Mercy Corps Statement on UN Security Council Approval of Multinational, Kenyan-Led Force in Haiti Amidst Escalating Gang Violence

Statement by Johan Lefebvre Chevallier, Mercy Corps Country Director for Haiti

"Our primary concern with the UNSC-sanctioned international security intervention in Haiti is that it does not cause more harm than good, putting more people at risk of violence, and that it does not prevent humanitarian organizations from accessing those most in need of support. We have seen before that international interventions have not led to change in Haiti. For this intervention to make a real difference, it requires the involvement of Haitians, which has not been a meaningful part of any past intervention. Haitian solutions should be Haitian-led.

"In the capital Port-au-Prince, we have been operating in an environment resembling an urban war zone, and we are fully aware that even with new security forces, the situation may deteriorate further before showing signs of improvement. It is hard to imagine security in Haiti getting much worse at this point - and we can only hope and urge those who come to Haiti to restore some semblance of stability and respect human rights and humanitarian laws. The worst outcome would be for this new intervention to further increase violence and burden those facing the brunt of this security and humanitarian crisis.”

Mercy Corps is providing emergency cash assistance to 32,500 people and more than 700 small businesses in three Haitian departments, including Port-au-Prince. Since 2019, Mercy Corps has been working to reduce violence and help young people pursue opportunities through financial inclusion and life skills training for more than 8,000 adolescents.

For more information please contact: 

• Roberta Alves (based in Washington, D.C.) at ralves@mercycorps.org
• Our full media team is reachable at allmediarelations@mercycorps.org