UN says essential aid container looted at Haiti port as gangs overrun capital

UNICEF said on Saturday (local time) that one of its aid containers at Haiti’s main port, stocked with “essential items for maternal, neonatal and child survival”, was looted, as gangs overran the capital. The supplies in the looted container included resuscitators and related equipment, according to the agency.

Haiti is struggling to resolve a long-running political and humanitarian crisis that UNICEF has warned is causing record hunger and life-threatening malnutrition in parts of the capital, Port-au-Prince.

Prime Minister, Ariel Henry, announced earlier this week that he would resign once a transitional council was in place. Heavily armed gangs have taken over much of the city, and rights groups have reported widespread killings, kidnappings and sexual violence, news agency Reuters reported.

UNICEF said one of its 17 containers had been looted at the Port-au-Prince port, where armed groups controlled 260 humanitarian-owned containers.

“Looting of supplies that are essential for life-saving support for children must end immediately,” said Bruno Maes, UNICEF’s Haiti representative, in a statement. “This incident occurs at a critical moment when children need them the most.”

The agency warned that three out of four women in Port-au-Prince do not have access to basic healthcare and nutrition.

UNICEF also stated that some hospitals in Port-au-Prince were forced to be shut due to safety concerns. The agency said only two surgical operating facilities were operational.

Shortages of electricity, fuel and medical supplies have affected hospitals nationwide, with six out of ten facilities not being able to function, UNICEF was quoted as saying by Reuters.

INDIA IN ACTION AMID HAITI VIOLENCE

India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has announced that it has set up a 24-hour control room to monitor the situation and provide information and assistance to the Indian nationals living in Haiti..In addition, the Embassy of India in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, which is concurrently accredited to Haiti, has set up a 24-hour emergency helpline, the MEA said.

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