UN warns Haiti's crisis worsened by gang violence, funding shortfalls

HAMILTON, Canada

The UN on Tuesday described the situation in Haiti as "enormously acute," with worsening gang violence and critically low funding undermining humanitarian efforts.

"I can't even find words any longer to describe the situation. Is it alarming? Is it acute? Is it urgent? It's all of that and even more," Ulrika Richardson, the UN humanitarian coordinator for Haiti, said in her final briefing on the country's crisis before moving to her new position as the deputy special representative of the of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) and resident coordinator in Libya.

Richardson said gangs have "rummaged the city," causing brutal violence that disproportionately impacts women, children, and young people.

She voiced frustration over the lack of funding for the humanitarian response plan, which is only 9% funded, "the lowest level of funding" globally, despite requiring $900 million.

"We have a lot of the tools. The tools are there. We have a humanitarian response plan. It's only funded 9%, it's the lowest level of funding for any response plan in the world," she said.

"So that is, of course, a big frustration," Richardson added.

Asked what could have been done differently, Richardson pointed to the urgent need to halt arms trafficking into Haiti.

"Simply, there has to be a way of stopping arms coming into Haiti. And of course, it has to do with trafficking," she said, emphasizing the importance of sanctions aimed at breaking longstanding ties between armed gangs and political and economic actors.

"Haiti can quickly spiral up again, but the violence needs to end," she said.

Haiti has faced years of gang violence and political turmoil, which escalated after the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in July 2021.

A Kenyan-led force authorized by the UN has failed to push back the gangs. An estimated 90% of the capital Port-au-Prince is now under control of criminal groups.