Swift, Concrete International Support Urgently Needed to Help Haiti Tackle Rapidly Escalating Violence, Humanitarian Crisis, Speakers Tell Joint Meeting
Speakers and delegates addressing a joint meeting of the Economic and Social Council and the Peacebuilding Commission under the theme “Building and Sustaining Peace in Haiti” emphasized the urgent need for international support to address the conflict-ridden nation’s worsening security situation, protect children amid escalating violence and humanitarian crisis, and curb the illicit flow of arms while advancing a Haitian-led political process.
“The utmost priority is the security situation in the country, which requires swift action by the Security Council and assistance from the international community,” said Robert Rae (Canada), President of Economic and Social Council. At the midpoint of 2025, only 9 per cent of Haiti’s humanitarian funding needs have been met. Preventing armed gangs from recruiting children and helping them safely leave gangs is also crucial, he said, noting that this requires more than just security measures. Pledging the Council’s commitment to support the country via the Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Haiti, he declared: “Haiti cannot wait. We must act now.”
“The scale of suffering in Haiti is escalating at a pace that demands not just our attention, but our action,” said Philémon Yang (Cameroon), President of the United Nations General Assembly, citing a staggering 1,000 per cent increase in sexual violence against children between 2023 and 2024. Commending UN agencies’ work to save and protect the people of Haiti and the bravery of the Multinational Security Support Mission in the country, he called for “a coordinated and effective international response”, adding: “The responsibility lies with all of us — across the United Nations system.” The UN’s main organs must use their respective mandates to address “one issue that traverses these bodies” – the illicit flow of small arms and light weapons. “We must do our utmost to ensure that Haiti is not abandoned to a future of fear and despair,” he said.
Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett (Guyana), Security Council President for June, echoed that appeal, stating that “Haiti’s crisis is not Haiti’s alone” and one that has implications “far beyond Haiti’s shores”. She pointed out that the 15-member Council has taken action to curb the illicit flow of arms and ammunition into Haiti, urging Member States to redouble their efforts to fully implement the arms embargo. The Council also authorized the deployment of the Multinational Security Support Mission to help the Haitian National Police re-establish stable security. “At the same time, we also urge Haitian stakeholders to redouble their efforts to solidify a Haitian-led and Haitian-owned political process,” she said.
Over 5,600 People Killed by Gang Violence in 2024
Dorvil Morency, Municipal Commissioner of the National Police of Haiti, said 5,601 people have been killed by gang violence in 2024, more than 1 million internally displaced, approximately 300 schools destroyed and nearly 60,000 children stripped of education. Human rights mechanisms have reported that half of soldiers in armed gangs are children. Meanwhile, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has reported that 2.85 million children face heightened levels of food insecurity. “Despite these harrowing statistics, authorities in place have been undertaking herculean efforts to modernize the police, counter gangs, retake territory, work with civil society to reduce community-level violence,” he said, appealing for international support to “build peace and place the country firmly in the path to development”.
Critical Role of Civil Society, Including Women, Young People
Bertha Pierre, a civil society representative from Haiti, who described the daily insecurity and displacement faced by many, including herself, also called for real support: “The time for words is behind us — we need concrete and immediate action.” Underscoring civil society’s critical role as an engine of change, she stressed that “women and young people lie at the heart of any social transformation”. Women — both the main victims of conflict and the first to rebuild lives — must have access to training, mediation and economic opportunities to shoulder this responsibility. Empowering young people is equally important; without access to education, they may become “weapons used by negative actors”. But, when given guidance and options, “they can become engines of potent change”, she said, concluding: “The future of Haiti hinges on the strength of civil society — let us give civil society the necessary tools to act and operate efficiently.”
Despite the unprecedented crisis faced by Haiti, its people demonstrate extraordinary resistance and commitment to a more stable future, observed María Isabel Salvador, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Haiti and Head of the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH). “The responsibility before us is clear: to help ensure Haiti’s future is shaped by hope, not despair, through peacebuilding,” she stressed. She urged the international community to scale up community-violence-reduction programmes to empower civil society, including women-led initiatives in education, healing and conflict resolution, and support young people as agents of peace. To prevent child recruitment, comprehensive disengagement programmes must be established to “provide individualized pathways”, she said, adding: “No child should bear arms. Every child should carry the promise of education, safety and opportunity.”
2025-2030 Medium-Term Recovery Plan as Haiti’s Economy Contracts for Sixth Consecutive Year
The meeting also heard from Corinne Cathala, Country Director for Haiti at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), who underscored that “Haiti is now in its sixth consecutive year of economic contraction”. In March, Haiti’s Government asked IDB to coordinate preparation of a medium-term recovery plan for 2025–2030 — with the support of the World Bank, United Nations and the European Union — to identify and prioritize critical investments for sustainable and inclusive development. “The 2025–2030 medium-term recovery plan can offer a realistic and strategic path forward,” she said, urging meaningful coordination, flexible approaches and an unwavering commitment to the Haitian people.
No Peace, No Development ‘to Speak of’, Haiti’s Representative Says, Citing Rapid Crisis Impact Assessment Report’s Call for $1.34 Billion in Investment
When Member States were given the floor, Haiti’s representative described the bleak reality facing his country and people. “The situation in Haiti is indescribable. There is no peace to speak of and […] there is no development […] to speak of.” Underscoring the peace-development nexus, he said “peace hinges on the ability of women to engage in economic activity and to raise their children, and young people need to have an opportunity to engage in economic activity, as well as be less susceptible to recruitment by criminal groups”. Establishing peace in Haiti requires more than security-based solutions, he underscored, noting the $1.34 billion investment needed in Haiti, as set out by the October 2024 Rapid Crisis Impact Assessment report. “Today, more than ever before, Haiti needs proactive support from the international community,” he emphasized.
Towards that end, the speaker for the European Union, speaking in its capacity as observer, highlighted the bloc’s support for Haiti in advancing towards “comprehensive security and stabilization along the triple nexus” — including approximately €200 million in humanitarian, development and stabilization assistance, as well as conduct of a Rapid Crisis Impact Assessment, which offered “a clear framework for action”. Facilitating the safe exit of children recruited by armed gangs is instrumental for Haiti’s future peaceful development. This can be achieved through community-based prevention, awareness campaigns to reduce stigma against demobilized children and providing educational and economic alternatives for at-risk youth.
Safe Exit Needed for Child Gang Members
Representatives of other Member States also voiced concerns about Haiti’s escalating gang violence and the alarming recruitment of children by armed groups. Some speakers urged for greater international support to strengthen the Multinational Security Support Mission, fully enforce the arms embargo and to pursue inclusive peacebuilding that empowers women and youth.
The representative of Saint Kitts and Nevis, speaking on behalf of the 14 Member States of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), welcomed the Secretary-General’s proposal to empower BINUH to develop “defection and safe exit programmes” for gang members and urged that such initiatives draw on the expertise of Haitian partners and the lessons of other post-conflict settings.
Multinational Security Support Mission Must Be Adequately Staffed, Funded
The representative of Kenya, the lead nation of the Multinational Security Support Mission in Haiti, stressed that “the progress achieved by the current contingent — 40 per cent of the mandated 2,500 officers — clearly demonstrates the Mission’s potential for success” and highlights the effectiveness of a fully deployed and adequately resourced force. However, the Mission “remains just one element”; sustainable stability will depend on a holistic strategy that tackles the underlying drivers of the crisis. And it must be inclusive, he said, calling for the engagement of “civil society, women and youth to rebuild social cohesion and resilience”.
Paraguay’s representative agreed, calling for the Multinational Security Support Mission to become “a full mission with the mandate by the Security Council”, and for Member States to fully comply with the arms embargo.
With the mandates of the Multinational Security Support Mission and the special political mission in Haiti up for renewal within the next month, the Peacebuilding Commission “can contribute to ensuring that the long-term peacebuilding dimension is well integrated in the mandates”, said Norway’s speaker.
The representative of the Dominican Republic, Haiti’s only land neighbour, said the latter’s deepening crisis reflects the international community’s failure to act decisively. Highlighting the insufficient staffing and resourcing of the Multinational Security Support Mission, he urged the Security Council to approve a hybrid mission for security and governance in Haiti and called for the immediate disbursement of pledged funds.
Stressing the importance of national ownership for the sustainability of the recovery, Costa Rica’s delegate, urged continued investment to empower civil society, especially women, girls and youth, through peace clubs, citizenship education and social-cohesion programmes that include mental healthcare.
Calls to Advance Haitian-Led, Haitian-Owned Political Process
Adding to that, China’s representative called on all parties and factions in Haiti to show solidarity and responsibility, prioritize the interests of the country and its people, and advance the Haitian-led and Haitian-owned political process.
The representative of the United States stressed that “coordination and cohesion across the Haitian Government is sorely needed to fight the criminal gangs terrorizing the Haitian people”. For its part, his Government has designated a prominent Haitian gang and gang coalition as foreign terrorist organizations.
Role of Peacebuilding Fund in Haiti’s Recovery
Several speakers highlighted the role of the Peacebuilding Fund is Haiti’s recovery, with the representative of the United Kingdom praising the Fund’s targeted support to community violence reduction, civic engagement and social cohesion, adding that these “catalytic investments that can help shift trajectories”.
Mexico’s representative said taking maximum advantage of international financing mechanisms, such as the Peacebuilding Fund, which has financed initiatives for women’s participation in peace and political processes, is key. In that context, he called on the international community to support the creation of a logistical support office in Haiti with, as a minimum, a gender adviser.
Haiti has “genuine potential for development”, noted Elizabeth Spehar, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding Support, warning against inaction, which can lead to the conflict spillover. Today’s joint meeting provided the Council and the Peacebuilding Commission the opportunity to align and join forces to support Haiti through a comprehensive approach. Further, support can come from the UN peacebuilding architecture — comprising the Commission, the Peacebuilding Fund and the Peacebuilding Support Office — which “work to leverage the entire UN system in support of Member States’ peacebuilding priorities”.
Sustained Engagement Crucial
Summarizing the day’s discussion, Peacebuilding Commission Chair Thomas Zahneisen (Germany) underscored the need for sustained engagement to address Haiti’s acute security crisis and its root causes, the alarming humanitarian situation and the underfunded humanitarian response. “The human cost of the crisis currently besetting Haiti requires not just immediate action, but collective action over the long term,” he said, underscoring the importance of partnerships and investments. “The Haitian people are not only beneficiaries of assistance; they are partners with a will, a clear vision and a great deal of determination”.