Haiti's government has agreed to request the help of international troops as gangs and protesters paralyse the country and supplies of water, fuel and basic goods dwindle, according to a document published on Friday.
Key points:
- A document signed by Haiti's PM authorises foreign deployment of armed forces, but it is unclear if it has been submitted
- Many Haitians reject international intervention
- Previous UN peacekeepers were accused of sexual assault and sparking a cholera epidemic
The document, signed by Prime Minister Ariel Henry and 18 top-ranking officials, states that they are alarmed by "the risk of a major humanitarian crisis" that is threatening the lives of many people.
It authorises Mr Henry to request from international partners "the immediate deployment of a specialised armed force, in sufficient quantity," to stop the crisis across the country caused partly by the "criminal actions of armed gangs".
"It is imperative to restart activities to avoid a complete asphyxiation of the national economy," the document states.
It was not clear if the request had been formally submitted, to whom it would be submitted and whether it would mean the activation of United Nations peacekeeping troops, whose mission ended five years ago after a troubled 11 years in Haiti.
On Friday, the US Embassy warned that "US citizens should depart Haiti now in light of the current health and security situation and infrastructure challenges".
It also authorised the temporary departure of government personnel and their families.
US State Department deputy spokesman Vedant Patel said earlier in the day that the US is considering a request for a humanitarian corridor to restore the distribution of fuel within Haiti and coordinating with Haiti's prime minister and other international partners to determine how best to provide additional support.
"We strongly condemn those who continue to block the distribution of fuel and other necessities to Haitian businesses," he said.
Mr Patel would not address the issue of where the troops to enforce the corridor might come from, saying that consideration was still in an early stage.
The petition comes after Luis Almagro, secretary general of the Organisation of American States, on Thursday met with officials including US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Haiti Foreign Affairs Minister Jean Victor Généus to talk about the country's worsening situation.
Mr Almagro tweeted late on Thursday that Haiti "must request urgent assistance from the international community to help resolve security crises, determine the characteristics of an international security force".
As Mr Henry's administration agreed on the request for foreign troops, his office issued a statement saying the prime minister had not resigned, rejecting what it called fake reports circling on social media that prompted hundreds of Haitians across the country to celebrate in the streets late on Thursday.
"It is purely and simply strategies of fabrications, intoxication, orchestrated by ill-intentioned individuals, aiming to sow more trouble and confusion," his office said.
Pushback against foreign intervention
Many Haitians have rejected the idea of another international intervention, noting that UN peacekeepers were accused of sexual assault and sparking a cholera epidemic more than a decade ago that killed nearly 10,000 people.
From 2004 until 2017, UN peacekeepers bolstered the country's security and helped rebuild political institutions after a violent rebellion ousted former president Jean-Bertrand Aristide.
"I don't think Haiti needs another intervention," said Mathias Pierre, Haiti's former elections minister.
"We have been through so many, and nothing has been solved … If we don't do it as Haitians, 10 years forward, we're going to be in the same situation again."
He called on the US government to help reduce the amount of ammunition and guns flowing to Haiti and also to equip police officers so they have more weapons and the ability to run intelligence on gangs.
He also worried about the situation that an international security force would encounter.
"It's not an army they're facing," he said.
"They're facing gangs located in poor areas and using the population as shields to protect themselves."
Gangs growing in power
Gangs have long wielded considerable power in Haiti, and their influence has only grown since the July 2021 assassination of then-president Jovenel Moïse.
They control roughly 40 per cent of Port-au-Prince, according to the UN.
They are fighting to control even more territory, killing hundreds of Haitians in recent months — including women and children — and driving away some 20,000 people from their homes.
Kidnappings have also spiked.
Haiti's National Police has struggled to control gangs with its limited resources and chronic understaffing, with only some 12,800 active officers in a country of more than 11 million people.
Protesters along with the increasingly powerful gangs have helped plunge Haiti into an unprecedented level of chaos, with the country paralysed for nearly a month after gangs surrounded a large fuel terminal in the capital of Port-au-Prince, refusing to budge until Mr Henry steps down.
As a result, crews have been unable to distribute about 10 million gallons of diesel and gasoline and more than 800,000 gallons of kerosene stored on site.
The first round of protests in mid-September prompted France and Spain to close their embassies and banks to shut down in the capital of Port-au-Prince.
Protesters attacked businesses, the homes of well-known politicians and even warehouses of the UN's World Food Programme, stealing millions of dollars in food and water. Protests have since grown bigger.
Protesters also have blocked roads ever since Mr Henry announced in early September that his administration could no longer afford to subsidise fuel, leading to sharp increases in the price of gasoline, diesel and kerosene.
The document signed by Mr Henry and other officials stated that such actions are having "catastrophic consequences".
Gas stations are shuttered, hospitals have cut back on critical services and banks and grocery stores are struggling to stay open because of dwindling fuel supplies — and exorbitant prices — that make it nearly impossible for many workers to commute.
A gallon of gasoline costs $US30 ($46) on the black market in Port-au-Prince and more than $US40 in rural areas.
UN pushes for 'humanitarian corridor'
On Wednesday, the UN resident and humanitarian coordinator office in Haiti proposed a "humanitarian corridor" to allow fuel and aid to those in need.
It noted the country is also dealing with a new cholera outbreak, with several deaths reported and dozens of patients being treated.
"The most vulnerable people are the first to suffer from the blockage," the UN said.
At least 13 US congressional leaders have demanded that the administration of US President Joe Biden stop showing that it is backing Mr Henry and suspend all deportations "given the extreme physical security risks and dire humanitarian situation".
It called on the US government to support "legitimate efforts to create a transitional Haitian government that respects the will of the Haitian people, and should make it clear to Mr Henry that it will not support him as he blocks progress".
Mr Henry has stressed that he has no interest in holding on to power and plans to organise general elections as soon as the violence quells.
AP