UN Chief Guterres visits Haiti, urges global support amid crisis

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres arrived in Haiti on a solidarity visit, issuing a direct appeal to the international community to "stop looking away" and support the French-speaking Caribbean nation. Guterres landed in Port-au-Prince, describing the humanitarian situation as "desperate" but also acknowledging "faint glimmers of hope."

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I have just arrived in Port-au-Prince on a solidarity visit with the people of Haiti. The humanitarian situation here is desperate, but there are faint glimmers of hope.

"My message to the international community: Stop looking away. We must stand with Haiti," Guterres posted on his Instagram page. This visit marks his return to Haiti, having last traveled to the country in July 2023. His office stated he would meet with individuals affected by the ongoing violence.

Guterres arrived from the Dominican Republic and is scheduled to hold talks with Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé. The Prime Minister expressed confidence in Haiti's potential to hold elections later this year, a significant prospect given that the last elections were in 2016. Since then, armed gangs have largely seized control of the capital, Port-au-Prince, and extensive rural areas.

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My message to the international community: Stop looking away. We must stand with Haiti.

The visit highlights the dire security situation. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, reported that gang violence has resulted in at least 2,300 deaths and 1,100 injuries since the beginning of the year, with nearly 100 people kidnapped. Turk emphasized the urgent need for the Gang Suppression Force (GSF), a multinational police and military force approved by the UN Security Council late last year to combat escalating gang violence. The GSF, with a mandate of up to 5,500 troops, replaces the previously under-resourced Kenyan-led Multinational Security Support mission. Turk urged Haitian authorities to address the rampant crime in the nation, one of the poorest in the Americas.

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In Haiti, gang violence has resulted in at least 2,300 deaths, 1,100 injuries and 99 kidnappings since the start of the year. The Gang Suppression Force (GSF) is urgently needed and needs to operate in line with international human rights law.