The UN asks to “promote” new measures in favor of Haitians

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, said on Friday, after concluding a three-day visit to the Caribbean nation, that “the situation in Haiti is desperate” and called to “promote” new measures to relieve the Haitian people.

“The world needs to hear what I have witnessed and what my colleagues document every day in some of the world’s poorest and most terrifying sights: a capital city [Puerto Príncipe] where, in many areas, predatory armed gangs control access to water, food, healthcare and fuel, where kidnappings are rampant, children are prevented from going to school, recruited to perpetrate and are subjected to violence.” indicated in a statement.

Türk began a visit to Haiti this week when the UN Security Council, the World Health Organization and countries like the United States and Canada have been sounding alerts since the last quarter of 2022.

Last September, protests broke out in the country when the government of Prime Minister Ariel Henry announced the suspension of fuel subsidies, which was used by the main gangs to block the main port of access to the island and thus put in check the authorities.

last january more than a dozen police officers were killed by criminal groups, which has increased insecurity on the island, according to press reports.

Haiti has been involved in an endless spiral of violence since in the summer of 2021 the then president Jovenel Moise was executed allegedly by international hitmen, among them several citizens of Colombian origin who have been turned over to the authorities.

“Rampant corruption is a barrier to the realization of economic and social rights, further undermines already fragile institutions, including the judiciary and the police, and is deeply corrosive in all aspects of daily life for the Haitian people,” concludes Türk in the report made after his visit.

Connect with the Voice of America! Subscribe to our channel Youtube and activate notifications, or follow us on social networks: Facebook, Twitter and instagram.