Indiscriminate violence in Haiti is escalating — especially in the capital and surrounding region — with armed gangs carrying out killings and acts of sexual violence, the United Nations humanitarian coordinator in the conflict-wracked Caribbean nation said Wednesday.
Ulrika Richardson told UN reporters in a virtual press conference from the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, that “ the level of violence that people are exposed to is inhuman.â€
In her many years working for the United Nations, Richardson said, “I’ve seen things here that I’ve never seen in my life,†that go beyond “your worst nightmare.â€
It’s the suffering and pain that men, women and children are subjected to, she said, pointing to a 50 per cent increase in sexual violence between 2022 and 2023, and the 314,000 Haitians who have now fled their homes to escape the violence, many living on the streets and in schools, and in need of humanitarian aid.
Richardson said 5.5 million Haitians are in need of assistance, including 4.4 million — about 40 per cent of the population — facing “huge food insecurity.â€
The UN just launched its humanitarian appeal for this year and is seeking US$674 million, with about half the money earmarked for food.
Even though needs are higher this year, Richardson said the appeal is lower than the US$720 million appeal for 2023, which was only 34 per cent funded.
She explained that the UN political mission in Haiti has “tried to be much more targeted,†and has seen that UN cooperation with local organizations has worked and is now looking at how it can better rely on those organizations.
Gangs have grown more powerful and political instability has increased since the 2021 assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse, who had faced protests calling for his resignation over corruption charges and claims that his five-year term had expired.
More than 8,400 people were reported killed, injured or kidnapped in 2023 — more than double the number reported in 2022. The gangs continue to fight over territory, and are estimated to control up to 80 per cent of Port-au-Prince.
Kenya agreed to lead a multinational force in Haiti that was authorized by the UN Security Council in October to help restore peace and security, and said it would send 1,000 police officers. However, it’s unclear when or if a deployment will occur because a court in Kenya ruled in January that the deployment is unconstitutional. The East African nation’s government has said it is appealing the ruling.
On Monday, the United States government reiterated its support to help restore peace and calm to Haiti, saying it will provide money, equipment and logistical support to a multinational force whose deployment remains uncertain.
Asked about support from Haitians for a multinational force, she replied: “If you would ask people on the street if they need assistance to deal with a gang violence, they will say yes.â€
Two Canadians are among those killed in southern Lebanon, Global Affairs Canada confirmed late Tuesday. While GAC has not confirmed their names due to privacy, family members tell Â鶹´«Ã½ the two people killed are Hussein and Daad Tabaja.
An image of the unidentified object shot down over Canada's Yukon territory in February 2023 has been obtained by CTVNews.ca.
MPs debated the first non-confidence motion of the fall House of Commons sitting today, seeing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre push once again for a snap election. But with votes secured to keep them afloat, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberals were quick to turn the discussion into a referendum on the Conservative alternative.
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Four puppies were found near County Road 21 in Essa Township after a passerby spotted one when it ran out of the ditch and onto the road.
After Ontario Premier Doug Ford made controversial comments about solutions to get people out of homeless encampments, advocates and members of the opposition spoke up on Tuesday.
A Missouri man convicted of breaking into a woman’s home and repeatedly stabbing her was executed Tuesday over the objections of the victim’s family and the prosecutor, who wanted the death sentence commuted to life in prison.
Kg rockets, missiles and drones into northern Israel in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza and its ally Hamas, a fellow Iran-backed militant group. Israel has responded with increasingly heavy airstrikes and the targeted killing of Hezbollah commanders while threatening a wider operation.
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A man who authorities say staked out Donald Trump for 12 hours on his golf course in Florida and wrote of his desire to kill him was indicted Tuesday on an attempted assassination charge.
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An image of the unidentified object shot down over Canada's Yukon territory in February 2023 has been obtained by CTVNews.ca.
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Three construction workers are being praised for their actions that police in Barrie say likely prevented an armed man from fleeing before being taken into custody.
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An Uber driver was handed a 12-month driving ban on Tuesday following a collision that injured a pedestrian and killed a labrador retriever in Barrie.
Ward 3 councillor Renaldo Agostino feels a Ferris wheel is a no-brainer and has asked city administration to look into the possibility of one in a parking lot along the river front in downtown Windsor.
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Newfoundland and Labrador's chief medical officer is monitoring the rise of whooping cough infections across the province as cases of the highly contagious disease continue to grow across Canada.
A 16-year-old biennial event aimed at fostering business in the country's eastern Arctic and northern regions has been cancelled indefinitely as a dispute unfolds between Inuit in Canada and a Labrador group claiming to share their heritage.
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