Haiti is facing a multifaceted crisis that includes increasing gang violence, political instability, the displacement of more than 700,000 people and widespread hunger.
UNICEF has reported a significant increase in the number of children being recruited by armed gangs, with the number of children being recruited increasing by 70 percent in the past year.
Ulrika Richardson, United Nations and Humanitarian Coordinator in Haiti, spoke to him UN news about what the United Nations is doing to support the Haitian people.
This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity
UN News: How would you describe the current situation in the country?
Ulrika Richardson: There has been terrible violence in parts of Haiti, which is damaging the foundation of society. There were terrible massacres in the last three months of the year both in the capital Port-au-Prince, but also near l’Artibonite.
These brutal acts of dehumanization will only deepen the collective trauma of the Haitian people.
We cannot ignore this fact. We must focus these horrific events in our response, rapidly expand mental health and psychosocial support programs, and integrate them into our long-term stabilization plan.
As the UN, we are committed to staying in Haiti to help the most vulnerable people in this current crisis.
We need to protect the people who are in the most critical situation right now, especially in Port-au-Prince, where the security forces do not have the power to protect the citizens.
This means supporting hundreds of thousands of internally displaced people.
Families have left their homes, many times so that we can begin to imagine the magnitude of the wound they are carrying, and we must make sure that they live in dignified conditions.
UN News: It seems like for every step you took, there were two steps back. The deployment of the Multinational Security Support Mission appears to have stalled.
Ulrika Richardson: Yes, we hope the situation will improve. We will never lose hope and we are working closely with governments, reform authorities, civil society, and the private sector to make 2025 a better year than 2024.
© WFP
Haitian workers prepare humanitarian aid for distribution.
Despite strong leadership from Kenya and the UN’s international security support unit (MSS), which we truly applaud, the campaign is still in the pre-deployment phase due to a lack of sufficient funding from the international community. We have received significant donations, but they are very limited, so more are needed.
More support is on the way. We have recently heard that the MSS [mission] will get more staff and equipment. This move underscores the continued commitment to improving security in the country, an important step in advancing both humanitarian and development efforts in Haiti.
How important is security to political stability?
The Haitian government is committed to its ambitious electoral agenda, including constitutional reform, which requires investment in economic recovery and public peace.
Security is essential to creating an environment where citizens can and want to vote. But there must be a doubling of efforts from UN Member States in all fields today, not tomorrow, when it is too late.
The fate of Haiti is as bright as any other country. It needs to reclaim its place in the world as a symbol of hope, independence and freedom. There are many mistakes but we must learn from yesterday and see how we can improve things.
UN News: Can you add to these mistakes?
Ulrika Richardson: If you look at economic incentives, why has there been no investment in the country’s productive sectors? Currently, insecurity discourages foreign investors because they need some form of guarantee of stability.
However, after the 2010 earthquake, there was a lot of investment, which was never seen anywhere before in a country of this size. But how much of that was invested back into strengthening Haiti’s institutions?
© UNOCHA/Giles Clarke
A police car passes by the General Hospital in Port-au-Prince.
Equally important is ensuring that the Haitian people lead the process. I speak as a non-Haitian but as a member of the United Nations in Haiti and I am aware of Haiti’s historic role as a founding member state of the UN. Therefore, our engagement is guided by a deep respect for Haiti’s leadership and the vision of its people.
UN News: When we talk about the future, the first thing that comes to mind is youth.
And Haitian youth are at the center of discussions about development and security. What step do you see as important next year to empower them and prevent their recruitment into armed groups?
Opportunities. They need alternatives. We have, and we need to continue to work on what these alternatives are. We want young people and children to be able to transition into becoming members of society.
Some young people are forced to join gangs and there is an explanation for this.
If you can’t leave the capital because finding a job somewhere else means risking your life on the streets controlled by criminals and there is no job opportunity where you live, your parents might be killed, and education is not an option, what do we expect them to do?
Many children from the age of eight are now recruited by gangs to do certain jobs, to be their informers.
Unfortunately, arms trafficking continues to occur despite the sanctions regime. We need to have an effective system and a better response rate from neighboring actors.
This is not possible, there are human resources out there and a lot of creativity and desire to create something better for the world than before.
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