Haiti, where rampant gang violence has surged in recent weeks, is approaching a “point of no return” leading to “total chaos”, the United Nations special representative to the troubled Caribbean nation warned today.
“As gang violence continues to spread to new areas of the country, Haitians experience growing levels of vulnerability and increasing scepticism about the ability of the state to respond to their needs,” Maria Isabel Salvador told the UN Security Council.
“Haiti could face total chaos,” she said, adding that international aid was desperately needed to avoid that fate. “I urge you to remain engaged and answer the urgent needs of the country and its people.”
Salvador cited cholera outbreaks and gender-based violence alongside a deteriorating security situation, particularly in the capital Port-au-Prince, with authorities struggling to cope.
The poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, Haiti faces severe political instability, while swathes of the country are under the control of rival armed gangs who carry out widespread murders, rapes, and kidnappings.
