Maria Isabel Salvador updated ambassadors on the situation in the Caribbean country, where a political transition process to restore democratic institutions continues against a backdrop of ongoing gang violence, mainly in the capital, Port-au-Prince.
An IOM staff member assesses the needs of people displaced by violence in Haiti.
Deadly gang attacks
Meanwhile, armed gangs continue terrorizing the Haitian population and the violence has impacted humanitarian operations.
On 11 November, gangs attacked commercial aircraft near the Port-au-Prince airport, forcing its closure and the suspension of all flights. They have also carried out attacks across the capital, including the killing last month of 207 people in Wharf Jérémie, located in the Cité Soleil neighbourhood.
Ms. Salvador said the Haitian National Police (HNP), supported by the Security Council-backed Multinational Security Support mission (MSS) and, in some cases, the Armed Forces of Haiti, has made efforts to respond to the surge in violence.
UN operations affected
“The worsening security crisis has significantly impacted United Nations operations,” she said.
“In response to the suspension of flights to Port-au-Prince and widespread violence, the UN decided to temporarily reduce its footprint in the capital, while continuing to provide lifesaving assistance.”
She stressed that the UN remains committed to scaling up its presence as soon as security conditions allow.
She said the humanitarian crisis in Haiti has reached alarming levels. Over six million people, nearly half the population, require assistance, with nearly four million targeted for aid.
The number of internally displaced persons has tripled to over one million, and more than half are children. Some 48 per cent of people are facing food insecurity, with nearly two million in emergency conditions and 6,000 in catastrophic conditions.
She urged donors to support the 2025 Humanitarian Response Plan for Haiti, which calls for $908 million to address the suffering and support recovery.
Weapons influx continues
Ghada Waly, head of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), also briefed the Council.
She told ambassadors that the ongoing violence and instability in Haiti is compounded by illicit arms flows, drug trafficking and other illicit markets, and underpinned by corruption and money laundering.
“Despite the reinforcement of the arms embargo, weapons and ammunition trafficking continue to flow into Haiti and into the hands of gangs,” she said.
While the drug trade is key among illicit markets, others are also “booming”, such as wildlife crime.
She said there is growing evidence that several Haitian nationals are part of a wider criminal network connected to lucrative eel trafficking, operating in the country and beyond.
“Some reports indicate that powerful political and economic figures in Haiti use the eel industry to launder drug profits,” she added.
Ms. Waly underscored the importance of enhancing Haiti’s capacities against trafficking, improving regional cooperation and information sharing, and strengthening the country’s institutions.
She also reaffirmed UNODC’s commitment to work with the Haitian authorities and partners to tackle the underlying structures of organized crime and corruption.