Nearly 3,000 displaced Haitians shelter in former Port-au-Prince school
In Port-au-Prince, nearly 3,000 people displaced by escalating violence have taken refuge in a former school building. Among them is Michel, a former teacher, who now shares a classroom with his family and dozens of others. The school, once home to 500 pupils, has become a crowded shelter with communal kitchens and scarce privacy. Residents face uncertain futures amid ongoing displacement affecting 1.5 million Haitians, with many relying on aid to survive.
Brève Publié le (Africa/Lagos, UTC+1)
Nearly 3,000 people displaced by violence in Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, have found shelter in a former school building, according to Africanews.
The school, which once welcomed about 500 pupils, now houses families like that of Michel, a 44-year-old former teacher, who shares a classroom with his wife, three children, and around 36 other displaced individuals.
Michel’s family fled their neighborhood after armed men looted and set homes on fire, losing their livelihoods and becoming dependent on assistance. Despite the challenges, two of their children still attend school, although the youngest has not started yet.
The building’s corridors have transformed into shared living spaces where residents prepare meals in communal kitchens and sell small items to earn money. Psychosocial support sessions are organized for children to help them cope with the pressures of displacement.
Michel emphasized that their ultimate goal is relocation, as “you are never well unless you are at home.” His family’s situation reflects the plight of nearly 1.5 million displaced people in Haiti, representing about 12 percent of the country’s population.