Six million need humanitarian assistance, while 1.3 million people, half of them children, were forced to flee their homes, he added.
‘Shamefully overlooked’
Haiti is now among the five hunger access points worldwide that are “greater concern,” said the UN Chief. However, it remains the least funded humanitarian attractiveness in the world. Less than 10 percent of the necessary $ 908 million have been received.
The UN Chief lamented the level of international negligence, describing Haiti as “shamefully overlooked and unfortunately sub -financed”, while armed groups continue to block humanitarian access and attack help workers.
Due to the lack of resources, around 1.7 million people run the risk of not receiving humanitarian assistance at all. “This is not a financing gap. It is an emergency of life and death,” he said, urging donors to act before the operations of saving lives stop.
Throughout the country, basic services have collapsed, and mass displacement has left children without education, medical care or any sense of security. As of April, the violence of the gangs had interrupted the schooling of some 243,000 children, as attacks against schools continued.
‘Inimaginable suffering’
The UN Children’s Chief Children (UNICEF), Catherine Russell, told the youth of Haiti ambassadors that they support “unimaginable suffering amid the brutal armed violence.”
He pointed out that last year the UN in Haiti had verified more than 2,000 tomb rapes against children, an increase of almost 500 percent the previous year.
The Caribbean Nation last year was among the five worst criminals worldwide, Russell added, including cases of summary execution.
Even more worrying, he said, was the 700 percent increase in cases of recruitment and use of children by armed groups, along with a 54 percent increase in death and mutilation, according to Mrs. Russell.
Children now represent an amazing 50 percent of all active gang members in Haiti.
“I ask the members of this council to use all the leverage available to protect children,” he said, and that supports “concrete actions” that will prevent violations from spiraling even more.
‘Signals of Hope’
Despite the gloomy perspective of Haiti and the high levels of violence and anarchy, “there are emerging signs of hope,” said the secretary general.
A closer coordination between the task force of the Prime Minister, the Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS) backed by the National Police of Haiti (MSS) is improving the operations on the field, he said.
But, more decisive international support is required to protect and expand these fragile gains.
The mission led by Kenya was authorized by the Security Council in October 2023 and aims to help the Haitian authorities excessive to stop the violence of gangs and restore national security, especially in the capital.
Mr. Guterres welcomed the efforts of the Security Council to advance his proposal to strengthen the MSS through the UN logistics and operation support, and urged the ambassadors “to act without delay and authorize an international force, supported by the UN through a logistics and operational support, and predictable financing.”