DOHA, Qatar (CMC) — Haiti is appealing to the international community to help restore security in the French-speaking Caribbean Community (Caricom) country where criminal gangs have taken over most, if not all of the capital, Port-au- Prince, and surrounding neighbourhoods.

“I specifically call on all states to make effective contributions to the Gang Suppression Force (GSF), approved by the United Nations Security Council on September 30th,” President of the Transitional President Council (TPC), Laurent Saint-Cyr, said as he addressed the second World Summit for Social Development.

“Making the Gang Repression Force operational as soon as possible, while learning from the experience of the Multinational Security Support Mission, is an imperative of international solidarity, fully in line with the spirit of this summit.

“The social development that the Haitian people and people around the world deserve requires peace, stability and security,” he added.

Authorised to have up to 5,550 personnel, the GSF’s mandate is to proactively neutralise, isolate and deter criminal gangs, which currently control significant parts of the country. The GSF will conduct intelligence-led operations to combat violence, secure critical infrastructure and support humanitarian access.

Saint-Cyr said that the TPC, created in April 2024 to lead the country until elections can be held, is committed to restoring security, with the support of international partners, and to preparing free and credible elections to meet the legitimate aspirations of the Haitian people.

In his address, Saint-Cyr said social development is not a choice but a duty of the international community.

He thanked partners for support after Hurricane Melissa, which exposed Haiti’s structural weaknesses and community vulnerabilities, emphasising that development requires peace, security and stability.

The Haitian Government on Tuesday announced that the death toll from Hurricane Melissa had risen to 43, with 21 injured and 13 people still missing.

It said rescue teams continued their efforts to reach communities in the southwest of the country, where landslides and flooding devastated more than 30 towns and villages.

Saint-Cyr said that Haiti is prioritising security, elections, humanitarian response, and economic recovery.  He said the Government is reintegrating children and youth formerly involved with armed groups through vocational training and relocating displaced people with dignity.

He stressed the need for urgent international support to move from short-term aid to sustainable investment.