VIDEO: Haiti, Rape and Post-Earthquake Human Rights Violations
It's been a year since Haiti was hit by the devastating earthquake that crumbled structures, cut short lives, and imposed new challenges for people who were already in vulnerable situations. Shortly after the quake, we blogged about the impact of natural disasters on women's sexual and reproductive rights and health. Access to services is often curtailed after a disaster, so contingency plans must include plans to meet sexual health care needs, through the distribution of condoms, contraceptives, and safe abortion services.
Not only are many of these needs going unmet, but according to an Amnesty International (AI) report that released today, sexual violence against women is rampant in the camps where displaced people are living.
Watch the below video from AI, featuring several women telling their stories about being raped in the camps they call home. AI's new study is not the first coverage of post-earthquake sexual assault in Haiti: news outlets covered the story last March as well.