Riots over soaring food prices
At least four people were killed and 20 injured during protests in Haiti against the rising cost of food. Basic food items such as rice, beans and rice have risen by 50% in the last year which led to thousands of people taking to the streets last week.
As the demonstartions turned to violence United Nations peacekeeping troops had to fire rubber bullets and used tear gas to control the protestors who attempted to
break into the presidential palace in the capital, Port au Prince.
Haiti's Prime Minister, Jacques Edouard Alexis, condemned the violence but said that the demonstrations had been infiltrated by individuals linked to drug dealers and other smugglers.
Mr Alexis said he had made US$10m (£5m) available for schemes to help fight the rising cost of food, including food aid and half-price fertiliser. He also announced job creation and credit programmes.
Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the Americas with around 80% of the population lives on less than US$2 (£1) a day, according to the BBC.
The UN's World Food Programme (WFP) made an emergency appeal for donations for Haiti. "Riots in Haiti underline the additional need for lifesaving food assistance," said WFP executive director Josette Sheeran.
"At this critical time, we need to stand with the people of Haiti and other countries hardest hit by rising food prices."
Last month, WFP launched an extraordinary appeal to donors for an additional US$500 million to respond to dramatic increases in global food and fuel prices, which have risen an estimated 55 per cent since last June.
Haiti is the latest country to experience unrest related to soaring food and fuel prices (others include: Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Egypt, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Mauritania, Mozambique and Senegal).
Haiti -- one of the three countries of the world with the highest daily caloric deficit per person (460 kcal/day below the daily requirement of 2100 kcal/day) -- has been particularly vulnerable to the soaring prices.
