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Haiti - FLASH : Explosion of gender-based violence in the country 17/05/2025 10:57:04
"What keeps me alive, what keeps me from giving up, are my children. Sometimes I feel like taking my own life," confides R., 35. Like many victims, she is an internally displaced person, a victim of rape and sexual assault, often perpetrated by members of armed gangs. According to data from the Ministry for the Status of Women, nearly 6,500 cases of gender-based violence were reported in 2024, and already 1,250 in the first two months of 2025. These figures are largely underestimated, according to humanitarian actors, due to fear, stigma, and difficulties accessing services. Of these cases, more than 60% involve sexual violence, often linked to forced displacement. To respond to this emergency, PAHO/WHO and its partners are supporting the Ministry in implementing a strengthened medical and psychosocial response, with financial support from the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) and the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO). In the sites hosting displaced persons, 11 psychologists and as many social workers have been trained and deployed to provide direct support to women and girls identified as victims of sexual violence. Under the coordination of the Western Health Directorate, these teams provide psychosocial support and counseling, and refer victims to available healthcare facilities. This human presence is crucial in a context where women's voices are still too often stifled by fear and stigma. "I considered suicide because I didn't want what I experienced to become a source of shame for me or my children," modestly explains F., 34. To further strengthen this fieldwork, three local women's organizations, Kay Fanm, SOFA, and Fondation TOYA, have been mobilized. Their role is essential: as actors rooted in the communities, they create a space of trust, facilitate case identification, and support victims like F. through an often long and complex care pathway. "Thoughts of suicide were never leaving me. But by going to TOYA, I was able to access real support. Thanks to their support, I found a glimmer of hope." Through this integrated response, PAHO/WHO and its partners intend to break the silence surrounding sexual violence and put women's dignity back at the heart of the humanitarian response. Nine health facilities in the most affected areas will be reequipped with specialized equipment to treat cases of sexual violence: gynecological examination tables, rape kits, sterile instruments, and essential medicines. Fifty health professionals will also be trained or retrained to improve the quality of clinical and psychosocial care, according to gender-sensitive protocols. Through this integrated approach, PAHO/WHO and its partners aim to break the silence surrounding sexual violence and restore the dignity of women and girls in a context of extreme vulnerability. "We cannot turn a blind eye to this crisis," said Dr. Oscar Barreneche, PAHO/WHO Representative in Haiti. "It is our collective duty to support victims, strengthen the capacities of health institutions, and ensure that every woman and girl affected by violence has access to quality care, with respect and dignity." HL/ HaitiLibre
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