The United States Coast Guard has transferred 217 Haitian Migrants to Bahamian authorities after they were found in the vicinity of Dog Rocks in The Bahamas.
The coast guard said crews from the cutters Escanaba and William Flores had stopped the “grossly overloaded” 40-foot sailing vessel.
“Having so many people aboard a rustic vessel without safety equipment and minimal food and water is extremely dangerous,” said Lieutenant Peter Hutchison, Coast Guard District Seven, adding “we are grateful to have located them before something disastrous occurred”.
Since October 1, the US Coast Guard said its crews have interdicted 395 Haitian migrants.
Amid continuing gang warfare and a vacuum of law and order, Haiti is “on the verge of an abyss” said the United Nations human rights chief Volker Türk, warning that any hope of a sustainable recovery requires “urgent and sustained action” to tackle the root causes of the overlapping crises afflicting the island nation.
More migrants are taking the dangerous journey at sea as Haiti has descended into the worst human rights and humanitarian situation in decades. Food insecurity is also on the rise, with a record 4.7 million nearly half of the population – facing acute hunger. Poor sanitation and lack of safe water supplies have led to a so far uncontrolled cholera outbreak.
In light of the crisis, the UN refugee agency on Thursday, called on states in the region and beyond, to suspend the forced return of Haitians to their country.
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