|
PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti - United
Nations peacekeepers yesterday helped Haitian
police capture 30 criminals who had escaped from
prison following the January 12 catastrophic
earthquake.
The prisoners had later infiltrated
a camp for internally displaced persons in the
capital.
Working with the Haitian National
Police, more than 350 military and police staff
serving with the UN stabilization mission in Haiti
(MINUSTAH) raided the Jean-Marie Vincent camp for
IDPs near the notorious Cité Soleil neighborhood
of Port-au-Prince.
The operation was the largest
security action conducted by MINUSTAH since the 12
January quake, which killed an estimated 300,000
people and destroyed or substantially damaged the
homes of millions of others. Many prison inmates
also escaped from jail in the aftermath of the
disaster.
In a statement, MINUSTAH said the
raid was conducted following an upsurge in
violence inside the IDP camp that was linked to
the prison escapees.
Following the quake the UN Security
Council authorized the mission to have an
additional 15,000 UN Police (UNPOL) and 2,000
military personnel.
|
