UN chief alarmed by mounting violence in Haiti

Mr. Guterres strongly supports efforts by the Haitian National Police, with the backing of the Security Council-backed Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission, to address the mounting violence.

Support MSS mission

The UN Security Council authorized the deployment of the international force, which is led by Kenya, in October 2023

“The Secretary-General reiterated his pressing call to ensure that the MSS mission receives the necessary financial and logistical support to successfully implement its mandate,” UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said in a statement.

The UN chief also emphasized the importance of urgent progress in the political transition in Haiti.

Assisting displaced people

Despite the rising insecurity, the UN and partners continue to support people in the Port-au-Prince region.

Humanitarians are distributing hot meals, water, hygiene and dignity kits to displaced people.  They have also delivered medicines and medical supplies to key health facilities.

This past weekend, the World Food Programme (WFP) and partners provided a record number of hot meals in one single day to people who were recently displaced, serving nearly 38,000 meals across 26 sites in the capital and Arcahaie.

So far this year, WFP has provided more than two million hot meals prepared, as much as possible, with locally grown and locally procured ingredients.  

Back in the air

Operations throughout Haiti also continue without interruption, “but obviously not at the level we would like to see,” said Mr. Dujarric, speaking during his daily media briefing from New York. 

The airport in Port-au-Prince was shut down last week after gangs shot at a commercial plane that was about to land. The United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) prohibited planes from flying to Haiti for 30 days.

Mr. Dujarric said that flights operated by the UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) are still expected to resume on Wednesday.

Transporting aid workers

He explained that the helicopter the UN uses in Haiti is registered in the US, and it was granted a humanitarian exemption from the FAA to resume flights within the country. 

UNHAS also has a second aircraft, a small plane that is registered in Switzerland.  

“They are both used to provide passenger and light-cargo transport within Haiti for the entire humanitarian community including local and international NGOs and UN entities. We do not bring humanitarian supplies into the country using UNHAS assets,” he said.

Mr. Dujarric concluded by highlighting the urgent need for additional resources to maintain operations on the scale needed.

A $674 million Humanitarian Response Plan for Haiti this year is 43 per cent funded, with nearly $290 million received to date.