Episode 161: Exploring the Crisis in Haiti with Professor Rosa Freedman

At the International Risk Podcast, we aim to highlight key risks and global issues from all over the world, particularly those that fall through the cracks of mainstream media; and today’s podcast is no different. Since 2010, earthquake, Haiti has been the site of an ongoing crisis. At various points, key moments have broken through into global media — such as the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse and the latest devastating earthquake, both of which took place within weeks of each other during the summer of 2021 — and more recent events about escalating gang violence in the capital of Port-au-Prince.

However, there is much more at stake beyond the headlines, and the burden of this protracted crisis is being felt by Haiti’s most vulnerable citizens, 5.5 million of whom require humanitarian assistance in 2024. Despite the increased needs, humanitarian funding has lagged for years, creating even more dire circumstances. To help us unpack this ongoing and enormously under reported crisis, we are privileged to be joined by Professor Rosa Freedman.

Rosa Freedman is the inaugural Professor of Law, Conflict and Global Development at the University of Reading. She received her LLB, LLM and PhD from the University of London, and is a non-practising barrister and member of the Honourable Society of Gray’s Inn. Her research focuses on the UN, human rights, and international law. She has published extensively on UN human rights bodies and systems, and on UN peacekeeping and accountability for human rights abuses.