Guterres calls for the deployment of an international “armed” force
The UN chief called on Sunday for the international community to send troops to support Haiti, which has called for help to fight criminal gangs.
Demonstration in Port-au-Prince, October 3, 2022.
AFP
“The Secretary-General urges the international community, including members of the Security Council, to urgently consider the Haitian government’s request to immediately deploy a specialized international armed force to deal with the humanitarian crisis,” wrote in a statement. Sunday the spokesperson for Antonio Guterres, Stéphane Dujarric.
Antonio Guterres “remains extremely concerned about the situation in Haiti, which is facing an outbreak of cholera cases in the context of a dramatic deterioration in security that has paralyzed the country” in the Caribbean, according to the spokesperson.
The UN Secretary-General “delivered to the Security Council today (Sunday) a letter outlining options for enhanced security support in Haiti, as requested by the Council in its resolution 2645 (2022),” said the same source.
Cholera
The UN had already warned Thursday against a risk of “explosion” of cholera cases in Haiti, a new potential crisis in a country ravaged by insecurity and whose Prime Minister Ariel Henry had launched a “call for help” .
After the introduction of the bacterium by peacekeepers in 2010, a cholera epidemic raged until 2019, killing more than 10,000 people. Three years later, the announcement on Sunday of new cases and the first seven deaths raised fears of a new disaster when, with the latest outbreak of violence, the country lacks fuel to supply the population with drinking water and run the hospitals.
Since the detection of the cholera bacillus, which is transmitted by water, 11 cases have been confirmed and 111 are suspected, for the moment only in the capital Port-au-Prince, had indicated Thursday during a press conference by video from Haiti the UN humanitarian coordinator in the country, Ulrika Richardson. But “the figures could be much higher,” she added, adding that analyzes were underway abroad to determine whether or not it was the same strain as in 2010.
Since Prime Minister Henry’s September 11 announcement of a fuel price hike, the already crisis-ridden country has been the scene of further violence, looting and protests. And since mid-September, the Varreux oil terminal, the largest in the country, has been blocked by armed gangs.
AFP
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