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STORY: UN / HAITI
TRT: 04:55
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / FRENCH / SPANISH / NATS
DATELINE: 25 JANUARY 2024, NEW YORK CITY / FILE
FILE - NEW YORK CITY
1. Pan left, exterior UN Headquarters
25 JANUARY 2024, NEW YORK CITY
2. Wide shot, Security Council
3. SOUNDBITE (English) María Isabel Salvador, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Haiti / Head, United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH):
“Haiti remains plagued by a mounting scale of violence due to an unprecedent surge in kidnappings, rapes and other crimes committed by armed gangs that increasingly affect the livelihoods of people and undermine humanitarian activities. I cannot overstress the severity of the situation in Haiti, where multiple protracted crises have reached a critical point. Last year, BINUH documented over 8400 direct victims of gang violence, including people killed, injured and kidnapped, an increase of 122 percent as compared to 2022. The capital accounted for 83 percent of killings and injuries, and violence also spread to other areas, specifically to Artibonite.”
4. Wide shot, Council
5. SOUNDBITE (French) María Isabel Salvador, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Haiti / Head, United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH):
“In recent months, the government and the international community have made notable efforts to increase their support for the Haitian National Police (HNP). These include a 13 percent increase in the 2023 / 24 state budget allocated to the HNP, as well as the equipment, armored vehicles and weapons.”
6. Med shot, Council
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Ghada Fathi Waly, Executive Director, UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC):
“You may remember that in our first report in October 2023, UNODC identified four major sea and land routes for the illicit flows of firearms and ammunition, coming in primarily from the United States of America. The second report, released yesterday, complements previous findings, mainly on the sources abroad and domestic distribution, but also on trafficking by air. UNODC has found that there are 11 recorded informal or clandestine air strips in Haiti, spread out across the country. They represent a blind spot that is possibly being used by traffickers and smugglers, bearing in mind that smaller aircraft flying directly between the United States and Haiti are difficult to monitor.”
8. Wide shot, Council
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Ghada Fathi Waly, Executive Director, UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC):
“Our findings show that a relatively small number of Haitian gangs, such as the “5 Segond” and “400 Mawozo” groups, have become highly specialized in the procurement, storage and distribution of weapons and ammunition. They move firearms from points of entry to their strongholds, before distributing or selling them to other armed groups. In our next report, we will be analysing gang dynamics in Haiti in more detail. Regional dynamics are also key, as the deepening crisis in Haiti is not occurring in isolation. Across the Caribbean region, illicit firearms are a growing concern, and are feeding gang-related activity and drug trafficking in a vicious circle.”
10. Med shot, Council
11. SOUNDBITE (French) Jean Victor Généus, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Worship, Haiti:
“Today I don't want to describe for the last time the disastrous situation in Haiti, specifically around a capital Port-au-Prince and the Artibonite department. All I want is for the Council to remain cognizant of the fact that with every passing day that this long awaited support has not yet arrived, is one day too many that we're being subjected to the hell imposed on us by the gangs.”
12. Med shot, Council
13. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Roberto Álvarez Gil, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dominican Republic:
“Regrettably, particularly for those who are living under the daily gang terror, this mission has not yet been deployed. Meanwhile, Haiti stands on the edge of the precipice where every day of inaction is a fresh opportunity for criminal organizations to increase their power and expand their control. This unjustified delay is having serious consequences.”
14. Wide shot, Council
15. SOUNDBITE (English) Martin Kimani, Permanent Representative to the Unites Nations, Kenya:
“We're proud to have offered to lead the special [mission] and remain committed to its successful deployment and implementation of its mandate. Kenya has made significant progress in the preparatory phase. We extend our gratitude to other Member States joining the mission through their contributions of personnel, equipment and funds. Following the adoption of Resolution 2699 in October last year, Kenya promptly began the constitutionally mandated administrative and legal processes to authorize the deployment of formed police unites.”
16. Wide shot, meeting ended
María Isabel Salvador, Special Representative for Haiti, said, “I cannot overstress the severity of the situation in Haiti, where multiple protracted crises have reached a critical point.”
Briefing the Security Council today (25 Jan), Salvador also said, “Haiti remains plagued by a mounting scale of violence due to an unprecedent surge in kidnappings, rapes and other crimes committed by armed gangs that increasingly affect the livelihoods of people and undermine humanitarian activities.”
She continued, “last year, BINUH documented over 8400 direct victims of gang violence, including people killed, injured and kidnapped, an increase of 122 percent as compared to 2022. “
According to her, “the capital accounted for 83 percent of killings and injuries, and violence also spread to other areas, specifically to Artibonite.”
The Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Haiti added, “in recent months, the government and the international community have made commendable efforts to increase their support for the Haitian National Police (HNP), these include a 13 percent increase in the 2023 / 24 state budget allocated to the HNP, as well as the equipment, armored vehicles and weapons.”
Ghada Fathi Waly, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Executive Director, said, “You may remember that in our first report in October 2023, UNODC identified four major sea and land routes for the illicit flows of firearms and ammunition, coming in primarily from the United States of America. The second report, released yesterday, complements previous findings, mainly on the sources abroad and domestic distribution, but also on trafficking by air.”
According to UNODC, “there are 11 recorded informal or clandestine air strips in Haiti, spread out across the country. They represent a blind spot that is possibly being used by traffickers and smugglers, bearing in mind that smaller aircraft flying directly between the United States and Haiti are difficult to monitor.”
She noted, “Our findings show that a relatively small number of Haitian gangs, such as the “5 Segond” and “400 Mawozo” groups, have become highly specialized in the procurement, storage and distribution of weapons and ammunition.”
Waly continued, “they move firearms from points of entry to their strongholds, before distributing or selling them to other armed groups. In our next report, we will be analysing gang dynamics in Haiti in more detail.”
She added, “Regional dynamics are also key, as the deepening crisis in Haiti is not occurring in isolation. Across the Caribbean region, illicit firearms are a growing concern, and are feeding gang-related activity and drug trafficking in a vicious circle.”
Also addressing today’s Security Council meeting, Jean Victor Généus, Haitian Minister for Foreign Affairs and Worship, said, “today I don't want to describe for the last time the disastrous situation in Haiti, specifically around a capital Port-au-Prince and the Artibonite department. All I want is for the Council to remain cognizant of the fact that with every passing day that this long-awaited support has not yet arrived, is one day too many that we're being subjected to the hell imposed on us by the gangs.”
Roberto Álvarez Gil, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Dominican Republic, said, “Regrettably, particularly for those who are living under the daily gang terror, this mission has not yet been deployed.”
He continued, “Meanwhile, Haiti stands on the edge of the precipice where every day of inaction is a fresh opportunity for criminal organizations to increase their power and expand their control. This unjustified delay is having serious consequences.”
For his part, Martin Kimani, Kenyan Ambassador, said, “We're proud to have offered to lead the special [mission] and remain committed to its successful deployment and implementation of its mandate. Kenya has made significant progress in the preparatory phase. We extend our gratitude to other Member States joining the mission through their contributions of personnel, equipment and funds.”
He said, “following the adoption of Resolution 2699 in October last year, Kenya promptly began the constitutionally mandated administrative and legal processes to authorize the deployment of formed police unites.”
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