The UN has called for an examination of alternatives to international power to resolve the acute crisis in Haiti, as there has been a lack of action on the part of countries to advance this initiative.
Maria Isabel Salvador, the UN’s special representative for Haiti, told reporters on Wednesday that the option of sending the blue cases to the Caribbean country should also be considered.
The diplomat recalled that it has been almost “a year” since the Haitian government asked the UN for help to restore security in the country, and members of the organization have yet to respond.
“It is natural that we start thinking about other possibilities, such as a UN peacekeeping force,” said Salvador, who took office last March.
Despite appeals from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the idea of creating a multinational force to support the Haitian police has been left up in the air, with no country stepping forward to lead it.
In this situation, Salvador stressed that countries and international organizations need to “think innovatively and differently” to solve Haiti’s crisis.
Sections to be closed
However, the UN The diplomat said he believed the divisions in the Security Council over the Haiti situation had ended.
“Haiti is in a very dangerous situation and there is a general and clear consensus that some kind of action must be taken,” he stressed.
Both Russia and China, which have veto power in the UN Security Council, have rejected the idea of sending a force to support Haitian authorities.
Last week, leaders of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) called for the creation of a “humanitarian stabilization corridor” for Haiti during a summit in Trinidad and Tobago.
Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry requested UN assistance for his country on October 7.
Since then, the security crisis has been exacerbated by political instability, a cholera epidemic and the recent earthquake, requiring a total of $720 million / €646 million (to support 3 million people) for the country’s emergency humanitarian response.
Between 2004 and 2017, the UN The peacekeeping mission in Haiti consisted of nearly 3,000 troops and was led by the Brazilian administration.
The presence of the blue helmets in the country, which shares territory with the Dominican Republic, has created controversy as the troops have been linked to a strong outbreak of cholera in Haiti, as well as human rights violations and abuses.