Haiti's emergency response must include protection from sexual violence
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Felix Augustin
Mar 24, 2010, 9:12:14 PM3/24/10
to helpussavehaiti
Just some facts that I received about Haiti and want to share with everyone.
Felix
----- Forwarded Message ----
From: Kathryn Striffolino <KStrif...@AIUSA.ORG>
To: haitiadvoc...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Wed, March 24, 2010 3:31:41 PM
Subject: AI press statement (more info to follow) re: Haiti's emergency response must include protection from sexual violence
Hi everyone,
I hope this finds you all well. AI has just returned from mission in Haiti, and released this statement just now. I wanted to share this with you all, and let you know that more information from our mission is forthcoming, and I will send to everyone once I have it.
My best,
Katie
_____________________________
Kathryn R. Striffolino
International Advocacy Associate Director (Latin America)
Science for Human Rights Associate
Advocacy, Policy and Research Department
Amnesty International USA
600 Pennsylvania Ave., SE, 5th Floor
Washington DC 20003
t. (202) 675-8766
f. (202) 546-7142
www.amnestyusa.org/science
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
PRESS RELEASE
24 March 2010
For immediate release
Haiti’s emergency response must include protection from sexual violence
(Port-au-Prince) Thousands of women living in temporary camps around Haiti
are threatened by sexual violence and have inadequate protection from any
authorities, Amnesty International said today after concluding a three-week
visit to the country.
Sexual violence is widespread across the hundreds of spontaneous camps that
sprung up in the capital and other affected areas of Haiti following the
massive earthquake that struck the country in January.
Amnesty International said that the lack of measures to prevent and respond
adequately to the threat of sexual violence is contributing to the
humanitarian crisis and urged the Haitian authorities to take immediate and
effective measures to curb sexual violence and protect women living in the
camps.
“Sexual violence is widely present in camps where some of Haiti’s most
vulnerable live,” said Chiara Liguori, Caribbean researcher at Amnesty
International from Port-au-Prince. “It was already a major concern in the
country before the earthquake but the situation in which displaced people
are living exposes women and girls to even greater risks.”
Insecurity, overcrowding and inadequate sanitary facilities are putting
women and girls at great risk of abuse because they are exposed and without
protection. The lack of capacity of the police forces and the justice
system in the aftermath of the earthquake means that perpetrators are
unlikely to be punished.
“Authorities in Haiti must prioritize strengthening the police presence in
camps, especially at night, including capacity to protect women and girls
from sexual violence and to respond adequately to reported cases,” said
Chiara Liguori.
There is a general feeling of insecurity inside and around the camps,
particularly at night. Women and girls living in makeshift shelters feel
vulnerable and are afraid of attacks.
Most victims of sexual violence interviewed by Amnesty International were
minors. One 8-year-old girl was raped when alone in her tent at night. Her
mother had gone out of the camp to work and did not have anybody to look
after her daughter during her absence. A 15-year-old was raped when she
went out of the camp to urinate, as there were no latrines within the camp.
Lack of adequate protection mechanisms for women and girls is discouraging
them from denouncing the violence. A local women’s organization reported 19
cases of rape in just one small section of Champ-de-Mars, one of the
biggest camps in Port-au-Prince. None of the women and girls had reported
the attacks to the police for fear of their aggressors and instead moved
out of the camp.
“There are no shelters in the country where victims of sexual violence can
be protected and have access to services. Shelters for women and girl
victims of violence must also be part of the emergency response and the
international NGOs, massively present in Haiti, can only make this possible
with the coordination of the Haitian authorities,” said Chiara Liguori
Background Information:
Amnesty International’s delegation visited eight camps of displaced people
in Port-au-Prince, and the cities of Jacmel and Lascahobas, some of them
more than once.
Amnesty International’s delegates met government authorities, including the
President of the Republic, René García Préval, and Prime minister, Jean-Max
Bellerive. They held talks with the head of the UN Stabilization Mission in
Haiti (MINUSTAH) and with various UN agencies operating in Haiti, local and
international human rights organizations and the ambassadors of Brazil,
Canada, and France.
For a full copy of Amnesty International’s briefing on the main human
rights concerns for women and children in Haiti, please contact our press
office.
For more information or to talk to one of Amnesty International’s delegates
in Haiti, please contact: ADD CONTACT DETAILS#
ENDs/
---------------------------------------
FACTS AND FIGURES
The 12 January 2010 earthquake in Haiti left a death toll of more than
210,000 people and as many as 300,000 were injured, according to official
figures. More than 600,000 people have fled Port-au-Prince to other regions
of the country unaffected by the quake putting strain on the limited
resources of several communities.
According to the most recent estimates from the UN Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), there are 460 camps with a
total population of 1,170,000 people in Port-au-Prince alone. The largest
camp in Port-au-Prince hosts an estimated 50,000 individuals.
The vast majority of the displaced population in camps are children:
720,000 have been affected by the earthquake and 300,000 have been
displaced to other communities.
At least twenty police stations in Port-au-Prince and elsewhere have been
severely damaged or collapsed during the quake. This has compromised the
capacity of the police force to maintain security and enforce the law.
The infrastructure of the judiciary in and around Port-au-Prince has
collapsed or is severely damaged. As a consequence, the back-log of cases
is building up. Files of recent and past cases have been lost or burned
after the earthquake.
In addition, shortly after the earthquake all the prisoners escaped from
the National Penitentiary. Although the external wall of the prison was not
damaged by the quake, the main door was left open prompting the flight of
more than 4,200 prisoners.
https://lists.amnesty.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mav-mw
--
From: "Stephanie Grosser" <stephani...@hias.org>
To: <haitiadvoc...@googlegroups.com>
Date: 03/19/2010 04:27 PM
Subject: Haiti Advocay Network listserv
Sent by: haitiadvoc...@googlegroups.com
Hi everyone,
Welcome to the Haiti Advocacy Network listserv. Kysseline will send some updates from our meeting shortly.
If you know of anyone who would like to be added to this list, please have them email me directly.
Thanks!
Stephanie
Stephanie Grosser| Assistant Director, Washington Office| HIAS|
1775 K Street, NW, Suite 320 | Washington, DC 20006 |
(p)202-212-6024|(f)202-212-6001| www.hias.org
From: Kathryn Striffolino <KStrif...@AIUSA.ORG>
To: haitiadvoc...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Wed, March 24, 2010 3:31:41 PM
Subject: AI press statement (more info to follow) re: Haiti's emergency response must include protection from sexual violence
Hi everyone,
I hope this finds you all well. AI has just returned from mission in Haiti, and released this statement just now. I wanted to share this with you all, and let you know that more information from our mission is forthcoming, and I will send to everyone once I have it.
My best,
Katie
_____________________________
Kathryn R. Striffolino
International Advocacy Associate Director (Latin America)
Science for Human Rights Associate
Advocacy, Policy and Research Department
Amnesty International USA
600 Pennsylvania Ave., SE, 5th Floor
Washington DC 20003
t. (202) 675-8766
f. (202) 546-7142
www.amnestyusa.org/science
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
PRESS RELEASE
24 March 2010
For immediate release
Haiti’s emergency response must include protection from sexual violence
(Port-au-Prince) Thousands of women living in temporary camps around Haiti
are threatened by sexual violence and have inadequate protection from any
authorities, Amnesty International said today after concluding a three-week
visit to the country.
Sexual violence is widespread across the hundreds of spontaneous camps that
sprung up in the capital and other affected areas of Haiti following the
massive earthquake that struck the country in January.
Amnesty International said that the lack of measures to prevent and respond
adequately to the threat of sexual violence is contributing to the
humanitarian crisis and urged the Haitian authorities to take immediate and
effective measures to curb sexual violence and protect women living in the
camps.
“Sexual violence is widely present in camps where some of Haiti’s most
vulnerable live,” said Chiara Liguori, Caribbean researcher at Amnesty
International from Port-au-Prince. “It was already a major concern in the
country before the earthquake but the situation in which displaced people
are living exposes women and girls to even greater risks.”
Insecurity, overcrowding and inadequate sanitary facilities are putting
women and girls at great risk of abuse because they are exposed and without
protection. The lack of capacity of the police forces and the justice
system in the aftermath of the earthquake means that perpetrators are
unlikely to be punished.
“Authorities in Haiti must prioritize strengthening the police presence in
camps, especially at night, including capacity to protect women and girls
from sexual violence and to respond adequately to reported cases,” said
Chiara Liguori.
There is a general feeling of insecurity inside and around the camps,
particularly at night. Women and girls living in makeshift shelters feel
vulnerable and are afraid of attacks.
Most victims of sexual violence interviewed by Amnesty International were
minors. One 8-year-old girl was raped when alone in her tent at night. Her
mother had gone out of the camp to work and did not have anybody to look
after her daughter during her absence. A 15-year-old was raped when she
went out of the camp to urinate, as there were no latrines within the camp.
Lack of adequate protection mechanisms for women and girls is discouraging
them from denouncing the violence. A local women’s organization reported 19
cases of rape in just one small section of Champ-de-Mars, one of the
biggest camps in Port-au-Prince. None of the women and girls had reported
the attacks to the police for fear of their aggressors and instead moved
out of the camp.
“There are no shelters in the country where victims of sexual violence can
be protected and have access to services. Shelters for women and girl
victims of violence must also be part of the emergency response and the
international NGOs, massively present in Haiti, can only make this possible
with the coordination of the Haitian authorities,” said Chiara Liguori
Background Information:
Amnesty International’s delegation visited eight camps of displaced people
in Port-au-Prince, and the cities of Jacmel and Lascahobas, some of them
more than once.
Amnesty International’s delegates met government authorities, including the
President of the Republic, René García Préval, and Prime minister, Jean-Max
Bellerive. They held talks with the head of the UN Stabilization Mission in
Haiti (MINUSTAH) and with various UN agencies operating in Haiti, local and
international human rights organizations and the ambassadors of Brazil,
Canada, and France.
For a full copy of Amnesty International’s briefing on the main human
rights concerns for women and children in Haiti, please contact our press
office.
For more information or to talk to one of Amnesty International’s delegates
in Haiti, please contact: ADD CONTACT DETAILS#
ENDs/
---------------------------------------
FACTS AND FIGURES
The 12 January 2010 earthquake in Haiti left a death toll of more than
210,000 people and as many as 300,000 were injured, according to official
figures. More than 600,000 people have fled Port-au-Prince to other regions
of the country unaffected by the quake putting strain on the limited
resources of several communities.
According to the most recent estimates from the UN Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), there are 460 camps with a
total population of 1,170,000 people in Port-au-Prince alone. The largest
camp in Port-au-Prince hosts an estimated 50,000 individuals.
The vast majority of the displaced population in camps are children:
720,000 have been affected by the earthquake and 300,000 have been
displaced to other communities.
At least twenty police stations in Port-au-Prince and elsewhere have been
severely damaged or collapsed during the quake. This has compromised the
capacity of the police force to maintain security and enforce the law.
The infrastructure of the judiciary in and around Port-au-Prince has
collapsed or is severely damaged. As a consequence, the back-log of cases
is building up. Files of recent and past cases have been lost or burned
after the earthquake.
In addition, shortly after the earthquake all the prisoners escaped from
the National Penitentiary. Although the external wall of the prison was not
damaged by the quake, the main door was left open prompting the flight of
more than 4,200 prisoners.
https://lists.amnesty.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mav-mw
--
From: "Stephanie Grosser" <stephani...@hias.org>
To: <haitiadvoc...@googlegroups.com>
Date: 03/19/2010 04:27 PM
Subject: Haiti Advocay Network listserv
Sent by: haitiadvoc...@googlegroups.com
Hi everyone,
Welcome to the Haiti Advocacy Network listserv. Kysseline will send some updates from our meeting shortly.
If you know of anyone who would like to be added to this list, please have them email me directly.
Thanks!
Stephanie
Stephanie Grosser| Assistant Director, Washington Office| HIAS|
1775 K Street, NW, Suite 320 | Washington, DC 20006 |
(p)202-212-6024|(f)202-212-6001| www.hias.org
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to haitiadvocacynetwork+unsubscribegooglegroups.com or reply to this email with the words "REMOVE ME" as the subject.
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to haitiadvocacynetwork+unsubscribegooglegroups.com or reply to this email with the words "REMOVE ME" as the subject.
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