US Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries has issued a warning, citing the increasing gang takeover of Haiti as “a human rights emergency.”
Representative Jeffries, whose district includes portions of Brooklyn and Queens and is home to a sizable Haitian immigrant population stated, “The security situation in Haiti is unpredictable and dangerous.”
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“The humanitarian catastrophe unfolding represents both a human rights emergency for people in Haiti and a pressing threat to security and stability across the Western Hemisphere,” he stated.
In a letter to Republican Mike Johnson, the Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Jeffries also expressed concern about the “humanitarian catastrophe” that is occurring in Haiti.
“Recognizing the imperative to engage with our Caribbean neighbors on issues related to our geopolitical and national security, I was honored to lead a bipartisan Congressional delegation to participate in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Heads of Government Conference last summer. It became all the more evident there that our collective future will be safer and more prosperous because of the multilateral partnerships that bind CARICOM and our Hemisphere together,” Jeffries told Johnson.
In light of the escalating turmoil in Haiti, he pointed out that CARICOM countries had collaborated with Haitian stakeholders to develop a “responsible course toward political transition and, eventually, free and fair elections.”
Jeffries also mentioned that the Biden-Harris administration has backed the establishment of a Multinational Security Support (MSS) operation in Haiti to safeguard the Haitian people from an increase in violent crime and establish the security conditions required for Haitian self-determination.
He noted that with assistance from countries like Canada, Germany, France, Spain, and Benin, as well as Caribbean nations like Jamaica and Barbados, the Kenyan government has “admirably stepped up” to enable the MSS.
“It is imperative that the United States ensures they have the resources to complete the mission,” stated in Jeffries’ letter to Johnson. “However, months have passed since Secretary (of State) Antony Blinken notified Chairman Michael McCaul of his intent to support the MSS effort.”
He continued, “The situation on the ground in Haiti has rapidly deteriorated, while House Republicans have refused to deliver the resources necessary to carry out this mission.”
“Now is the time to release the full US$50 million in security support.”
“It is not in America’s national security interests to hold up the transfer of funds that support security stabilization in Haiti, particularly given the present crisis on the ground,” also stated by the Democratic Leader of the US House that Blinken has “heeded the urgency of recent events” and worked with regional authorities to address the issue last week in Jamaica.
Johnson heard Jeffries say that the US “Congress must join the Biden administration in their crucial work and meet the moment by fulfilling our essential responsibility to ensure security in the Western Hemisphere and release the full $50 million funding allocation forthwith.”
A security alert was just sent out to US nationals who are now in Haiti by the US Embassy in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
“Do not make plans to travel into Haiti,” the Embassy noted. “For US citizens currently in Haiti, the US government is arranging departures from the US Embassy in Port-au-Prince to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic via helicopter.”
“Travelers will need to make their own onward travel plans from the Dominican Republic,” it noted. “The overland trip into Port-au-Prince is dangerous. The Embassy recommends you consider the US Embassy Port-au-Prince flights only if you believe you can reach the embassy safely.”
The United Nations claimed that relief workers are still in Haiti, where political unrest and growing gang violence have left Port-au-Prince under tense and unstable conditions.
According to the UN, since early March, more than 242,000 gallons of water have been distributed by UNICEF and its partners, while more than 146,000 hot meals have been provided by the World Food Program (WFP) and its partners.
The UN noted that psychosocial treatment is being provided to those who have been affected by recent events.
Schools, hospitals, and government institutions in the capital are still targets of attacks, according to the UN humanitarian affairs office OCHA, with several having had to halt operations.
The Port-au-Prince metropolitan area’s public electricity provider recently stated that many substations were damaged, leaving various districts without power.
With the recent resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry, the UN indicated that the situation in Haiti is still precarious, especially in the communes of Carrefour, Port-au-Prince, and Cité Soleil. In the Port-au-Prince metropolitan region, the airport, schools, and health facilities are still shuttered.
