A rise in gang violence and kidnappings in Haiti continues to worry the United Nations, whose top humanitarian official in Port-au-Prince has appealed to the international community to provide support for the country and its people.
Ulrika Richardson, the U.N. resident and humanitarian coordinator in Haiti, said the global organization is beginning to see a timid resumption of fuel distribution in Port-au-Prince after a powerful gang alliance released its hold on the country’s key oil terminal earlier this month. But the daily reality of life in Haiti, she said, remains worrying.
Cholera is rapidly spreading and there is a severe food crisis. And gang violence and kidnappings continue to rise, said Richardson, speaking to journalists Wednesday, a day after the U.N. launched a $145.6 million humanitarian appeal, along with the government of Haiti, to help respond to the cholera and hunger crisis.
