Haitian leaders are rushing to meet a looming deadline to name members of a transitional council that will take power following the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry. Meanwhile, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that Haiti is on the brink of a devastating hunger crisis, with humanitarian operations at risk of grinding to a halt amid rampant violence as armed gangs tighten their grip on the capital, Port-au-Prince.
The UN said today it remains concerned about the impact of the violence on civilians and aid operations. Since late February, violence has erupted in many neighborhoods of the capital, Port-au-Prince, as gangs launched coordinated attacks aimed at overthrowing the government of Prime Minister Ariel Henry.
On March 1, heavy gunfire led to two prison breaks, plunging the capital and surrounding areas into further chaos. Thousands of prisoners fled the Haitian National Penitentiary in the capital during a shootout between national police and an alliance of armed gangs. Armed gangs have stepped up attacks on critical infrastructure, including police stations, the international airport, and the seaport.
Prime Minister Henry announced his resignation late Monday. The proposal for the transitional council to govern violence-plagued Haiti emerged Monday during a meeting of Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders in the Jamaican capital, Kingston.
“We are pleased to announce the commitment to a transitional governance arrangement, which paves the way for a peaceful transition of power, continuity of governance, an action plan for near-term security, and the road to free and fair elections”, a CARICOM statement said.
“It [the arrangement] further seeks to assure that Haiti will be governed by the rule of law. This commitment reflects hard compromises among a diverse coalition of actors who have put their country above all differences.”
Under the plan, six people representing Haiti's various political coalitions will sit on the interim council, along with a seventh from the private sector. The seven will be voting members. There will also be two non-voting members - one from civil society and one from the interfaith community, according to CARICOM.
The council will select an interim prime minister and prepare for the next presidential election. It will also appoint an inclusive council of ministers. The transitional government will serve until new elections are held.
UN Secretary-General AntĂłnio Guterres on Tuesday called on all stakeholders in Haiti to "act responsibly" and take steps to implement the agreement on the formation of an interim government and the subsequent resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry.
“The Secretary-General takes note of the agreement reached yesterday by Haitian stakeholders on a transitional governance arrangement, including the establishment of a presidential council and the appointment of an interim prime minister,” spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told reporters.
“He also takes note of Prime Minister Ariel Henry’s announcement that he would resign immediately upon the installation of a transitional presidential council,” he said.
Haiti has been in turmoil since the assassination of President Jovenel MoĂŻse in his home in the capital, Port-au-Prince, on July 7, 2021.
Violent armed gangs control much of the capital, are gaining control of Port-au-Prince, and have spread to other parts of the country. They have carried out massacres, kidnappings, human trafficking and sexual violence. An estimated two million people, including 1.6 million women and children, live in areas effectively controlled by the gangs.
In 2023, Haiti saw the highest number of murders, kidnappings, lynchings, and sexual assaults in the past five years. Last year, according to Haitian officials, more than 5,000 people were killed and more than 3,000 were kidnapped.
The situation has continued to deteriorate rapidly this month, with gangs attacking police stations, trying to seize the country's largest airport and helping thousands of prisoners break out of jail.
The United Nations says Haiti needs a combination of a strengthened national police force, the rapid deployment of a multinational support force and credible elections to put the country back on the path to security and stability.
In October, the UN Security Council approved plans for a multinational support force of police officers to assist the Haitian National Police. Kenya had offered to lead the force.
But the mission has faced numerous delays and was in limbo after Kenya's High Court blocked its police from participating. On Tuesday, Nairobi said it was pausing the deployment until a “sitting government” was in place in Haiti. The mission also has funding, equipment and logistical gaps.
According to the UN, more than 360,000 people are now internally displaced because of the insecurity - more than half of them children. At least 35,000 have fled their homes since the beginning of the year to escape the escalating crisis. Some 15,000 people have been displaced by the violence that has been raging since February 29.
Across Haiti, some 5.5 million people - nearly half the population - are in need of humanitarian assistance. Among those in need are nearly 3 million children - the highest number ever recorded.
Haiti is experiencing one of the world's most severe food crises, yet the crisis remains largely unaddressed. More than 4.3 million people are acutely food insecure as gangs block the main roads from agricultural areas to the capital, and the country's main seaport has been closed since gang attacks.
The country relies on imports for half of its food. The shortage of goods and resources is worsening an already precarious economic situation, with water and basic services stretched to the limit as rampant insecurity limits access to communities and donor funding dries up.
The head of the World Food Programme (WFP) said Tuesday that the deployment of the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission is promising, but if Haiti's hunger crisis is not addressed, it could negatively impact efforts to restore security.
“Haiti needs more than just boots on the ground. Efforts to restore law and order must be matched by an equally effective humanitarian response to meet soaring needs,” said Cindy McCain, WFP’s executive director.
She said WFP desperately needs funds to meet the scale of needs and “halt the slide into chaos”.
The UN Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) for Haiti is only 2.6 percent funded, despite more than 1.4 million people on the brink of conflict-related famine. McCain warned that without an infusion of cash, funding for hot meals will run out in two weeks.
As fighting ravaged the capital, WFP said it was able to reach nearly 300,000 people in the first ten days of March, providing vital hot meals, food distributions, mobile money transfers and meals in schools.
Jean-Martin Bauer, WFP's country director in Haiti, said humanitarians need the seaport to reopen so they can replenish their food stocks, which could run out in a matter of weeks. He said people are trapped in their homes by the violence, affecting their ability to earn money and buy what little food is available on the market.
“Food prices are rising, incomes are lowering, and at the same time, there is also population displacement aggravating preexisting vulnerabilities,” he said. “So, that makes me quite concerned.”
Health services are also collapsing. Many hospitals and clinics have been forced to close due to a lack of staff and supplies. The UN said on Tuesday that there was a serious shortage of blood at the National Blood Transfusion Center, and efforts were underway to bring in blood from the neighboring Dominican Republic.
Some information for this report provided by VOA.
Further information
Full text: Outcome declaration of CARICOM, international partners and Haitian stakeholders, CARICOM, press release, published March 11, 2024
https://caricom.org/outcome-declaration-of-caricom-international-partners-and-haitian-stakeholders/
Full text: WFP scrambles to respond to hunger crisis in Haiti amid funding crunch as country teeters on the brink, WFP press release, published March 12, 2024
https://www.wfp.org/news/wfp-scrambles-respond-hunger-crisis-haiti-amid-funding-crunch-country-teeters-brink-0