UNITED NATIONS/Xinhua
Due to the volatile security situation in Haiti, the United Nations is withdrawing all non-essential personnel, a spokesperson for the organization said Wednesday.
“Based on the outcome of a revised Security Risk Management Process, we will reduce the number of non-essential personnel,” said Stephane Dujarric, chief spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres. “The UN will not abandon Haiti. Colleagues carrying out vital activities will remain in Haiti to continue operations. “We will continue to monitor the situation closely.”
Dujarric’s statement follows an announcement Tuesday following a meeting of the Caribbean Community in Kingston, Jamaica, of a proposed agreement to end weeks of deadly gang violence.
The agreement called for the formation of a presidential council and the appointment of an interim prime minister. Prime Minister Ariel Henry said he would resign when the council is installed.
Dujarric’s statement comes just a couple of hours after he said humanitarian access was opened long enough for a ship carrying medical supplies to set sail from Port-au-Prince to the south of the country.
“The first ship since February 29 was able to leave Port-au-Prince for the port of Miragouane with seven trucks loaded with medicines and medical supplies for the health sector in the Department of Grand Sur,” the spokesperson said. “The shipment seeks to reach more than 80 health centers in the area.”
Despite this, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said it is gravely concerned about the effect of the violence on civilians and humanitarian operations. Around 5.5 million people, about half of the Caribbean nation’s population, need humanitarian aid.
The office added that the global organization and its partners are doing everything possible to deliver aid to those displaced by violence, while continuing its regular programs in other departments of the country.
Many of those who need help are women and children. They are traumatized by what they have seen. They feel insecure and are exposed to many risks. They need emergency help, as well as protected spaces, OCHA indicated. “And for this we need safe and unobstructed access.”
The office indicated that the acts of violence in the capital, Port-au-Prince, also affect humanitarian operations in other parts of the country, including the blockade of maritime transport from Port-au-Prince to other regions. The sea route is a key resource for humanitarian organizations in other regions.
OCHA reported that the $674 million humanitarian response plan for Haiti has barely raised 2.6 percent of the funds.
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