Myriam Fièvre, the mayor of Saint-Marc, said Wednesday that the partial death toll from the Pont-Sondé massacre is now 115 and will likely continue to rise as authorities continue to search for bodies and have been unable to access certain areas of the city. The victims include babies, young mothers and the elderly. The attack on the population of Pont-Sondé on October 3rd is arguably one of the largest massacres Haiti has seen in recent history.

The "Gran Grif" gang led by Chief Luckson recently sanctioned by the US https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-43284-haiti-us-sanctions-a-former-deputy-and-a-gang-leader-on-the-list.html has about a hundred members. The gang is accused of murder, rape, robbery and kidnapping. According to the UN, the gang was formed nearly 10 years ago after former lawmaker Prophane Victor began arming youths to secure his election. The UN noted that "Gran Grif" is the largest and most powerful gang in Artibonite.

More than 6,300 residents have fled the violence in Pont-Sondé and taken temporary refuge in the coastal town of Saint-Marc and its surroundings https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-43357-haiti-humanitarian-responding-to-the-emergencies-of-more-than-6-300-displaced-people-from-pont-sonde.html the majority of them are staying with relatives, but nearly a thousand have nowhere to go and are sleeping on the floors of a church, a school or a public square in Saint-Marc, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

As Saint-Marc tries to cope with the sudden influx of displaced people and respond to needs, Mayor Fièvre warned that the "Gran Grif" gang is infiltrating neighboring communities after attacking Pont-Sondé.

SL/ HaitiLibre