Police officers and civilians responding to the police union call to donate blood at the Red Cross offices in Turgeau, Port-au-Prince. Photo courtesy of Esdra Jeudy

PORT-AU-PRINCE — As gang violence escalates in Haiti, putting more police officers in harm’s way, Haiti’s National Police Union has launched a blood donation drive to ensure that blood is available to injured officers.

“Police officers are increasingly exposed to the violence escalating every day in the country,” said Francisco Occil, a spokesperson for the police union, known as Synapoha. “They participate in operations, accidents happen. Police officers therefore are using a lot of blood, yet not many police officers are donating blood.” 

Overview:

The Haitian police union blood drive aims to increase the supply to help treat officers if injured on duty.

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Murdith Joseph is a social worker and journalist. She studied at the State University of Haiti and Maurice Communication. She first worked as a journalist presenter and reporter for Radio Sans Fin (RSF) then as a journalist reporter for Radio tele pacific and writting for the daily Le National. Today she joined the Haitian Times team and covers the news in Port-Au-Prince-Haiti.