Ariel Henry, Haiti’s prime minister, called for international support to curb gang violence and unblock roads to allow the delivery of fuel and other aid.
Specifically, Henry called on the international community to “help us fight this humanitarian emergency” when Haiti is trying to prevent a new cholera outbreak.
“The whole country has been hijacked,” he said.
“This situation prevents our children from going to school, sick people from getting health care, people from having clean drinking water, and even roads from passing and food from being transported through the country.”
The country is paralyzed by anti-government demonstrations over rising fuel and food prices. Heavily armed criminal gangs now dominate large parts of Port-au-Prince.
Earlier this week, diplomats and the private sector called for a humanitarian corridor to allow fuel to be delivered from the Varreux Terminal, which supplies fuel to the capital.
Violence in Haiti has escalated since the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in 2021, and long-awaited elections are further delayed.
With information from Bloomberg