Take Action to Support Haitians Facing Forced Evictions from Tent Camps

[Beverly Bell and Other Worlds]

For a year and a half, Haitians, under the scarce protection of makeshift plastic shelter, have battled storms and sun, physical assault and food insecurity. Moreover, they’ve had to fight for their shelter itself – for the right to remain in the camps they’ve been obliged to call home. People left homeless by the earthquake have no other lodging beside camps. Yet faced with the inaction of the UN and large foreign NGOs in relocating displaced people and providing proper shelter, landowners, the government, and police increasingly resort to pushing people out of their camps and off the land. The mayor of Delmas (a section of Port-au-Prince), Wilson Jeudy, has taken a hostile stance against camp residents, announcing in May his intention to evict all camps from public spaces. After a violent camp eviction on May 23, he said “This is a public place… It can’t remain privatized by a group of people.” He further commented that the departure of camp residents from public spaces would render these areas “clean.”
 
In response, some camp organizations and grassroots groups have joined forces to demand the right to housing and an end to forced evictions. The International Alliance of Inhabitants, a global network of groups focused on housing rights, is currently mobilizing around World Habitat Days to raise awareness about the housing crisis more globally (read more here) and a number of Haitian groups are planning related activities on October 1-3, including a sit-in in front of the Ministry of Social Affairs in Port-au-Prince.

Add your voice to this campaign in urgent support of two camps in Delmas that are currently facing eviction: Camp Mosayik and Camp Palais de l’Art. Their plight has been highlighted in the action alerts below which were originally posted by Amnesty International, and later by the Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti. Find out how you can help pressure authorities to ensure that the fundamental right to housing is not taken away from these communities.


I. Urgent Action: Fear of Eviction for Two Hundred Families
Click here for original Amnesty International action alert.

Two hundred families have been threatened with eviction from their makeshift camp in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Amnesty International is concerned that they may be forcibly evicted at any time, without receiving alternative adequate accommodation.
 
Fam­i­lies liv­ing in a makeshift camp called Camp Mosayik in the Del­mas munic­i­pal­ity of the cap­i­tal Port-au-Prince have been threat­ened with evic­tion. On the after­noon of 9 Sep­tem­ber four peo­ple claim­ing to rep­re­sent the Del­mas munic­i­pal author­i­ties arrived at the camp. They pro­ceeded to mark sev­eral shel­ters on the perime­ter of the camp for demo­li­tion on 13 Sep­tem­ber. They sub­se­quently told res­i­dents that the entire camp would be demol­ished on that day. No court order for the evic­tion or any other legal notice was pre­sented. The evic­tion threat could also affect the neigh­bour­ing camp, called Camp Mor­mon. An Amnesty Inter­na­tional del­e­ga­tion in Haiti was informed by the Del­mas munic­i­pal author­i­ties that they had not sent any­one to the camp to inform of evic­tions and believed that the indi­vid­u­als must be crim­i­nals look­ing to seize the land.

The res­i­dents of Camp Mosayik staged a demon­stra­tion on 13 Sep­tem­ber in order to protest against the recent evic­tion threat. Although the evic­tion did not occur that day, the fam­i­lies live in con­stant fear that at any moment their mea­gre shel­ters and pos­ses­sions could be destroyed through an evic­tion process.

In May 2011, more than 300 fam­i­lies were forcibly evicted from two makeshift camps in the munic­i­pal­ity of Del­mas by local munic­i­pal author­i­ties who were accom­pa­nied by offi­cers from the Hait­ian National Police.

Thou­sands of home­less Haitians were forced to set­tle on vacant plots of land in the imme­di­ate after­math of the earth­quake in 2010, includ­ing sev­eral hun­dred fam­i­lies in Del­mas munic­i­pal­ity which is now Camp Mosayik. The res­i­dents live in impro­vised shel­ters, and the camp has poor san­i­tary con­di­tions and no run­ning water.

Please write imme­di­ately in French or your own language:

• Urge the author­i­ties to ensure that res­i­dents of Camp Mosayik and Camp Mor­mon are not evicted with­out due process, ade­quate notice, con­sul­ta­tion and that all of those affected have access to ade­quate alter­na­tive accommodation;
• Urge them to com­ply with the pre­cau­tion­ary mea­sures issued by the Inter-American Com­mis­sion on Human Rights which call for a mora­to­rium on all evic­tions from Inter­nally Dis­placed Per­sons (IDP) camps and the trans­fer of any­one unlaw­fully evicted to places with min­i­mum san­i­tary and secu­rity conditions;
• Remind them that UN Guid­ing Prin­ci­ples on Inter­nally Dis­placed Per­sons state that such per­sons have the right to an ade­quate stan­dard of liv­ing, includ­ing basic shel­ter and hous­ing and pro­tec­tion against arbi­trary displacement.

 

PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 27 OCTOBER 2011 TO:
Mayor of Del­mas
Wil­son Jeudy
Rue Char­bon­nière
Del­mas 33, Haiti
B.P. 13399
Email: [e-mail]
Salu­ta­tion: Mon­sieur le Maire / Dear Mayor

Pres­i­dent
Mon­sieur Michel Martelly
Palais National
Rue Magny, Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Fax: + 1 202–745-7215 (via Haiti embassy in the USA)
Email: [e-mail]
Salu­ta­tion: Mon­sieur le Président/ Dear Pres­i­dent Martelly

And copies to:
Asso­ci­a­tion of human rights lawyers
Bureau d’Avocats Internationaux
Port-au-Prince, Haiti
E-mail: [e-mail]

Also send copies to diplo­matic rep­re­sen­ta­tives accred­ited to your coun­try.
Name Address 1 Address 2 Address 3 Fax Fax num­ber Email Email address Salu­ta­tion Salutation
Please check with your sec­tion office if send­ing appeals after the above date.

URGENT ACTION: Fear of Eviction for Two Hundred Families

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
This is not the first time the fam­i­lies in Camp Mosayik have received evic­tion threats. In March 2011, a lawyer claim­ing to rep­re­sent the owner of the land vis­ited the camp accom­pa­nied by police offi­cers and informed the res­i­dents they had to leave imme­di­ately, despite not pre­sent­ing a court order. No evic­tions took place at the time but the threat per­sists until now.

In May 2011 more than 300 home­less fam­i­lies were forcibly evicted from two makeshift camps in the munic­i­pal­ity of Del­mas by local munic­i­pal author­i­ties who were accom­pa­nied by offi­cers from the Hait­ian National Police. These fam­i­lies were among hun­dreds of thou­sands who had been left home­less by the Jan­u­ary 2010 earth­quake and who had no alter­na­tive but to make their own shel­ters wher­ever they could.

At the time, the Mayor of Del­mas stated that within the next three months he intended to “evac­u­ate” every­one in pub­lic places in the munic­i­pal­ity of Del­mas, in order to help Haiti’s efforts to attract tourism and invest­ment in the coun­try. The Mayor of Del­mas ordered the evic­tion of all the fam­i­lies in these camps with­out prior noti­fi­ca­tion or con­sul­ta­tion with those affected. Munic­i­pal work­ers and police offi­cers accom­pa­ny­ing the Mayor pulled down and tore the tents and tar­pau­lins of the fam­i­lies. By the time the author­i­ties arrived, some res­i­dents had already left for their daily activ­i­ties and when they returned they found their frail shel­ters destroyed. Their per­sonal belong­ings were seized or destroyed dur­ing the operation.

There are cur­rently 680,000 per­sons liv­ing in more than 1,000 camps in Haiti and 70 per cent of these face threats or immi­nent evic­tion, in most cases with­out due legal process. Accord­ing to fig­ures from the United Nations, since the Jan­u­ary 2010 earth­quake, 67,162 peo­ple have been affected by evic­tions, and the num­ber of camps under threat of evic­tion have risen from 87 in July 2010 to 348 camps in July 2011, an increase of 400 per cent.

On 18 Novem­ber 2010 the Inter-American Com­mis­sion on Human Rights issued pre­cau­tion­ary mea­sures call­ing on the Hait­ian author­i­ties to adopt a mora­to­rium on all evic­tions from camps hous­ing peo­ple inter­nally dis­placed after the Jan­u­ary 2010 earth­quake. The pre­cau­tion­ary mea­sures also called for any­one who is unlaw­fully evicted to be trans­ferred to places with min­i­mum san­i­tary and secu­rity con­di­tions. States are oblig­ated to adopt and imple­ment the pre­cau­tion­ary mea­sures issued by the Commission.

II. Urgent Action: Eviction Threat for Makeshift Camp in Haiti
Click here for original Amnesty International Action Alert.

Over 300 people who have been living in a makeshift camp in the capital of Haiti since their homes were destroyed in the earthquake in January 2010 have been threatened with forced eviction. Amnesty International is concerned that if evicted they may not receive alternative adequate accommodation and will be forced to live on the streets.

People living in a makeshift camp called Palais de l’Art in the Delmas municipality of the capital Port-au-Prince are facing imminent forced eviction. The owner of the land where the camp is located - in the car park of the Palais de l’Art events centre - told the residents on 9 September that they would be evicted ten days later. The owner did not present a court order for the eviction or any other legal notice at that time. During a visit to the camp on 17 September an Amnesty International delegation were told by the owner that he would return in two weeks time to “kick them out”. The 112 families – approximately 330 people – have lived in the camp since being left homeless after the devastating January 2010 earthquake. They have not been offered alternative accommodation and if evicted will be forced to live on the streets.

The camp was subject to threat of eviction last year. The Ministry of Interior reached a deal with the landowner which gave him compensation for allowing the displaced persons to remain on site for six months. Now that the six months has come to an end, the landowner wants his land returned. In June, he locked the entrance gate to the camp for several days, forcing the residents of the camp to climb over a five-foot-high wall in order to enter and leave the property. He also disabled a water storage cistern leaving the camp’s inhabitants without water.

Like thousands of homeless Haitians who were forced to settle on vacant plots of land in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake in January 2010, the families now living in Camp Palais de l’Art live in improvised shelters with poor sanitary conditions and no running water. They do not wish to remain on the land but want to be provided with adequate alternative accommodation so they can finally start rebuilding their lives after the earthquake.

Please write immediately in French or your own language:

• Urge the authorities to ensure that residents of Camp Palais de l’Art are not evicted without due process, adequate notice, consultation and that all of those affected have access to adequate alternative accommodation;
• Urge them to comply with the precautionary measures issued by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights which call for a moratorium on all evictions from Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps and the transfer of anyone unlawfully evicted to places with minimum sanitary and security conditions;
• Remind them that UN Guiding Principles on Internally Displaced Persons state that such persons have the right to an adequate standard of living, including shelter, housing and protection against arbitrary displacement.

PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 31 OCTOBER 2011 TO:
Minister of Justice a.i.
Jean-Max Bellerive
Ministre de la Justice
Ministère de la Justice
18 Rue Charles Summer, Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Email: [e-mail]
Salutation: Monsieur le Ministre / Dear Minister

Director of political affairs and human rights, Ministry of the Interior
Pierre Canisius Guignard
Directeur des affaires politiques et des droits humains,
DMinistère de l’Intérieur Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Email: [e-mail]
Salutation: Monsieur le Directeur / Dear Director

Copies to :
[e-mail]
(These will be collected and distributed to relevant parties)

Also send copies to diplomatic representatives accredited to your country. Please insert local diplomatic addresses below:
Name Address 1 Address 2 Address 3 Fax Fax number Email Email address Salutation Salutation
Please check with your section office if sending appeals after the above date.

URGENT ACTION:  Eviction Threat for Makeshift Camp in Haiti

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
There are currently 680,000 people living in more than 1,000 makeshift camps in Haiti following the earthquake in January 2010. According to figures from the United Nations, since the earthquake 67,162 people have been affected by evictions and the number of camps under threat of eviction has risen from 87 in July 2010 to 348 in July 2011. This is an increase of 400 percent.

Many of the camps under threat of eviction are located in the municipality of Delmas in Port-au-Prince. In May more than 300 homeless families were forcibly evicted by from two makeshift camps in the municipality of Delmas by local municipal authorities who were accompanied by officers from the Haitian National Police. These families were among hundreds of thousands who had been left homeless by the January 2010 earthquake and who had no alternative but to make their own shelters wherever they could.

At the time, the Mayor of Delmas stated that within the next three months he intended to “evacuate” everyone in public places in the municipality of Delmas, in order to help Haiti’s efforts to attract tourism and investment in the country. The Mayor of Delmas ordered the eviction of all the families in these camps without prior notification or consultation with those affected. Municipal workers and police officers accompanying the Mayor pulled down and tore the tents and tarpaulins of the families. By the time the authorities arrived, some residents had already left for their daily activities and when they returned they found their frail shelters destroyed. Their personal belongings were seized or destroyed during the operation.

Several hundred families living in Camp Mosayik and neighbouring Camp Mormon, both in Delmas, are also currently under threat of eviction without having been offered alternative accommodation.

On 18 November 2010 the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights issued precautionary measures calling on the Haitian authorities to adopt a moratorium on all evictions from camps housing people internally displaced after the January 2010 earthquake. The precautionary measures also called for anyone who is unlawfully evicted to be transferred to places with minimum sanitary and security conditions. States are obligated to adopt and implement the precautionary measures issued by the Commission.

Photo Caption: Razor wire and glass installed by the landowner in Camp Palais de l'Art in June 2010. Photo: International Action Ties