WFP/Jonathan Dumont. During a tropical storm, people pass through downtown Port-au-Prince.
The political, economic and security crisis in Haiti has plunged much of the country into a state of lawlessness. This year alone, nearly 4,000 people have been killed and 3,000 kidnapped in gang-related violence. However, the President of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Francis, said today at an informal briefing on Haiti that Haiti is not hopeless.
Francis, a veteran diplomat from the Caribbean island nation of Trinidad and Tobago, visited Haiti on 20-21 November. He said that while the country is facing extraordinary challenges, he sees a clear glimmer of hope on the streets of Port-au-Prince.
Tenacity and perseverance
Francis said that in the face of daily challenges, the Haitian people did not give up easily, and came up with various ways to deal with them, showing unyielding tenacity and perseverance. Haiti is not short of potential. The international community must act to further support the Haitian people, where there is an urgent need to strengthen security guarantees.
He stressed that uncontrollable violence had deprived the Haitian people of their freedoms and rights and was stifling Haiti's path to sustainable development.
About 40 per cent of Haiti's health workers have reportedly left the country, while women and girls have been subjected to brutal sexual violence, with many trapped in a vicious cycle of fear and trauma.
Ensure the deployment of the Multinational Security Support Mission as soon as possible
Francis stressed that the United Nations and the international community cannot afford to stay out of the way, which will only lead to the credibility of the public being jeopardized.
He noted that the deployment of the multinational security support mission authorized by the Council on 2 October had not yet materialized. Eighty per cent of the Haitian capital is under the control of gangs and is spreading further into rural areas, where the local population is eagerly awaiting the arrival of the security support mission.
Kenya will lead the mission and has pledged to send 1,000 Kenyan police officers to Haiti. Francis expressed his sincere gratitude to Kenya, as well as to other countries that have committed or plan to deploy security forces.
Despite political and legal setbacks, the first Kenyan police are expected to deploy early next year, according to reports.
"I encourage the authorities, as well as representatives of Haitian political parties and civil society, to overcome their differences," Francis said. It is the responsibility of every stakeholder to work for the good of the country and its people. ”
He called on Haiti's political elite to put aside their own self-interest and prioritize their constituents, who have been through too much turmoil and deserve a chance to succeed. Francis stressed that Haiti also belongs to these peoples. It is the responsibility of those who seek or already hold political office to improve the situation in the country and to ensure that Haitian youth have access to life opportunities.
ECOSOC President: Stand with the people of Haiti
ECOSOC President Paula Narváez said the UN's key bodies need to send a strong signal of "our unwavering solidarity with the Haitian people" when calling for collective action.
She said that while Haiti itself must play a leading role in resolving the crisis, a holistic approach is urgently needed in the long term. That is, not only government action, but also support for Haitian civil society, women and youth.
Navaez stressed that the highest priority must be to save the lives of the Haitian people and called on all partners to significantly increase their support for the Haitian humanitarian response plan, which had only 33 per cent of the required funding in place as of last week. Second, the focus must be on building long-term resilience through sustainable development. There is a need to strengthen institutions, initiate judicial and rule of law reforms, and promote gender equality through women's empowerment. Thirdly, she called for the implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework, a four-year plan that sets out priorities and a clear path forward. In addition, she called for support for Haitian youth, who make up 60 per cent of the population, and for the mobilization of private sector and civil society investment.
She said ECOSOC is committed to finding solutions to achieve long-term stability and address the root causes of the crisis that plague Haiti.
Double the support
In a statement issued today, the ECOSOC Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Haiti called on the international financial institutions to redouble their support for the country.
In its statement, the Advisory Group continued to emphasize the need to strengthen coherence among partners and to ensure meaningful participation and ownership by the Haitian people.
The Group welcomes the close cooperation between the international financial institutions and United Nations entities and encourages continued dialogue between the United Nations and regional organizations.