UN Sec-Gen says Haiti urgently needs international security force

U N Secretary-General António Guterres has renewed his appeal to foreign governments with robust security forces to assist Haiti fight the increase in gang violence

Guterres visited Haiti on Saturday. He made the appeal after he met with Haiti’s Prime Minister Ariel Henry, civil society leaders, U N staff, and the heads of various political parties during his one-day trip

When Guterres met with reporters at Haiti’s international airport in Port-au-Prince, he was pressed on whether an international security force would be deployed as requested by the prime minister last October

Guterres said he spoke about the issue with Henry, as well as the need to hold credible

Food security

elections Henry, who has been in charge of the country since the killing of President Jovenel Moïse, in July 2021, has been under pressure to hold elections

“I am not here to tell Haitians what to do,” Guterres said, adding that he is here to “listen to them and to encourage them to build consensus as broadly as possible to move the transition process forward ”

Though many expect Henry to carry out elections, reports say that experts believe it is impossible given the country’s present level of violence, with gangs controlling an estimated 80% of the capital outside of the US, as well as to providing material support resulting in death

Jaar is one of 11 people to be arrested and charged in the US for their alleged role in the killing, which further destabilized Haitian politics and fueled a continuing wave of violence in the country

Jouthe said he had been summoned to appear before the investigating judge on Monday and that he answered questions relating to the assassination

Meanwhile, Moïse’s wife, has issued a statement expressing her continued love for her husband on his birthday, describing him as “ a father who gave himself totally to his children

“A President who sacrificed himself to open the eyes of his people The truth will see the light of day Justice will be done Happy Birthday my heart,” she wrote

In a region that is highly vulnerable to climate shocks, the survey found that 42 per cent of households were affected by climate-related hazards in the 12 months before the survey and that these events continue to have a significant impact on climate-sensitive livelihood activities such as in agriculture and fisheries

“In this complex socio-economic environment that is vulnerable to climate change, the priority of Caricom and national governments to make food accessible amidst these shocks is important,” said Regis Chapman, representative and country director of WFP Caribbean Multi-Country Office

The survey found that for those persons who reported disruption to their livelihoods, 65 percent cited the unaffordability of the necessary inputs as the main cause, with domestic workers and farmers most impacted Salaried persons are managing slightly better, yet 40 percent of respondents indicated job losses or salary reductions in the six months before the survey Others have resorted to alternative or secondary sources of income to meet food and other needs, according to the survey The survey ’ s results are a reminder of the importance of the region’s agenda to reduce imports by 25 per cent by 2025, which includes strengthening food systems in the Caribbean so that they are resilient and adaptive to shocks and building on measures to address the affordability, accessibility, and availability of livelihood inputs