Refugee Camp in Anse-a-Pitres--September 16, 2015

Anse-a-Pitres Refugee Camp (Photo by John Carroll–September 15, 2015

I was able to visit the refugee camps outside of Anse-a-Pitres located in a desolate portion of Haiti’s southeast border with the Dominican Republic.

Approximately 1,400 people are now in two camps and were forced to leave or voluntarily left (due to fear of being killed)  the Dominican Republic since the middle of June. The oldest person I have spoken with is a 75-year-old lady who told me she lived in the Dominican for 30 years. Many babies are here and there are about 15 pregnant women. Babies are being born right here in the two camps.

Conditions in the camps are deplorable. No running water and no electricity.  There is hardly any shade and the temperature is close to 100 degrees F.

As a rule, the people need water, food, and lodging before they need medical care. According to a camp leader, they have had four visits from Haitian doctors during the last four months.  (A medical  team of 26 Puerto Rican professionals was here for three days in early September providing a mobile medical clinic for the camps.)

Anse-a-Pitres Refugee Camp (Photo by John Carroll–September 15, 2015)

Tens of thousands of displaced people from the Dominican are all up and down this border. These camps here in Anse-a-Pitres happen to be in the most southern location. The people in these tents are surrounded by ocean to the south, a desert to the west, and the Dominican to the east. They do not have many choices.

Neither government wants these gentle people. The Haitian Government is ignoring this huge border problem. Elections are the matter of the day in Port-au-Prince. And the people in the camp know this.

The border is porous to say the least. Illegals are ducking under wire and paying off guards. Doesn’t seem to be much rule of  law here.

I walked across the border today and am typing this from a Dominican Republic border city (Pedernales)  just across the dry Massacre River which separates the two countries. (No internet connection in Anse-a-Pitres.) 

More later.

 

 

Anse-a-Pitres Refugee Camp (Photo by John Carroll–September 15, 2015)

John A. Carroll, MD

www.haitianhearts.org