The Dominican Republic asks the UN to act urgently in Haiti

The Dominican Republic reiterated its position on the Haitian crisis on Thursday in an international forum, this time during a session of the United Nations (UN) Security Council.
“Immediate pacification is the only way to confront violence and chaos. Because the threat of greater bloodshed looms, caused by a possible escalation of clashes between criminal gangs and possible colonies of people, attacking properties to obtain food,” said José A. Blanco, Representative Permanent Representative of the Dominican Republic to the United Nations.
Blanco made this statement after highlighting the poor results after thirteen years (2004-2017) of action by the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (Minustah), and the need to deal with the situation of violence generated by the gangs is urgent, as well as to provide in the face of the food crisis, with 5.3 million Haitians suffering from chronic hunger, “a figure that has doubled in the last four years”.
“These high levels of acute food insecurity are primarily due to economic decline, political instability, low production, shaky resilience to frequent natural disasters, and insecurity caused by the gangs that currently largely control the country’s critical infrastructure”.
Peace and dialogue
The Dominican representative to the UN also considered that the efforts for the stabilization of Haiti should be focused on pacification and political dialogue, “in order to establish lasting agreements that succeed in consolidating a lasting peace”.
“The United Nations has a duty to act urgently, for peace and stability in Haiti and in the region, with a robust plan and immediate support for the National Police of Haiti, expanding the mandate of BINUH in order to alleviate the uncertainties in which Haitians live.