23469: (Hermantin)Miami-Herald-Fear of violence prompts an aid pullout in Gonaives (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: leonie hermantin <lhermantin@hotmail.com>

Posted on Sun, Oct. 17, 2004




HAITI


Fear of violence prompts an aid pullout in Gonaives

Security concerns have caused several international aid agencies to suspend
operations in the flood-ravaged city of Gonaives.

BY SUSANNAH A. NESMITH

snesmith@herald.com


PORT-AU-PRINCE - Several international aid organizations have suspended
operations in the flood-ravaged city of Gonaives and pulled their foreign
staffers out because of mounting security concerns, representatives said
Saturday.

Food distribution was also suspended at least until Monday because U.N.
peacekeepers were unable to devote enough troops to provide security, Care
International country director Abby Maxman said.

BACK TO CAPITAL

Care has not pulled its foreign staff out of Gonaives, but Oxfam, Catholic
Relief Services, the French Red Cross and other organizations have moved all
their workers back to the capital. ''We're withdrawing our activities
temporarily,'' said Oxfam spokeswoman Marta Alvarez, noting that Oxfam had
been working to rebuild the city's water infrastructure. ``We didn't want to
take the risk.''

The pullout was prompted by an attack on a French Red Cross vehicle early
last week and rumors that Gonaives is facing political violence similar to
what has been occurring in the capital. In Port-au-Prince, armed gangs in
neighborhoods that support ousted President Jean-Bertrand Aristide have been
facing off with police off and on for two weeks. Dozens of people have been
killed in the fighting.

Violence in the capital has also disrupted the movement of aid to Gonaives
because the port has been closed for much of the week. Care's Maxman said
her organization had only two days' worth of food rations in Gonaives. The
U.N.'s World Food Program sent up a convoy with 92 tons of food Saturday,
the first supplies to head to the northwestern city in several days.

''We are deeply concerned about the security situation,'' Maxman said,
noting that Care employees had suffered minor injuries and several of the
organization's cars had been damaged. ``We're just hoping that Monday we can
resume distribution, but we also have food pipeline issues.''

Gonaives has seen limited violence in two neighborhoods that support
Aristide; U.N. peacekeepers initially attributed it to a gang rivalry and
common criminal activity. Damian Cardona, spokesman for the U.N.
stabilization mission in Haiti, said Saturday that there were increasing
rumors that the violence may escalate and turn more political in Gonaives --
one radio station has even reported that Aristide supporters are threatening
to attack the city -- but Cardona said that so far Gonaives was calm.

REBELLIOUS PAST

Gonaives was the first city to rebel against Aristide in February, and the
former rebels are still present and armed, though they are careful to hide
their weapons from the U.N. peacekeepers.

They take no responsibility for the recent violence and have made no effort
to stop it.

''We have guns to protect ourselves, but we have no right to interfere'' in
the slum fighting, said former rebel lieutenant Valerie Michel, climbing
over an automatic rifle to get out of his car earlier this week. ''That's a
Lavalas neighborhood.'' (Lavalas Family is Aristide's political party.)

The local police are equally ineffective.

''The situation is very bad; we have no guns,'' said Haitian police Lt.
Jean-Edy Amisial, raising his arms to show holsterless hips.

``All the people in the street have guns. We don't know exactly what we can
do in this situation.''


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