The appeal comes amid reports that the situation in Haiti is worsening day by day, with people facing increased violence, human rights and a food emergency, as well as cholera.
The influence of armed gangs is growing exponentially in the capital Port-au-Prince, and beyond, as far as the Artibonite Department, the country’s breadbasket. Armed violence – including kidnapping and sexual violence against women and girls – is also on the rise.
Six senior officials, representing United Nations aid agencies and international NGOs, met with people in need of humanitarian aid, as well as with local and international partners. .
They also held talks with Prime Minister Ariel Henry and other senior Government officials, and met with community representatives from areas controlled or influenced by armed gangs.
“The humanitarian need in Haiti is unprecedented,” said Sara Bordas Eddy, Director of Humanitarian Assistance at Haiti. UNICEF, at the end of a two-day trip. “The suffering of a Haitian child today cannot be compared with the suffering of a Haitian child a few years ago. As humanitarians, we’re looking to reach those in need, including in gang-controlled areas. For that to happen in a sustainable way, we also need the donor community to not give up on Haiti.”
Despite the difficulties, UN and NGO officials noted that the humanitarian response continued to expand and pledged more support to aid workers on the spot.
“People feel hopeless, but I also see the resilience and potential of women and girls who want to help build a better future for their country, community and family.” them,” said Shoko Arakaki, Director of the Humanitarian Response Division of the United Nations Population Agency. Fund (UNFPA). “They need urgent health and psychosocial support, as well as livelihood and economic empowerment to recover.”
This year, the United Nations and its partners will need $715 million to help more than three million people in Haiti. This is more than double the amount of appeals for last year and is the highest amount since the 2010 earthquake.
Also joining the visit were Tareq Talahma, Acting Director of the Operations and Advocacy Division of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Osnat Lubrani, Acting Director and Humanitarian Head of UN Women’s Geneva Office, Dominic MacSorley, Humanitarian Ambassador for Global Concern, and Mark Smith, Vice President for Humanitarian Affairs and Urgency of World Vision.
“It’s not just humanitarian assistance, what the Haitian people need is peace, security and protection,” Talahma said. We cannot let Haiti become a forgotten crisis.”
