Bel Air, Haiti
Neighborhood in Port-au-Prince, Ouest, Haiti
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bel Air (French pronunciation: [bɛl ɛʁ]; Haitian Creole: Bèlè; lit. 'Pretty Air') is a neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. It is a slum area of the city and suffers from poverty. Crime is widespread, and kidnappings and killings have created panic among the local population.[1] The neighborhood is also noted for housing a community of artists and craftsmen who produce inspired by Haitian Vodou, such as flags.[2][3]
Bel Air
Bèlè | |
|---|---|
Neighborhood | |
Ti Chery, Bel Air | |
  Bel Air Location in Haiti | |
| Coordinates: 18°33′N 72°20′W | |
| Country |  Haiti |
| Department | Ouest |
| Arrondissement | Port-au-Prince |
| Population | |
• Total | 13,000 |
History
In the late 19th century, Bel Air was the preferred place of settlement for British West Indian migrants to Haiti, the largest group of which were Jamaicans.[4]
Bel Air has served as a launching site for political demonstrations demanding the return of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. In recent years, it has been marred by political violence and massacres by police.[5]
On January 5, 2005, an uprising broke out and was suppressed by hundreds of Brazilian soldiers and special units of the Haitian National Police.[5] Five persons were reported to have been killed.[5] The trouble in the Bel Air area of the city was seen by the authorities as a major threat to the safety of the 2005 elections in Haiti.
The neighborhood was the most devastated area of Port-au-Prince after the 2010 Haiti earthquake.[6]
Crime
At the end of 2011, the murder rate in Bel Air reached 50 murders per 100,000 residents, up from 19 murders per 100,000 residents in 2010.[7]
