Haiti faces a situation of “absolute brutal violence and the possibility deployment of a multi-national security support mission .
5.2 million Haitians need humanitarian assistance and over 4.3 million face acute food insecurity – that’s a staggering two out of five people in a country which used to be self-sufficient in terms of food production.
Frustratingly, the UN’s humanitarian response plan for the country is only 33 per cent funded as the year draws to a close.
Gangs are in control of 80 per cent of the capital Port-au-Prince and the violence has been spreading to the neighbouring Artibonite department – Haiti’s breadbasket.
Overall, there are some 300 armed gangs in the country in the year 2023 has already seen 8,000 killings, lynchings, kidnappings and cases of brutal rape.
Haitians openly welcomed the expression of solidarity with their country in the form of Security Council resolution 2699 adopted last October to deploy a multinational security support mission to shore up Haiti’s National Police.
The timing depended on a pending high court approval for the mission in Kenya which had taken the lead and pledged 1,000 police officers to the new mission.
The UN looks forward to continued preparations for the deployment of the “urgently needed” mission and expressed concern over the “limited progress” in the inter-Haitian dialogue to restore the country’s democratic institutions.