Canada opened a high-level international meeting Friday on the crises in Haiti by announcing more than $50 million in aid to help support security and humanitarian initiatives, and calling on interim Prime Minister Ariel Henry to redouble efforts to reach an inclusive political accord to address the country’s myriad challenges.
The announcement set the tone for what Canada hopes will be not just a discussion among foreign diplomats about Haiti’s problems but how the international community can support the country as gangs continue to extend their grip, hunger deepens and the Caribbean nation prepares to once again mark the end of a presidential term with no elected leader ready to take the helm.
“Canada is deeply concerned about the deteriorating security situation in Haiti and the impact of violence on the human rights of Haitians,” Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly, the conference host, said. “Clashes between armed gangs are making an already precarious humanitarian situation worse; they are making the delivery of aid to the most vulnerable of the population more difficult.”
