2023-10-24 04:59:05
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Rising gang violence in Haiti is devastating the lives of its population, with serious crime reaching new highs, María Isabel Salvador, the U.N. special representative for the crisis-stricken Caribbean nation, said Monday. conflicts.
The official told the United Nations Security Council that gangs commit murders, sexual violence — including gang rape and genital mutilations — and kidnappings every day.
He referred to last week’s incident in which gang members disguised as police kidnapped the secretary general of the High Transitional Council, responsible for holding the long-delayed elections.
Salvador pointed out that the security crisis is even more complex, since self-defense groups that have decided to fight the gangs remain active. Between April 24 and September 30, he mentioned, the UN political mission “recorded the lynching of at least 395 gang members in the 10 departments of Haiti by the self-defense movement known as ‘Bwa Kale’.”
Catherine Russell, director of UNICEF – the UN children’s agency – echoed what Salvador said, declaring: “The crisis in Haiti worsens daily.”
About 2 million people, including 1.6 million women and children, live in gang-controlled areas, it said, and children are being killed or injured in the crossfire, some while on their way to school.
“Others are being forcibly recruited or joining armed groups because they are completely desperate,” Russell said.
He said half of Haiti’s population, including 3 million children, requires help, and half of those in need are not receiving it due to insecurity and lack of funding. So far this year, he noted, the UN has received just 25% of the $720 million it requires to cover the country’s humanitarian needs.
Since 2022, Russell added, UNICEF has seen “an unprecedented 30% increase in the number of Haitian children suffering from severe wasting” to more than 115,000. Severe wasting is the deadliest form of malnutrition, in which the lack of food is such that a child’s immune system is affected, according to UNICEF.
“The malnutrition crisis coincides with an ongoing cholera outbreak, in which almost half of…suspected cases are in children under 14 years of age,” he added.
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