United Nations.- The Secretary General of the UN, Antonio Guterresarrived this Saturday in the capital of Haiti for a visit in which he will meet with his prime minister, Ariel Henry, and will demand the support of the international community for the country in the serious crisis it is going through, according to the organization.
Guterres landed today in Port-au-Prince, a city devastated for the most part by violent gangs, “to express solidarity with the Haitian people, who are going through a tragic cycle of security, political and humanitarian crises,” indicates a brief note from the UN.
In his Twitter account, the diplomat said that “this is not the time to forget Haiti” and said that he wants to “call on the international community to continue supporting Haiti, including with a robust international force that assists the Haitian National Police.” It’s still locked after months.
During the visit, the duration of which has not been specified, the Secretary General will meet with Prime Minister Henry “and will hear from leaders of various political parties, the High Transitional Council, members of civil society and staff of the UN,” the note added.
In Port-au-Prince, the UN chief will reiterate his support for the organization and call for humanitarian aid and “the immediate deployment of an international force to assist the Haitian National Police”, which humanitarian experts consider necessary to restore the freedom of movement of the population.
The Haitian government requested this support last October and the UN General Secretariat immediately proposed to the Security Council the sending of a contingent with personnel from one or several countries.
But this shipment has not yet come true, despite the fact that the members of the Security Council have generally been in favor of the operation, which would not be carried out under the United Nations flag due to the bad memory left in Haiti by the “blue helmets”.
Guterres “will also underscore the need for a Haitian-led and inclusive political path towards elections and a return to constitutional order in Haiti,” the note concludes.
Murders, rapes and kidnappings have become practically continuous in areas of Haiti, according to the UN, which recently warned that -given the inability of the authorities- some civilians “have begun to try to solve matters with their own hands”. .
