UN Secretary-General António Guterres said Thursday that the Haitian people are "trapped in a living nightmare" caused by violent armed gangs who have a stranglehold on the island nation, and he reiterated his call for an international armed force to help support the national police. Guterres also appealed for simultaneous action on the humanitarian, and political fronts.
“The Haitian people are trapped in a living nightmare. Humanitarian conditions are beyond appalling. Brutal gangs have a stranglehold on the people of Haiti”, the UN chief said.
"Port-au-Prince is encircled by armed groups that are blocking roads, controlling access to food and health care, and undermining humanitarian support," he said of the capital, which he visited on Saturday.
Guterres told reporters at UN headquarters in New York that Haiti needs humanitarian and security assistance, as well as a political path out of the crisis.
“There can be no sustainable security without a political solution that allows for the restoration of democratic institutions. And there can be no lasting and inclusive political solutions without a drastic improvement of the security situation”, he said.
In his press encounter, the UN chief also stressed, “the people of Haiti need action to address urgent humanitarian needs. The international community must now act to ease the suffering of the Haitian people.”
The United Nations humanitarian response plan (HRP) for Haiti requires US$720 million to help more than three million people. Yet the HRP is currently only 23 percent funded.
“I appeal to the world to extend a lifeline of support and fill that financial gap without delay”, Guterres added.
Last October, Haiti's government requested the UN Security Council authorize an international force to assist the national police in eliminating the threat from the gangs that are terrorizing the population and preventing their access to food, clean water, education and many basic services.
"We are not calling for a military or political mission of the United Nations," Guterres emphasized. "We are calling for a robust security force deployed by member states to work hand-in-hand with the Haitian National Police to defeat and dismantle the gangs and restore security across the country."
The police also need financing, training and equipment in order to restore state authority and services. But nine months later, the Security Council is no closer to authorizing a force and no country has stepped up to lead it.
Haiti's foreign minister, Jean Victor Geneus, came to the Security Council on Thursday to reiterate the urgency of the government's appeal, saying the council has a moral responsibility to prevent "the shipwreck" of his country.
"The council understands perfectly that the situation is unprecedented and catastrophic in the country; the council also understands that it needs to act," Geneus said. He added that the government is flexible and open to all options that the Security Council would consider.
Caribbean bloc CARICOM held its summit earlier this week and discussed the deteriorating situation in Haiti. Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness briefed the council on behalf of CARICOM. He said the group is sending a panel of former prime ministers to Haiti in the coming weeks. He also urged the council to act.
"While we all express solidarity, it is meaningless without urgent action," he said.
In her briefing to the Security Council on Thursday, the head of the UN Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH), María Isabel Salvador, noted that there is widespread backing for the deployment of an international force to assist the Haitian National Police.
“Among the people of Haiti, across the entire political spectrum, there is widespread backing for the deployment of such a Force. It is true that the talk of the presence of an international Force in Haiti, could elicit mixed reactions”, she said.
“The robust international Force that Haiti needs must complement and strengthen - not replace - the Haitian National Police, in full respect for Haiti’s national sovereignty.”
Salvador noted that improved security and continuous political dialogue would bring about the possibility to hold elections; a critical step on the path to reestablishing democratic institutions and elected officials at all levels of government.
“While the political transition and the fight against gangs should remain on separate tracks, the two are inextricably linked”, she said.
According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), more than 165,000 people are internally displaced in Haiti due to gang violence. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimates that around 80 percent of Haiti’s capital is under the control or influence of gangs. There are at least seven major gang coalitions and some 200 affiliated groups in Haiti.
The dire security situation in Haiti has gotten worse since April. Violence continues and has intensified, moving beyond Port-au-Prince. The appearance of vigilante groups adds another layer of complexity. Since April, the UN Integrated Office in Haiti has documented the killing of at least 264 alleged gang members by vigilante groups.
Sexual violence, including collective rape and mutilation, continues to be used by gangs to terrorize and inflict pain on populations and neighborhoods under the control of rivals. Access to education, food, water, sanitation, and healthcare services has been severely limited by gang activity. In areas affected by gang violence, economic activities are periodically or permanently paralyzed.
The humanitarian situation is increasingly grim and likely to deteriorate even further. The United Nations estimates that more than 5.2 million people (46% of the population) require humanitarian aid this year. Among those in need are nearly 3 million children – the highest number on record.
Violence, widespread poverty, rising costs of living, low agricultural production, and expensive food imports have exacerbated existing food insecurity in Haiti, leaving many women, men, and children suffering from hunger and malnutrition.
According to the latest IPC food security analysis, 4.9 million people - more than 40 percent of the population – are acutely food insecure. About 1.8 million people are suffering from emergency levels of hunger. The number of children suffering from severe wasting has risen to more than 115,000 across the country. Nearly a quarter of Haiti’s children are chronically malnourished.
The Caribbean country also remains highly vulnerable to climate change and natural disasters. In early June, deadly floods, followed by an earthquake, killed 58 people and impacted 45,000 households.
Further information
Full text: Secretary-General's press encounter - on visits to Haiti and Trinidad and Tobago, and on the situation in the Middle East, UN Secretary-General, July 6, 2023
https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/sg/press-encounter/2023-07-06/secretary-generals-press-encounter-visits-haiti-and-trinidad-and-tobago-and-the-situation-the-middle-east
Full text: Remarks of Special Representative Maria Isabel Salvador to the UN Security Council open briefing on Haiti (6 July 2023), United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH), released July 6, 2023
https://binuh.unmissions.org/en/remarks-special-representative-maria-isabel-salvador-security-council-open-briefing-haiti-6-july