View of the capital of Haiti, Port-au-Prince The UN calls on the international community to support Haiti Peace and security
Haiti has seen some political progress, but serious security problems remain, Special Representative and Head of the UN Office in the country Maria Isabel Salvador told the Security Council. Crime continues to run rampant in Haiti, with gangs terrorizing the population, especially in the capital, Port-au-Prince.
Support Haiti
“At this critical moment, Haiti needs your support more than ever,” Salvador told the Security Council via video link from Port-au-Prince. “In order to advance the constitutional reform process and hold credible, inclusive and comprehensive elections in the midst of this crisis, Haitians must overcome their differences and work together.”
Political Process
Salvador outlined recent developments, including the appointment of a new prime minister in November, which has strengthened cooperation between the Interim Presidential Council and the current government.
The National Conference on Constitutional Reform is also continuing its work, with a constitutional referendum and general elections planned for this year. However, the UN spokeswoman said progress could be undermined by growing fragmentation within the Interim Presidential Council and persistent external criticism of the body.
Rampant Crime
Armed gangs continue to terrorize the Haitian population, while instability has hampered humanitarian aid. On November 11, gangs attacked commercial aircraft near Port-au-Prince airport, forcing the airport to close and all flights to and from the country. Criminals have also continued to carry out attacks across the capital, with 207 people killed in a massacre in the Ouarf-Jérémie neighborhood of Cité Soleil last month.
El Salvador noted that the Haitian National Police, with the support of the Multinational Mission authorized by the Security Council and, in some cases, the Haitian armed forces, are trying to contain the violence.
Humanitarian Aid
UN agencies have had to scale back their humanitarian operations because of the security situation, but the organization is looking for ways to increase aid, she said. Haitians, she continued, are in desperate need of support – nearly half the population, six million people, depend on humanitarian aid.
The number of internally displaced people in the country has tripled to more than one million, more than half of whom are children. Half the population faces food insecurity, nearly two million are in emergency situations, and six thousand are in catastrophic conditions.
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El Salvador has called on donors to support the $908 million Humanitarian Response Plan for Haiti for 2025.
Influx weapons
Also speaking at the meeting on Haiti was Ghada Waly, head of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). She told Council members that the security situation was being exacerbated by illegal arms supplies, drug trafficking, corruption and money laundering.
“Despite the tightening of the arms embargo, weapons and ammunition continue to flow into Haiti and into the hands of armed groups,” she said. The wildlife trade is also thriving.
Waly said that to address these challenges, regional cooperation must be improved and the country’s institutions must be strengthened. UNODC, she said, will continue to work in this direction.