US AMBASSADOR TO UN SAYS AMID ESCALATING CRISIS
GEORGETOWN, Guyana, February 27, 2024 – Reaffirming the US’ solidarity and commitment to Haiti, US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield said the CARICOM nation would not be left in despair amidst the spiraling violence and humanitarian crisis plaguing their nation, The Guyana Chronicle reported today.
Thomas-Greenfield said: “Haitians should not be left hopeless by the situation” and she laid out the extensive international efforts to restore peace, security, and democracy in Haiti, during a press conference at the US Embassy, on Monday.
Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield is leading the US delegation to the 46th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM, where support for Haiti was discussed.
The backdrop to this diplomatic engagement is a harrowing landscape of suffering and chaos in Haiti. January alone witnessed over 1,100 people killed, injured, or kidnapped. Gangs, wielding terror through sexual assault, rape, and sheer force, now control 80 per cent of Port-au-Prince.
This reign of terror has crippled the nation, blocking essential trade and aid routes, shuttering schools, and severing access to basic necessities such as food, water, healthcare, and electricity.
In 2021, Haitian President Jovenel Moïse was assassinated following the ongoing violence. The resultant scenario is grim: Half the nation subsists on a single meal per day, and a swelling humanitarian crisis threatens to engulf the entire population, with 3,000,000 (three million) children in dire need of aid.
During the press conference, Thomas-Greenfield highlighted discussions that she had, along with other CARICOM heads, with Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who is in Guyana for the meeting.
“What I heard over the course of…days is that women are afraid to even go out of their houses to attend church, to shop for food for their family. So, security is uppermost in all of their minds,” she said.
This stark reality sets the stage for the urgent deployment of the United Nations-authorised Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission, aimed at restoring peace and paving the way for democratic processes.
Echoing the commitment of international partners, Thomas-Greenfield noted: “Kenya has volunteered to lead this multinational force…Benin, another country in Africa, has offered up to 2,000 troops to support this force.”
The ambassador highlighted the solidarity within CARICOM, with nations such as Jamaica playing pivotal roles and Guyana pledging additional support, underlining the collective regional commitment to Haiti’s stability and recovery.
In alignment with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s stance, the ambassador reiterated the intertwined interests of improving Haiti’s security situation, noting: “Improving Haiti’s security situation is in our collective interest…We all want to help Haitian communities in need.”
The United States has made significant financial contributions towards Haitian relief, totalling over $300 million in recent years, aimed at addressing immediate humanitarian needs and strengthening the Haitian National Police.
Addressing the political dimension, Thomas-Greenfield stressed the necessity of advancing Haiti’s political process in parallel with security improvements. This was one of the issues CARICOM leaders had discussed during the meeting.
“We talked about how to address those issues, along with having discussions about how to more urgently move the political process forward so, that in tandem with security, that there is a political process that will lead to free and fair elections, and democracy restored in Haiti,” the Ambassador said.
However, she urged: “We also need to hear from the opposition what they are for, not at all what they are against,” advocating for a constructive dialogue between the government and opposition factions to restore democracy through free and fair elections.
The ambassador’s comprehensive approach also underscored the critical nature of international support, devoid of any semblance of occupation.
She affirmed: “Haiti does not need what appears to be an occupying power…we [the US] have committed $200 million to support the Multinational Force,” detailing the extensive logistical and material support planned to empower the MSS mission effectively.
In a nutshell, Thomas-Greenfield highlighted the essence of the global stance towards Haiti, emphasising the collective responsibility to restore hope and order.
“This is about the Haitian people, their need for certainty… leaders need to take responsibility for moving the agenda forward to have elections,” she said, highlighting the inherent link between security, the political process, and humanitarian aid in addressing the crises.
As the international community, spearheaded by the United States and CARICOM, rallies to support Haiti, Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield stated: “This is about the Haitian people…Haitians should not be left hopeless by this situation.”
Guyana has shown support for Haiti by calling for a transitional government in Haiti and expressing solidarity with the Haitian people.
President Dr Irfaan Ali has long stressed the need for fair elections, health care, sustenance, water, and the restoration of normalcy in Haiti.
