The first United Nations humanitarian aid flight in three months landed in the Haitian capital on Thursday, carrying vital medical supplies to support the efforts of UNICEF and the World Health Organization amid escalating gang violence. The UN Humanitarian Air Service flight from Panama will bolster "critical, lifesaving operations as insecurity continues to restrict people's access to health care," the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said. The supplies will be used to provide services to displaced people, including screening for malnutrition, cholera prevention and care, and psychosocial support. UNICEF voiced deep concern over the recruitment and use of children by armed groups in Haiti, estimating that 30-50% of armed group members are children subject to coercion, abuse, and exploitation. The agency recently agreed with Haitian authorities on joint efforts to support the reintegration of children formerly associated with armed groups. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the appointment of Garry Conille as Haiti's interim prime minister by the Transitional Presidential Council. Guterres encouraged "all Haitian stakeholders to work together to ensure steady progress in the transition to restore democratic institutions through the holding of elections," stressing the importance of an inclusive political transition, including the appointment of women to decision-making positions. However, Guterres' spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, emphasised the need for security gains to accompany political progress. He reiterated the call for the swift deployment of the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission to Haiti to assist the Haitian National Police in addressing the dire security situation. Dujarric urgently appealed to all UN member states to ensure the MSS mission receives the necessary financial and logistical support. The humanitarian response plan for Haiti remains severely underfunded, with only 21% of the required $674m received. Kenya's President William Ruto announced that his country's peacekeeping police force is expected to arrive in Haiti within three weeks to help quell the growing gang violence. Kenya offered last year to lead a UN-backed multinational security force to restore order to the Caribbean island, which has been overrun by gangs since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021. The urgency of the situation was underscored by the recent killing of two US missionaries in Haiti by gangs.
