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A6 WORLD NEWS
Friday 13 OctOber 2023
Haiti refuses to open key border crossing with Dominican Republic

in spat over canal

By DÁNICA COTO and However, Jospeh insisted
EVENS SANON that Haiti has the right to
Associated Press build the canal.
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) Since Wednesday's partial
— Haiti declined Thursday reopening at Dajabon and
to join neighboring Domini- other border cities, vendors
can Republic in reopening on the Dominican side are
a key commercial border limited to selling goods like
crossing, leaving some food and medicine and
trade at a standstill and are barred from selling
prolonging a diplomatic construction items such as
crisis over the construction concrete and metal rods.
of a canal on Haitian soil. Dominican officials main-
Dominican President Luis tain that sale of such items
Abinader had closed all would aid construction of
borders including the cross- the nearby canal.
ing at the northern Domini- Pierre, the Haitian official,
can city of Dajabon for said that in addition to
nearly a month to protest keeping the border closed,
the construction of the ca- authorities are working on
nal, which he says violates a plan that would allow
a treaty and will take wa- Haitian vendors to recover
ter needed by Dominican their wares stuck in the Da-
farmers. Haiti says it has the Dominican Republic soldiers walk in front of the market in Dajabon, Dominican Republic, and jabon marketplace since
right to build the canal and Haiti, Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2023. the closure.
that it's urgently needed Associated Press On Wednesday, a pre-
because of a drought. Haiti declined to follow suit said. Abinader has said that dawn fire erupted at the
Abinader's government at its gate in the nearby Meanwhile, the two other construction of the canal marketplace in Dajabon,
partially reopened the bor- community of Ouana- border gates at Elias Pina violates a 1929 treaty and with 26 of 28 stalls destroyed
ders on Wednesday includ- minthe, and its government and Independencia have would affect local farmers belonging to Haitians, ac-
ing the one at Dajabon — did not immediately state a opened on both sides. and nearby wetlands. cording to Dajabon Mayor
home to a key market for reason. But Moïse Charles The canal in Haiti aims to On Thursday, former Haitian Santiago Riverón. Authori-
commerce between the Pierre, a delegate for Haiti's divert water from the Mas- prime minister and presi- ties are investigating what
countries — but allowed northeast region, told The sacre River that runs along dential candidate Claude caused the fire.
only limited trade and kept Associated Press that the the border on the island of Joseph issued a statement Meanwhile, Riverón said
a ban on Haitians entering Dominican side needed to Hispaniola that both coun- rejecting allegations by a he met with Haiti's consul in
the Dominican Republic apologize and resume full tries share. Haiti's govern- Dominican ambassador Dajabon and expected to
for work, school, tourism border operations. ment has said farmers ur- that he had ordered work meet later with the Haitian
or medical issues. He also "Abinader needs to respect gently need the water to on the canal in order to mayor of Ouanaminthe to
kept a ban on issuing visas the Haitian people and quench a drought that has provoke a crisis with the talk about the fire and the
to Haitian citizens. apologize publicly," Pierre killed crops in the region. Dominican Republic. border reopening.q

More than 90% of people killed by western Afghanistan quake

were women and children, U.N. says

U.N. officials reported Thurs- they ran into their homes," the rubble. There was clear-
day. he said. ly a gender dimension."
Taliban officials said Sat- Hundreds of people, mostly The initial quake, numerous
urday's earthquake killed women, remain missing in aftershocks and a second
more than 2,000 people Zenda Jan. 6.3-magnitude quake on
of all ages and genders The Afghanistan represen- Wednesday flattened en-
across Herat province. The tative for the United Na- tire villages, destroying hun-
epicenter was in Zenda Jan tions Population Fund, Jai- dreds of mud-brick homes
district, where 1,294 people me Nadal, said there would that could not withstand
died, 1,688 were injured have been no "gender di- such force. Schools, health
and every home was de- mension" to the death toll if clinics and other village fa-
stroyed, according to U.N. the quake had happened cilities also collapsed.
figures. at night. The Norwegian Refugee
Women and children were "At that time of the day, Council described the dev-
Afghan volunteers clean up rubble after an earthquake in Zenda more likely to have been men were out in the field," astation as enormous.
Jan district in Herat province, western Afghanistan, Wednesday, at home when the quake Nadal told The Associated "Early reports from our
Oct. 11, 2023. struck in the morning, said Press. "Many men migrate teams are that many of
Associated Press
Siddig Ibrahim, the chief to Iran for work. The women those who lost their lives
By RIAZAT BUTT killed by a 6.3-magnitude of the UNICEF field office in were at home doing the were small children who
Associated Press earthquake in western Af- Herat. "When the first earth- chores and looking after were crushed or suffocated
ISLAMABAD (AP) — More ghanistan last weekend quake hit, people thought the children. They found after buildings collapsed on
than 90% of the people were women and children, it was an explosion, and themselves trapped under them," the council said.q