The United Nations Security Council unanimously approved a resolution on Friday extending for another year the sanctions regime imposed against Haiti, to prevent the illicit flow of weapons to criminal gangs operating in the country, sowing chaos.
The 15 members of the UN Security Council have approved this measure that includes the freezing of assets, the prohibition of travel and the embargo of weapons, claiming that the situation in the Caribbean country continues to pose a “threat to international peace and security in the region.”
The objective of this extension is to give continuity to the measures imposed previously to “prevent the supply of weapons and military equipment” to the gangs that have gained presence in large areas in the face of political chaos and a complex humanitarian crisis.
The resolution does not apply to supplies for the Multinational Security Support Mission for Haiti, led by Kenya, and the Haitian forces. Also exempt from sanctions are “supplies of non-lethal military equipment intended solely for humanitarian or protective use and related technical assistance or training, to promote peace and stability” in the country.
The Security Council has called for the prevention of illicit arms trafficking, which requires coordination between the UN, regional organizations and the Government of Haiti to improve border security and manage weapons stockpiles. In this regard, the Council members have asked the Haitian authorities to “improve the capacity of (their) Police to manage weapons and ammunition and strengthen customs control.”
The rampant violence of criminal gangs, in a context of serious economic and political crisis, has led to the displacement of almost 580,000 people since its escalation from March 2024, more than double that of 2022, as several international NGOs have recently noted.
In addition, they warned, 5.4 million Haitians suffer from acute food insecurity, and two million, or about 18 percent of the population, suffer from severe hunger. Of this group, 6,000 people face famine.
