UNITED NATIONS, (CMC) – A senior United Nations official on Friday said Haiti’s destiny is “bright”, despite the terrifying escalation of violence.

Ulrika Richardson, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Haiti, said that offering Haiti’s young people alternatives to gang life and strengthening local institutions are key for the French-speaking Caribbean nation to “reclaim its position as a symbol of hope.”

The UN said Haiti is faced with a multifaceted crisis, including rising gang violence, political instability, the displacement of over 700,000 people, as well as widespread hunger.

The United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, has reported a sharp increase in the recruitment of minors by armed gangs, with the number of child recruits rising by 70 per cent in the past year.

“There has been a terrifying escalation of violence in certain parts of Haiti, which is tearing at the very fabric of society,” Richardson said. “There have been horrific massacres in the last three months of the year both in the capital Port-au-Prince, but also in near-by l’Artibonite. These brutal acts of dehumanisation will only deepen the collective trauma of the Haitian people,” she said.

“We cannot ignore this reality. We must centre these horrific events in our response, urgently expanding mental health and psychosocial support programmes, and integrating them into our long-term plan for stability.

“As the UN, we are committed to staying in Haiti to help the most vulnerable people through the current crisis,” Richardson added.

She said people currently in extremely vulnerable situations, particularly in Port-au-Prince, must be protected.

“This means supporting the hundreds of thousands of internally displaced people,” she said.

The UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator noted that families have fled their homes, often multiple times.

“We can start to imagine the magnitude of the wound they carry, and we must ensure they live in decent conditions. At the moment, security is a prerequisite before addressing humanitarian challenges and then looking at a durable recovery,” said Richardson.

Richardson said the UN is not giving up hope in Haiti.

“Of course, we are hoping that the situation improves,” she said. “We will never give up hope, and are working closely with the government, transitional authorities, civil society, and the private sector to make 2025 a better year than 2024.”

Despite strong leadership from Kenya with the non-UN multinational security support mission (MSS), which the UN “really” applauds, Richardson said the mission is still in a pre-deployment phase “because of a lack of sufficient funding from the international community.”

“We have received important contributions, but they are very limited, so much more is needed,” she said, disclosing that additional support is on the way.

“We have just heard that the MSS [mission] will receive more uniformed personnel and equipment,” she said. “This move underscores the continued commitment to enhancing security in the country, a critical step toward advancing both humanitarian and development efforts in Haiti”.

-30-