United Nations Secretary-General
António Guterres
has asked members of the Security Council to consider deploying a special armed mission in Haiti to address rapid deterioration in security that is fueling a humanitarian crisis in the Western Hemisphere’s poorest country.
In a letter to the U.N. Security Council on Sunday, Mr. Guterres urged the international community to urgently consider the request made by Haitian Prime Minister
Ariel Henry
last week for the immediate deployment of an international specialized armed force to restore public security and break the stranglehold by powerful armed gangs on the country’s main port.
The blockage of the fuel terminal in the capital Port-au-Prince has brought to a standstill critical services, including distribution of potable water, required to prevent the rapid spread of a cholera outbreak, said
Stéphane Dujarric,
a spokesman for Mr. Guterres. At least 60 cases of cholera have been identified in Haiti as of last week, according to the U.S. State Department.
“The priority must be to save lives,” Mr. Dujarric said in a statement. The deployment should secure the distribution of water, fuel, food and medical supplies from main ports and airports to communities and healthcare facilities.
Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry has asked for an international specialized armed force to be sent to Haiti to restore public security.
Photo:
Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press
Since last month, Jimmy Cherizier, a former policeman who leads a coalition of criminal gangs known as the G9, has blocked the Varreux fuel terminal, preventing almost all fuel from entering the country.
Mr. Cherizier, also known as “Barbecue,” used bulldozers to dig a ditch in front of the terminal, stopping trucks from leaving or entering it. Haitian police have failed in attempts to dislodge the gunmen from their position in front of the…
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