UNITED NATIONS – United Nations Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, Thursday welcomed the installation of the new government in Haiti, noting most importantly that it includes women in key Cabinet positions.
UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres (CMC Photo)Guterres deputy spokesperson, Farhan Haq, told reporters that the Secretary General is also encouraging Haitian stakeholders to continue to make steady progress in the transition to restore democratic institutions through the holding of elections.
“This positive transitional governance milestone should be accompanied by urgently needed security gains. The Secretary-General therefore reiterates his call for the swift deployment of the Multinational Security Support mission to Haiti to support the Haitian National Police in addressing the dire security situation.
“He appeals to Member States to ensure the MSS mission urgently receives the financial and logistical support it needs to succeed,” Haq said.
“This year’s Humanitarian Response Plan, which calls for $674 million, is just 23 per cent funded at $156 million,” Haq said.
Last October, the United Nations Security Council approved a Kenya-led multinational force as efforts continue to restore peace and security in the country with criminal gangs reported to be in control of at least 80 per cent of the capital.
The Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Chad, Jamaica and Kenya have officially notified the Secretary-General of their intent to contribute personnel to the support mission.
Kenya’s President William Ruto has said the deployment would likely start within a few weeks.
Haiti’s 12-member cabinet was sworn into office on Wednesday with Prime Minister Garry Conille underscoring the importance of peace and security in the French-speaking Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country.
Conille’s attorney, Carlos Hercules, will be the Minister for Justice and Public Security and Haiti’s ambassador to UNESCO, Dominique Dupuy, will be the Foreign Affairs Minister. Princeton-educated Ketleen Florestal takes over the Finance Ministry from Michel Patrick Boisvert, who also served as interim prime minister this year.
In addition, the 58-year-old Conille, a former United Nations senior official, said his administration would crackdown on corruption.
“The fight against corruption will be an absolute priority of my government,” Conille said, promising also regular audits of public resources.
“My government will work without rest to improve the conditions of each and every Haitian,” he said, telling the ceremony that “without security, no sustainable progress can be achieved”.
Meanwhile, Haq said thatt the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has indicated that aid organizations continue to support people displaced by violence in the capital, Port-au-Prince.
He said between June 8-12, the World Food Programme (WFP) distributed more than 40,000 hot meals to over 9,000 displaced people in Port-au-Prince and that since the beginning of the year, WFP has distributed more than 1.1 million hot meals to over 120,000 displaced people.
In May, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) supplied 900 dignity kits to women and girls. It also deployed 8 mobile clinics providing sexual and reproductive health and gender-based violence services and support. UNFPA’s hotline offering psychosocial support received more than 160 calls in May.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) also continued to provide mental health, well-being and other types of assistance through sessions held in sites hosting displaced people.
“Our humanitarian colleagues continue to sound the alarm on the deteriorating situation in Haiti’s southern regions, where more than 268,000 people are now displaced. This represents a 95 per cent increase since March,” Haq told reporters.
He said the health system in the country continues to face serious challenges, crippled by both the recent violence and years of lack of investment. Currently, just 20 per cent of health facilities in Port-au-Prince are functioning normally.
