Dieu Nalio Chery
Text by: RFI Follow
1 min
Haiti continues to experience serious fuel supply problems.
Gangs that control part of the country are blocking access to oil terminals.
Businesses and hospitals find it difficult to function without this fuel which powers their generators.
Telephony is also disrupted: on Monday, the Digiciel company, which controls 75% of the Haitian mobile market, announced that 430 out of 1,500 antennas were affected.
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“
Since Sunday, we haven't had a signal. It’s the first time I’ve seen this in Haiti myself
, ”says Rachel Saint Julien lives in Cap Haitien, in the north of the country. “
Everyone complains. Myself, I work remotely, it is with the telephone that I do everything. Yesterday I didn't do anything, it's not easy. And for the internet, it's even worse.
"
In other areas, fuel shortages have compounded older problems. As in Baumont, in the southwest, where James Lafortune resides. “
We have to use another Natcom phone company. I don't know how they do it, but the signal is working. Long before even the fuel problem, Digicel still had a problem with the signal. Sometimes we go weeks without a signal.
"
Rachel Saint Julien does not want it directly with Digicel, she just wants the insecurity to end.
“This
is more of a political problem than a Digicel problem.
The fuels are blocked because of the gangs.
I wonder how much we will still suffer with this case of insecurity in the country so that people can buy fuel with dignity.
"
Digicel said this Tuesday still have a small reserve of fuel to maintain relays to provincial towns, and the most important relays in Port-au-Prince.
Rachel Saint Julien
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