Some fear that what for months was a slow descent into anarchy has accelerated into total chaos, requiring more urgent attention from the international community. News of the Prime Minister’s request for security assistance was reported earlier Friday by the Miami Herald.
A senior official from another Caribbean country said members of Mr Henry’s government had been discussing the need for an international peacekeeping force for several months, but without directly asking for help. The official added that while many countries in the region recognize that Haiti is spiraling out of control and its problems will likely reverberate in the Western Hemisphere, they are already economically drained and would be deeply reluctant to commit resources abroad. .
It is unclear how an international security force would be received by Haitians, who might view it as interference in their affairs. United Nations peacekeepers who were in the country between 2004 and 2017 committed sexual abuse and introduced cholera to the country, sparking an epidemic that killed nearly 10,000 people, according to the World Health Organization. health.
“There is a lack of will on the part of our leaders,” said Reginald Delva, a Haitian security consultant. The demand for outside intervention, Mr. Delva said, “confirms that they have no will to solve the problem, because in fact it is a problem that can be solved from local resources”.
There is little appetite for Washington to intervene in another foreign country, following withdrawals from Iraq and Afghanistan, amid increased troop commitments in Europe and with midterm elections looming.
In recent weeks, gangs have blocked access to Port-au-Prince’s main fuel terminal, exacerbating widespread fuel shortages, forcing hospitals to close and affecting water distribution, further hampering control efforts. the cholera epidemic. Bruno Maes, UNICEF Representative in Haiti, warned that insecurity is preventing Haitians from buying soap and picking up trash, creating conditions conducive to the disease, which is spread mainly through faecal contamination of the water.
“With rising violence and insecurity, many of the poorest Haitian families have no choice but to drink and use unsafe water,” Maes said in a statement. this week. “Cholera can easily spread like wildfire across Haiti if people continue to have no or limited access to basic health, water and sanitation services due to insecurity. “