大象传媒

Haiti is in the eye of a political and criminal whirlwind that has left one head of government assassinated, millions struggling to survive every day, and more than 200 gangs in charge of the streets of the capital Port-au-Prince.

So what is the prognosis for restoring order to the troubled country of more than 11 million people?

The United Nations has an agency charged with strengthening political stability and good governance in Haiti - quite a task. Newsday heard from its newly installed head Mar铆a Isabel Salvador, who is in the Haitian capital.

"Tension and fear in the population is getting worse due to the presence of gangs. Even if we would like to move forward with elections it is almost impossible... without a minimum level of security. An important number of civil society actors are very clear that the only solution to prevent the high rates of criminality and violence in the country is... to have [an international military] force.

"It is clear that these issues have profound roots in corruption. Right now a panel of experts is looking at sanctions [against corruption] and we hope to have their report in June. It's like we've lost a generation and we need one more generation to change all that."

(Pic: Police officers take position in an anti-gang operation in Port-au-Prince, Haiti FILE; Credit: Reuters)

Show less