UN Chief António Guterres Briefs on Haiti's 'Perfect Storm' of Suffering

Haiti's Humanitarian Crisis

• ⚠️ The people of Haiti are facing a perfect storm of suffering as state authority crumbles and gang violence paralyzes the country.
• 🌍 1.3 million people, half of them children, have been forced to flee their homes, and 6 million require humanitarian assistance.
• 📉 Haiti is among the top five global hunger hotspots, with a severe lack of funding for humanitarian aid, making it the least funded appeal worldwide.

Impact on Children

• 💔 Children are bearing the brunt, with a nearly five-fold increase in grave violations against them in 2024, including killings, maiming, recruitment, and horrific sexual violence.
• 🏫 Gang violence has disrupted the schooling of 243,000 students, and attacks on schools and hospitals are frequent.
• ⚖️ The handover protocol for children associated with armed groups needs better implementation, and conditions in detention centers are troubling.

Calls for Action and International Support

• 🚨 Humanitarian personnel, especially local responders, are being targeted, and international humanitarian law must be respected.
• 💰 Donors are urged to act to prevent life-saving operations from halting, as less than 10% of the required $98 million for 2025 has been received.
• 🛡️ The UN calls for decisive and coordinated international security support, including authorizing an international force with UN logistical and operational backing.
• 🔗 Measures to cut off weapons and money fueling violence are vital, including an effective arms embargo and targeted sanctions against gang leaders and financiers.

Emerging Hope and Political Progress

• 🌱 Encouraging signals of hope are emerging with growing cooperation between political leaders and closer coordination between the prime minister's task force and the multinational security support mission.
• 🤝 These fragile gains must be protected and expanded through international security support and a return to the rule of law and credible elections.
• 🌍 The UN reaffirms its solidarity and determination to stand with the people of Haiti for peace, dignity, and security.