Ulrika Richardson, the UN resident and humanitarian coordinator for Haiti, said that offering Haitian youth alternatives to gang life and strengthening local institutions were essential for Haiti to have hope. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has revealed a sharp increase in the recruitment of minors by armed gangs, with the number of recruitments increasing by 70% in 2024.

"There has been a terrifying escalation of violence in certain parts of Haiti, which is tearing at the very fabric of society," Richardson said. "There have been horrific massacres in the last three months of the year https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-43913-haiti-flash-wharf-jeremie-massacre-more-than-207-dead-investigation-report.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-43350-haiti-flash-pont-sonde-massacre-more-than-70-killed-and-dozens-injured-provisional-report.html [...] These brutal acts of dehumanisation will only deepen the collective trauma of the Haitian people,” Richardson said.

"We cannot ignore this reality. We must centre these horrific events in our response, urgently expanding mental health and psychosocial support programmes [...] As the UN, we are committed to staying in Haiti to help the most vulnerable people through the current crisis."

"This means supporting the hundreds of thousands of internally displaced people who have fled their homes, often multiple times [...]" stating that "at the moment, security is a prerequisite before addressing humanitarian challenges and then looking at a durable recovery," adding that the UN is not giving up hope in Haiti.

"Of course, we are hoping that the situation improves [...] We will never give up hope, and are working closely with the government, transitional authorities, civil society, and the private sector to make 2025 a better year than 2024."

Despite Kenya’s strong leadership with the Multinational Security Support Mission (MMSS), which the UN "applauds," Richardson stressed that "the Mission is still in the pre-deployment phase, due to a lack of sufficient funding from the international community [...] We have received important contributions, but they are very limited, so much more is needed,” adding that additional support was on the way.

"We have just heard that the MSS [mission] will receive more uniformed personnel and equipment," she said, without specifying how many or when... "This move underscores the continued commitment to enhancing security in the country, a critical step toward advancing both humanitarian and development efforts in Haiti."

S/ HaitiLibre