In the midst of ongoing international debates about dispatching a multinational task force to curb gang violence, Ottawa said on Thursday that Canadian government representatives are in Haiti to assess the humanitarian and security crisis the Caribbean nation is experiencing.
The Canadian delegation is in Haiti “to consult with stakeholders on options to support Haitian people in resolving the humanitarian and security crises and how Canada can contribute to the international response,” the Canadian government said in a statement.
Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly stated that “Canada and the international community are worried about the violence in Haiti, in particular against women and girls.”
She continued, “Canada will not stand idly by as gangs and those who enable them threaten the people of Haiti. We will continue to support law-abiding Haitians as they work to end the crisis in their nation.
The statement comes one day after the top generals of Canada and the United States met to discuss the security situation after Haitian authorities urged the two countries earlier this month to take the initiative in assembling a “strike force” to target gangs. U. S.
On Thursday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit Ottawa for talks on a variety of topics with Joly and other senior Canadian officials.
The United States has said it is confident of securing a United Nations Security Council resolution and finding nations to lead a task force in early November to address the island’s crisis.
Last Monday, the UN Security Council imposed sanctions against anyone posing a threat to the peace or stability of Haiti, with one of the most influential gangsters in the nation named as its first target.
Following the death of its president and the devastating earthquake that sparked instability last year, Haiti, the most underdeveloped nation in the Americas, is currently dealing with an expanding humanitarian crisis.
Gangs are preventing traffic to a crucial fuel terminal in protest of the government’s plan to reduce fuel subsidies, which is drying up supplies of gasoline and diesel. Along with a devastating cholera outbreak and a food deficit, Haitians also struggle with a lack of clean drinking water.
(Susan Heavey reported; Chizu Nomiyama edited.)
Assessing the humanitarian and security concerns in Haiti are Canadian officials: Joly
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