Haiti’s government announces ‘war budget’ as town after town falls to gangs

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) - Haiti's government announced Monday that it approved what it called a "war budget" of $275,000 aimed at alleviating the country's crisis as gang violence surges.

Nearly 40% of the money will go toward Haiti's police and military "to fight the armed groups that threaten national stability," while nearly 20% will go to fortify the border it shares with the Dominican Republic, Haiti's transitional presidential council said in a statement.

Another 16% will go to social programs including those focused on education, health and humanitarian assistance.

The council said that the special budget reflects the state's commitment to act decisively and target the country's growing insecurity.

The additional money, however, is not expected to alleviate the lack of resources hitting a U.N.-backed mission led by Kenyan police that is struggling to help local authorities quell gang violence.

The announcement comes as gangs that control at least 85% of the capital, Port-au-Prince, continue to attack communities surrounding it.

Recently, a powerful gang coalition known as Viv Ansanm took control of the towns of Mirebalais and Saut'd'Eau in Haiti's central region, according to the National Human Rights Defense Network, a local group.

It noted that police officers at the Mirebalais police station and local prison fled during the attacks.

"Armed gangs then set fire to the police station and took control of the prison, orchestrating a mass escape of the inmates," the organization said, noting that the prison held 533 inmates.

Staff and patients at the Mirebalais University Hospital also were evacuated.

At least 60 people died following the attacks launched on March 30 and 31, including gang members and escaped inmates, according to the human rights group.

Meanwhile, the neighboring town of Saut-d'Eau fell to gangs on the afternoon of April 3, activists said.

"Some say this was facilitated by the redeployment of law enforcement to Mirebalais, leaving Saut-d'Eau vulnerable," the group said in an April 10 report.

Two nuns and one police officer were among those killed during the attacks, while two journalists remain missing.

"By ignoring the (central region’s) collapse the transitional authorities show they have no real plan to restore citizens' rights and public safety," the human rights group said. "The absence of state response has turned the police into firefighters - constantly reacting without strategic direction - while towns fall one after another."

The group noted that civilians and self-defense groups in both towns "had repeatedly raised alarms that were ignored."

Meanwhile, more than 260 others were killed in another gang attack on two communities in Haiti's capital, according to the U.N. political mission in Haiti that questioned the delay in response by authorities.

The attacks occurred in Kenscoff and parts of Carrefour.

Overall, from Jan. 1 to March 27, more than 1,500 people have been reported killed across Haiti, and 572 others injured, BINUH said.

In addition, gang violence has left more than one million people homeless in recent years, according to the U.N.