Summary:
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has sent a letter to the UN Security Council outlining alternatives for further security assistance for Haiti. No UN Member States have pledged to send troops, and no details regarding the makeup of such an armed force have been provided thus far.
In a statement, Mr. Guterres disclosed that he had sent the Council a letter outlining alternatives for further security assistance for Haiti. The UN chief’s action comes a week after Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry appealed to the international community for an intervention by a “specialised armed force” in a nation that has essentially reached a standstill.
The US State Department stated it was looking into the Haitian government’s request while working with other foreign partners to “identify how we might boost our support to help solve Haiti’s fuel scarcity and security restrictions.” However, no details regarding the makeup of such an armed force have been provided thus far, and no UN Member States have pledged to send troops.
Last month, gangs blockaded the Verreux gasoline station, Haiti’s primary petroleum port, resulting in severe gas and diesel shortages and the closure of businesses and hospitals.
When Haitians are dealing with a cholera outbreak after three years with no cases, potable water supplies have also been affected. Martin Griffiths, the head of the UN’s humanitarian relief effort, issued a request on Saturday for money for immediate life-saving assistance and cautioned that if the disease’s spread is not stopped, it might result in “cataclysmic depths of despair for the people of Haiti.”
In a statement, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged Haitians to “rise above their differences and to join, without further delay, in a peaceful and inclusive dialogue on a constructive path forward.”
The UN, according to Mr. Guterres, “will support efforts to develop consensus, decrease violence, and promote stability in the country” and stand with the people of Haiti.
Analysis by: Advocacy Unified Network
