Haiti capital 'paralyzed' after unrest, PM still abroad

Haiti's capital was largely shut down Monday with residents only venturing out for essentials as authorities imposed a state of emergency after an attack on a prison freed thousands of inmates.

As the latest crisis spiraled, Prime Minister Ariel Henry was still out of the country after a trip to Kenya to push for the deployment of a U.N.-backed multinational police mission to try to stabilize Haiti.

The prison break came in a new wave of violence sweeping through Port-au-Prince, where armed gangs who control much of the city have wreaked havoc since last week.

An AFP reporter said some locals were on the streets looking to buy water and fuel on the day after the state of emergency and a nighttime curfew were declared.

Schools and banks were closed, and people sheltered for safety in schools, sports venues, gyms and public buildings, often without adequate toilets, health facilities or drinking water.

"This morning the city is paralyzed," Carlotta Pianigiani, a coordinator in Port-au-Prince for the Alima medical NGO, told AFP.

"Public transport is practically at a standstill, private vehicles are rare and schools are closed. Some roads are also barricaded."

She said 15,000 people were displaced in weeks of recent unrest and that the largest public hospital suspended operation last week, adding that the situation was "already very tense."

  President assassinated 

Gang leaders such as Jimmy Cherisier, known by the nickname Barbecue, say they are coordinating to oust Prime Minister Henry, who has led the troubled Caribbean nation since the assassination of president Jovenel Moise in 2021.

About a dozen people died in the violence at the National Penitentiary in the capital on...