DAJABÓN, Dominican Republic — As the crisis in Haiti spirals deeper into chaos, the neighboring Dominican Republic is bracing for more migrants arriving amid ongoing tensions between the two countries.
The border between Haiti and the Dominican Republic has been closed for days as violence in Haiti dramatically escalated following a mass prison break in Port-au-Prince. But on Thursday and Friday, Haitians were allowed into a farmer’s market in the border town of Dajabón, which has a population of 25,000 and is about 120 miles from the Haitian capital.
Under the watchful eye of border guards, hundreds of Haitians rushed into the market to buy whatever food they could carry with what little money they had, as temperatures exceeded 95 degrees. Men hurriedly pushed wheelbarrows full of corn, eggs and drinking water. Women carried buckets of supplies on their heads.
It was so crowded that on Friday one woman was badly injured when she fell off a bridge into the brush below. Bystanders said she lost her balance in the stampede to get food.
Meanwhile, a robust security presence is visible, with troops manning checkpoints and razor wire topping border fences. And each day, bus after bus is seen deporting Haitians who were in the Dominican Republic illegally.
There has long been friction between Haitians and Dominicans along this part of the border. The Dajabón River, also known as the Massacre River in reference to Spanish settlers who killed French buccaneers in the 1720s, divides the countries and has long been the source of a dispute that continues to this day.
The current violence in Haiti, where militias and armed groups have taken over the streets of the capital, is the culmination of a crisis that has been growing for more than a year. In response, Dominican President Luis Abinader has increased patrols along the border over concerns of a Haitian migrant influx. He is also building a 108 mile-long wall.
“Either we all fight together to save Haiti or we…
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