AYESHA RASCOE, HOST:
Outnumbered and outgunned - that's the status of the police force and United Nations-backed peacekeeping mission in Haiti as the transitional government there struggles against a coalition of gangs. Those gangs have already conquered most of the capital, Port-au-Prince, and the government has announced a war budget to bolster the fight. To tell us more about the situation on the ground, we turn to Harold Isaac. He's an independent journalist in Port-au-Prince. Thank you so much for being with us.
HAROLD ISAAC: Thanks for having me.
RASCOE: So help us get up to speed on what's happening around you. How much of the city has fallen to gangs?
ISAAC: Well, right now, it's estimated that about 85% of the capital is now under gang control. People are really restricted to just one part of town, which is Petion-Ville. And to get supplies, such as whatever comes by boat, they cut through gang land and they likely pay to get through. For the most part, the about a million displaced people are running a cat-and-mouse game with the gangs.
RASCOE: What is in this war budget that is being talked about? Could it make a difference?
ISAAC: The most significant aspect of that war budget is the signal the Haitian government is sending towards mainly the army because the army had been disbanded back in 1994, and as such, the army ever since remain, you know, either inexistent or a stub, right? Today, with that new war budget, the operative budget of the Haitian army - it will benefit from a boost of around $275 million, which is unheard of really in our history. But whether or not this will materialize in real life and how remains to be seen.
RASCOE: There were Kenyan police deployed in Haiti in 2024 as part of a U.N. peacekeeping mission. What's the latest on their efforts to fight the gangs?
ISAAC: Essentially, the mission was set to have, at least to start, of about 2,500 members. That has yet to materialize. At best, you know, the mission was about a thousand members so far, mostly from Kenya and some members from the Caricom community, but it hasn't delivered big wins just yet.
RASCOE: The Trump administration has sought to end the temporary legal status that allows thousands of Haitians who have fled the country to stay in the U.S. Last week, a judge halted that effort. But if it were to succeed, what would mass deportations from the U.S. look like, especially now in the midst of all of this fighting?
ISAAC: It's unclear. And the reason it's unclear is because we are in unchartered territory. The international airport of Port-au-Prince is closed. So what would likely happen is this influx of people would go to the second city of Haiti, which is ill-equipped. So Cap-Haitien is totally overwhelmed with all the surge from Port-au-Prince, and they would likely be greeting this influx of people that'd be returning.
RASCOE: The Miami Herald reports that the State Department is going to designate gangs in Haiti as foreign terrorists. What impact might that have?
ISAAC: It certainly sent shock waves in Port-au-Prince. There are people that are really concerned that this may discredit the country furthermore, and there are other people who are saying this is great because there is no infrastructure to harbor the gang members who have essentially, last year, destroyed many prisons, including the main one with 4,000 prisoners. So having them being potentially sent to Salvador - it is creating a dynamic that we had not foreseen yet. So it's a very complicated situation, and it just added an extra layer to it.
RASCOE: If the transitional government were to fall, what would that mean for you personally?
ISAAC: I'm personally exposed. You know, like, gangs are around the corner virtually and literally. They're pressing really, really hard. We are in an unforeseen situation. There could be a total collapse of the legitimate governance here in Haiti as the situations remains very, very complicated and fragile.
RASCOE: That's Harold Isaac, independent journalist in Port-au-Prince. Thank you so much, and please stay safe.
ISAAC: Thanks for having me.
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