Why is Kenya sending troops to Haiti?

Haiti is battling a wave of gang violence. On Sunday armed gangs stormed a major prison in the capital Port-au-Prince. At least 12 people were killed and around 4,000 inmates escaped. The United Nations says the country has reached a critical point, with more than 1,100 people killed, injured or kidnapped in January alone.

Kenya’s government has offered to help. It’s agreed to lead a multinational security force in the country and will deploy 1,000 troops to Haiti. Pascal Fletcher, a journalist with BBC Monitoring, explains the roots of Haiti’s instability.

We also hear from women across the Haitian diaspora including Bertrhude Albert, Monique Clesca, Gessica Geneus and Dr. Tatiana Behrmann.

This episode contains discussion about sexual assault, kidnapping and violence. Details of organisations offering information and support with these issues are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline.

Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Beverly Ochieng Producers: Benita Barden and William Lee Adams Editors: Simon Peeks