From childbirth to gang rape, women’s bodies are being weaponised in Haiti

Annie* (name changed for anonymity) is recovering well after her surgery, performed at one of the few functioning hospitals in her commune in Haiti’s South Department. She had suffered debilitating internal injuries after being violently raped. She is a toddler.Stories of horror like Annie’s are not outliers among the 12 million people embroiled in the country’s spiralling catastrophe. Armed gangs have exploited Haiti’s escalating political unrest and conflict to expand their control, and as the crisis spirals, deliveries of medical supplies and fuel are blocked in Port-au-Prince and cannot be delivered to hospitals, while staff are increasingly unable to make it to the facilities they work at.Rape is a common tactic used by gangs to spread fear. Members storm homes, raping women and girls in front of their brothers and fathers —who have the choice of joining the gang or being killed to avoid retaliation. Houses are often burned down…
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