At the request of the Haitian government, shipments of tactical vehicles and armored vehicles arrived in the country’s capital on military aircraft from the United States and Canada to support the local police in the fight against armed gangs.
Last week, the Haitian government requested foreign military aid to overcome criminal gangs, demonstrations and the humanitarian crisis that has paralyzed the country. In Haiti, which has a population of 11 million, the police, with scarce resources and only 12,800 people, are trying to maintain order.
Vital security equipment purchased by the Haitian government, including tactical and armored vehicles, has arrived in the capital, Port-au-Prince, according to a joint statement issued by the US and Canadian governments on Sunday. According to the document, this technology will help fight criminals and contribute to the safe delivery of humanitarian aid. Stopping aid deliveries is complicating efforts to contain the spread of cholera.
The Republic of Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. About 40 percent of the country’s population does not have reliable access to clean water. The socio-economic situation in Haiti was exacerbated by high inflation, the devaluation of the national currency, and street gang clashes that claimed hundreds of lives. The gangs strengthened after the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in July 2021. Many regions of Haiti have already fallen outside the control of the central government.
According to the United Nations, 4.9 million Haitians (more than 40 percent of the population) are currently in need of humanitarian aid.
(MTI)