How is the UN helping Haiti overcome violence and instability?

Haiti is mired in widespread gang violence, the country's institutions are on the verge of collapse and its citizens face a daily fight for survival. However, in the midst of this catastrophic humanitarian and security crisis, the UN continues to provide critical assistance to the beleaguered population.

While the situation in Haiti has long been characterized by anarchy, with powerful gangs controlling much of the capital, Port-au-Prince, the months of January and February 2024 have been the most violent of the last two years, with more of 2,500 people killed, kidnapped or injured since the beginning of the year. Prime Minister Ariel Henry's decision in March 2024 to resign has further complicated the situation.

On March 21, Ulrike Richardson, UN humanitarian coordinator in Haiti, warned that violence is now spreading to new areas of the capital, including previously peaceful suburbs, following weeks of gang-orchestrated attacks on prisons, ports and hospitals. . Richardson said that human rights violations are widespread. Sexual violence, with the use of torture and “gang rape” against women, is widespread, she said.

Humanitarian crisis

The senior UN official described a growing humanitarian crisis, with more than 362,000 internally displaced people, a lack of clean water and less than half of the health facilities in Port-au-Prince operating at normal capacity.

Hunger has reached unprecedented levels, according to a recent UN-backed assessment. According to the report, 4.97 million people face crisis or worse levels of acute food insecurity, including 1.64 million people facing “emergency” levels.

More and more people are trying to leave the capital, risking going through gang-controlled routes. At least 33,000 people took refuge in the provinces in March, most of them to the departments of Greater South, a region that already hosts more than 116,000 displaced people.

The humanitarian response: acting under fire

Since the beginning of the latest crisis, marked by a series of coordinated gang attacks in late February in Port-au-Prince, which led to a state of emergency and the eventual resignation of the prime minister, UN workers have continued to distribute aid to civilians, despite dangerous security conditions.

The World Food Program (WFP) has distributed some 160,000 hot meals, while the World Health Organization (WHO) has delivered a series of essential health supplies and United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) planes have transported around 800 kg of blood bags.

The UN, together with its partners, has been trying to address the lack of access to clean water: for example, between March 16 and 18, UNICEF and the NGO Solidarités International delivered 20,500 gallons of water to four sites that house more than 12,000 displaced people, while between March 17 and 20 the UN migration agency, IOMdelivered 16,000 gallons of water to two sites.

He Population Fund (UNFPA), responsible for reproductive health, and partner NGOs are providing support to victims of gender violencein the form of a hotline that provides psychosocial assistance and a mobile sexual and reproductive health and sexual and gender violence clinic, in one of the sites for displaced people.

The multilateral response

Finding a way to end the Haitian crisis has been the topic of several high-level UN meetings.

On March 21, the Security Councilthe UN body charged with maintaining international peace and security, issued a press release reiterating its members' support for a “Haitian-led, Haitian-owned political process” and highlighted the need for the community international redouble its efforts to provide humanitarian assistance to the population and support the Haitian National Police.

The members of the Security Council also expressed serious concern about the illicit flow of weapons and ammunition to Haiti which continues to be, they said, a fundamental factor of instability and violence.

Last October, the Security Council authorized the deployment of a Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS) in Haiti, at the request of the then Government. The resolution was hailed at the time as a historic first, although the mission has not yet been deployed.

Financing: a huge gap to fill

Meanwhile, several senior officials in the United Nations system continue to call for a significant increase in funding for the humanitarian effort.

On Thursday, Richardson noted that the humanitarian response plan for Haiti, which requires $674 million, is only 6% funded. “Time is running out“, said.

In early March, Cindy McCain, director of the World Food Programwarned that the aid effort was “vanished.”

An uncertain future

The Multinational Mission is expected to bolster the understaffed and under-resourced Haitian National Police, led by Kenya, and several Caribbean countries have also pledged troops. The United States has pledged about $300 million, according to media reports.

Although it is not a UN mission, it has been authorized by a Security Council resolution.

However, while there is widespread agreement that Haiti urgently needs help to achieve a safe and stable environment, the mission was derailed by Henry's resignation, prompting Kenya to announce that would delay the deployment, until the announcement of a new Haitian government.

According to media reports, political groups are close to reaching an agreement on a transitional council that would assume presidential powers until elections can be held. It is not clear if or when the council will take power, nor when the security mission will begin operating on Haitian soil.