UN Expresses Concern As Chaos Continues In Haiti
The UN remains deeply concerned by the rapidly deteriorating security situation amid ongoing gang violence and police clashes in some parts of the capital Port-au-Prince, its Spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, has said.
Dujarric, in a statement on Friday, said Haitian National Police had been able to push back coordinated gang attacks on key infrastructure, including the national airport.
“We are, however, very worried about reports of gangs having breached and looted Port-au-Prince’s seaport where operations have been at a standstill for days,” he said.
According to him, the Secretary-General reiterates his calls on the Government and all national stakeholders to agree on immediate steps to advance the political process that will lead to elections.
He also reiterates the need for urgent international action, including immediate financial support for the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission, which is desperately needed to tackle insecurity in Haiti.
“I can confirm also that the United Nations have been invited to attend the meeting organised by CARICOM that will take place on Monday, and that meeting will take place at CARICOM Headquarters in Kingston, Jamaica.
“The Chef de Cabinet, Courtenay Rattray, will attend the meeting along with several international partners, to foster support towards the restoration of democratic institutions in Haiti in the shortest possible amount of time.’’
On the humanitarian front, we and our partners continue to support civilians despite the ongoing violence and limited access.
In a statement issued by this morning in Port-au-Prince, the UN team said that gender-based violence protection and services have been reduced or suspended for security and access reasons.
They say that if violence continues in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area, about 3,000 pregnant women could be denied access to essential healthcare.
On Thursday, the World Food Programme and its partners managed to deliver food to over 7,000 people.
Earlier this month, food rations were also provided to 9,000 people in Cité Soleil, including pregnant women and orphans, through local faith-based organizations. More aid distributions are planned in the coming days.
“WFP had suspended its maritime transport service on 23 February – and not yesterday, as I spoke in error – that is of course due to increasing insecurity.
“While WFP has other means outside of Port-au-Prince to bring in or to purchase food, the suspension of the maritime road service presents a challenge for humanitarian and development organizations to deliver food and medical supplies from the capital to the Great North and Great South areas of Haiti.
“For example, in Gonaives and Jérémie, the World Food Programme used mobile money to send cash to 14,000 vulnerable people in the first week of March.
The humanitarian community reiterates the call to all parties to allow for safe, unhindered access to all people in need, in line with humanitarian principles and norms and, frankly, basic decency.
