Inside Story

What has caused security to deteriorate in Haiti?

State of emergency declared after unrest worsens and thousands of prisoners break out of jail.

Haiti’s director of National Police has warned the capital is at war.

Port-au-Prince has been overrun by gangs.

A state of emergency has been declared after gang members attacked two prisons over the weekend – freeing several thousand prisoners.

The security situation worsened after President Jovenel Moise was assassinated three years ago.

For months, protesters have been calling for Prime Minister Ariel Henry to step down. They are angry about delayed elections, the rising cost of living and insecurity.

The United Nations says the violence has forced 300,000 people from their homes this year.

The foreign minister has likened Haiti to a warzone.

To help restore order, the UN has proposed sending a multinational force.

So what has led to this crisis? And is international intervention the way to resolve it?

Presenter: Jonah Hull

Guests:

Francois Guillaume – Haitian ambassador to Qatar

Erwan de Cherisey – Principal, Janes defence intelligence company

Vanda Felbab-Brown – Director of initiative on non-state armed actors at the Brookings Institution

Ralph Emmanuel Francois – Haitian social entrepreneur and activist