Haiti – Violence, Insecurity and Displacement (DG ECHO, UN, OCHA, IOM)(ECHO Daily Flash of 17 Aug 2023)

Since 12 August new attacks against civilian populations by heavily armed gangs in the neighborhoods of Port-au-Prince have displaced at least 5 000 people.

Nearly 200 000 people are now internally displaced (IDPs) in Haiti and forced to take refuge in host communities or improvised sites, with acute humanitarian needs on protection, shelter, food, wash, health and education. The Haitian Civil Protection Directorate and IOM are monitoring the IDP situation as violence is ongoing. DG ECHO continues to support the humanitarian response also through a recent budgetary reinforcement.

Following a request by the Security Council to report on a full range of UN options, including backing for a non-UN multinational force or a possible peacekeeping operation, the UN SG Antonio Guterres recommended on 15 August a "robust use of force" by a multinational police deployment with military assets and the BINUH mission reinforcement as the best options to address the current security challenges.