UN will establish an air bridge from DR to aid Haiti

The United Nations is set to establish an “air bridge” between Haiti and the neighboring Dominican Republic to facilitate the flow of humanitarian aid to the crisis-stricken country, as announced by the UN mission in Haiti. “The United Nations in Haiti is actively working to establish an air bridge with the Dominican Republic to ensure the smooth delivery of aid and the movement of its personnel,” stated the mission, noting that some personnel would be temporarily relocated “outside” the country while anticipating the arrival of additional crisis personnel.

Meanwhile, in Brussels, Belgium, the European Union disclosed its plans to dispatch humanitarian aid worth 20 million euros (approximately 21 million dollars) to Haiti, which is grappling with a severe institutional and security crisis.

“An unprecedented surge in gang violence has significantly heightened humanitarian needs across the country,” remarked Balazs Ujvari, a spokesman for the European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, during a briefing with reporters. “The funding will assist in addressing the most pressing needs of the population,” he added.

Against the backdrop of irregular groups and gangs controlling parts of the capital, Port-au-Prince, and demanding the departure of Prime Minister Ariel Henry, attacks have been launched on police stations, prisons, and critical infrastructure.

Jean-Martin Bauer, the head of the UN World Food Program (WFP) in Haiti, highlighted in a statement the country’s dire food crisis, labeling it as “one of the most severe in the world,” with “1.4 million Haitians on the brink of starvation.” In response to the escalating violence, the EU has initiated the evacuation of its teams from Haitian territory.

The UN has also announced an immediate reduction in its presence in Haiti due to the “volatile security situation,” aligning with several embassies and diplomatic representations that have recently taken similar measures due to the surge in violence.

While the international organization plans to scale down the presence of non-essential personnel in Haiti after reviewing its risk management protocols, personnel engaged in “life-saving activities” will continue their operations, as conveyed in a message from a spokesperson. “The UN is committed to staying in Haiti,” emphasized the message disseminated to the press.

On another front, the European Union confirmed the evacuation of all its staff in Haiti due to the “dramatic deterioration of the security situation.” Furthermore, most other embassies and representations in the Caribbean country have either closed, downscaled, or postponed their services.

For several days now, all diplomatic missions in Haiti have been advising their nationals to exercise extreme caution and avoid non-essential travel, among other precautionary measures.

DeSantis deploys troops to the keys

Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican, has taken action amid concerns of a potential influx of Haitian migrants, deploying over 250 police officers and soldiers to the Florida Keys on Wednesday. This decision comes amidst what his office has described as a “possibility of invasion” by Haitian migrants fleeing violence. The deployment roughly equates to nearly two agents for every Haitian migrant repatriated by the United States Coast Guard over the past five months.

Haitian migrants have long attempted to reach Florida by boat from their homeland. Governor DeSantis had previously allocated resources to the Keys last year in an effort to deter migrants. With the recent escalation of violence in Haiti, the Republican governor issued the directive on Wednesday to bolster personnel, as well as aircraft and maritime assets, in the region.