Haitian Pierre has been commuting across the border to the Dominican Republic for years. The job as a construction worker has not been well paid but has fed the mouths of the child and the wife. But after unrest in Haiti’s capital Port-au-Prince escalated in recent weeks, the Dominican Republic has closed the border — not to trade — but to most people.
– I have been coming here every day for a week to look for a job, but they no longer let me pass. Even if there are Dominicans who need us Haitians, we are not let through, says Pierre to SVT.
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Closed border can exacerbate the problems
Now only Haitians with approved Dominican documents are allowed through – and we also see a child with a cast leg being allowed through to seek care. Both good care and food have started to become scarce in many parts of Haiti – a consequence of the gangs’ control of the capital, ports and the country’s main airport. And the closed border with the Dominican Republic risks fueling the problems.
– Without a job, I can’t afford food. If I have a job we can eat, but without a job there will be no food, says Pierre.
On Mondays and Fridays, a special border market opens in the border town of Dajabón. Thousands of Haitians walk or run towards the border to buy food, clothes and other things. Many Haitians come with full wheelbarrows.
Meanwhile, many aid organizations and nations are struggling to evacuate their staff and citizens. Each gang demands payment to let someone pass.
– I think we have spent about 35,000 dollars (about 350,000 kroner, editor’s note) to get them here, says Glenn Logan, who says he is helping four aid workers to get from Port-au-Prince to the border with Dajabón.