In March, prompted by the Haitian
government, the mandate of the UN
Independent Expert on the situation of
human rights in Haiti ended.
In October, UN Security Council resolution
2350 ended the mandate of the UN
Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH)
after 13 years. Peacekeepers left following
years of controversy over their alleged
responsibility for the cholera outbreak of
2010, and numerous reports of sexual
violence. It was replaced by the UN Mission
for Justice Support in Haiti (MINUJUSTH),
mandated to strengthen the rule of law.
The authorities took steps to re-establish the
army which had been dissolved in 1995. It
was unclear what vetting processes would be
established to recruit soldiers following the
widespread allegations of human rights
violations committed by previous forces.
INTERNALLY DISPLACED PEOPLE
The International Organization for Migration
reported that by June, 37,867 people were
internally displaced because of the 2010
earthquake; most of them lived in makeshift
camps.
DISCRIMINATION − STATELESS
PERSONS
In March, Parliament voted to accede to the
1954 and 1961 UN Conventions on
Statelessness, following recommendations
made during Haiti’s examination under the
UN UPR process in 2016.1 Haiti had not
signed or ratified the Conventions by the end
of 2017.
REFUGEES’ AND MIGRANTS’ RIGHTS
In July, the UN Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported an
increase in deportation cases at the
Dominican-Haitian border.
Despite a request in October from the
Haitian government for a further extension,
the US Department of Homeland Security
announced, in November, its decision to
terminate the temporary protected status
(TPS) for nearly 60,000 Haitians at risk of
deportation from the USA. TPS for Haitian
184
nationals was due to expire in January 2018
with a delayed effective date of 18 months
which, according to the Department, would
“allow for an orderly transition before the
designation terminates on 22 July, 2019”.
TPS is granted to nationals from particular
countries on the grounds that they cannot
return safely to their country due to
conditions there.
RIGHT TO HEALTH – CHOLERA
EPIDEMIC
Between January and June, there were 7,623
new cases of suspected cholera and 70
related deaths, a decrease of more than 60%
in comparison with the same period in 2016.
Since the 2010 outbreak, more than 800,000
people had been infected and nearly 10,000
had died, according to the authorities.
The UN’s “new approach to cholera in
Haiti”, presented in 2016, was severely
underfunded. There were no consultations
with cholera survivors, as planned. Individual
assistance was consequently suspended.
Victims’ advocates objected to this on
the grounds that it was inconsistent with the
right to remedy.
According to the government, almost 70%
of the Haitian population did not have access
to health services.
VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS
Sexual violence and violence against women
and girls was prevalent although underreported.
In April, the government tabled
comprehensive reforms of the Criminal Code
in Parliament. It contained new provisions to
tackle sexual violence, including criminalizing
rape in marriage. In July, the NGO Doctors
Without Borders found that 77% of survivors
of sexual and gender-based violence who
were treated in its specialized clinic in the
capital, Port-au-Prince, between May 2015
and March 2017, were under the age of 25;
53% were under 18.
Amnesty International Report 2017/18
Select target paragraph3
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