UNITED NATIONS (CMC) — Haiti’s Prime Minister Garry Conille has urged the international community to stand by the country, warning “if we fail, it will not only be Haiti that will sink, but the entire region that will bear the scars”.

Addressing the  United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Haiti, Conille said it was important that the international community act now and keep its commitments to Haiti, where efforts are being made to restore peace and security following the July 7, 2021 assassination of then president Jovenel Moise.

Prime Minister Conille, who met with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau ahead of the ECOSOC meeting, noted that it is important for international partners to fill the investment gap in the United Nations authorised Kenya-led Multinational Security Support (MSS) Mission, which aims to provide much-needed respite to the Haitian people.

“We must be clear-headed. After these 100 days, a bitter truth has emerged: the Haitian crisis, in its security, humanitarian, social, economic and political components, has been largely underestimated,” Conille said.

“The gangs we are facing are not just disorganised gangs. These are real armed groups, often well-equipped and determined, with transnational ramifications. In some cases, the situation we are facing is nothing less than an urban war, forcing our law enforcement agencies to act house by house, because buildings and neighbourhoods are often transformed into death traps.

“We need more sophisticated weapons, more substantial resources and increased training for our forces to respond sustainably to this threat that sometimes takes on the appearance of a civil war.”

Conille told the more than 40 representatives of countries and international partners at the ECOSOC meeting that “it is imperative that the international community stand by our side with resources that match the stakes, warning “if we fail, it will not only be Haiti that will sink, but the entire region that will bear the scars”.

During the ECOSOC meeting, the President of Guatemala Bernardo Arévalo, whose country was participating for the first time in ECOSOC, also spoke about the political, humanitarian and security crisis that Haiti is currently facing.

He stressed that it is essential to seek a comprehensive solution to end this difficult situation.

“The path to peace in Haiti requires security, economic and social progress. We will continue to support the special advisory group and all efforts to seek inclusive and sustainable solutions,” said the president, who announced that 150 Guatemalan military officers will be deployed to Haiti as part of the MSS adding “this reflects our commitment to stability and peace in the region”.

Earlier, Prime Minister Trudeau welcomed what he described as the “slow, but real progress being made” in Haiti towards restoring democracy, security and stability in the French-speaking Caribbean Community country.

Trudeau and Connille agreed on the importance of the work underway toward free and fair elections in Haiti.

He also reiterated his long-standing support for Haiti’s solutions to the ongoing crisis and underscored Canada’s commitment to help restore peace and security in Haiti and making further progress during Canada’s presidency of ECOSOC in the 2024-2025 session.