WASHINGTON, D.C. – The United Nations now estimates about 700-thousand people in Haiti are internally displaced due to the relentless gang violence. While there has been some progress made with additional security forces in Haiti, experts said there’s a lot at stake if more resources don’t arrive.
“There’s a very long way to go and time is the enemy,” said William O’Neill, the UN Designated Expert on Human Rights in Haiti. He recently wrapped up a two-week visit to the country. Compared to his last visit, O’Neill said the situation is still horrific as the number of displaced people climbed dramatically.
“There’s shortages of everything: food, water, mostly gas,” said O’Neill.
O’Neill met with the country’s top leaders, law enforcement officers and victims of the gang violence. He emphasizes the need for additional humanitarian and law enforcement efforts to regain control.
“Millions of lives at risk in terms of humanitarian,” said O’Neill. “The World Food Programme has a million and a half people in urgent need of food support. Five-million constantly needing food support. Medical care is needed throughout the country. Literally survival of a huge part of this country. The country’s people is at stake let alone trying to live a decent life. They’re just trying to get through the days.”
A few months ago, a Multinational Security Support Mission from Kenya was sent to Haiti to try to curb the gang violence but O’Neill said more needs to be done.
“They [the MSS] have retaken little bits of pieces from downtown Port Au Prince and that’s good, it’s symbolic,” said O’Neill. “There are few areas of the city where the gangs have pushed back but really nothing significant on that front and its really the fault- and I blame most of the international community. Get the money and the humanitarian appeal the UN has asked for. 600 million or whatever it is. Get the force here, all of them, 25-hundred with helicopters with appropriate vehicles, night vision goggles. Things they need with drones. Third, there needs to be an arms embargo. The arms are still flowing here from the United States. Some originally direct sometimes from the Dominican Republic. If you cut off that arms supply the gangs really lose their firepower.”
Frustrations are running high in the country as people are desperate for help. O’Neill said it’s in all of our interest to get stability in Haiti.
“It’s frightening, it’s terrifying actually what’s at stake is the country’s survival,” said O’Neill.
