The United Nations Integrated Operational Office in Haiti Now Operational
After MINUSTAH and MINUJUSTH for 15 years, the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH in French) took over this past Wednesday, October 16th. BINUH will consult with the Haitian authorities and the United Nations Country Team in order to continue the work started since 2004 on stability, security, governance, rule of law, and human rights, according to the mandate of this UN structure.
According to its mandate, BINUH will assist the Government of Haiti, in an advisory role, to “promote an inclusive dialogue between Haitians in order to foster national consensus on the country’s priorities, as well as on the implementation of political, legislative and structural reforms”. It must also “advance Haiti’s efforts to undertake electoral reforms and hold free, fair and transparent elections”. Continue reading
Humanitarian crisis in l’île de la Gonâve, Mayor Ernso Louissaint asks for intervention
On Wednesday, October 16th on Magik 9, Ernso Louissaint, Mayor of Anse-Galets, announced that the residents of L’île de la Gonâve are experiencing a serious humanitarian crisis. According to him, merchants in the cities of Petit-Goâve, Cabaret, Arcahaie, and Saint-Marc have not been able to restock their products. “The situation is critical. All food markets have run out of goods. The renewal of stock is impossible because of the protests and the obstruction of roads due to barricades”, said the mayor.
Ernso Louissaint emphasized that the situation is also critical from a medical point of view. “The largest hospital on the island, the Wesleyan Hospital, no longer has drugs to meet the needs of the population,” he said. Continue reading
Mobile telephone and internet companies face problems
Telephone and internet companies do not seem to be able to escape the effects of Haiti’s socio-political troubles. Digicel and Natcom face problems public roads are blocked and closed to traffic. The technicians of said companies can’t access antenna installations.
“It is difficult and sometimes impossible for our technicians and our teams to travel to our 1,500 sites when there are repairs to be made,” said Maarten Boute, President and CEO of Digicel.
He urges protestors to “avoid cutting the cables because they are the ones who lead the signal from one antenna to another and let the technicians go through when they identify themselves so that they can effectively work. Often, we see cables with fallen trees used as barricades. Continue reading
Jovenel Moïse forced to commemorates the 213th Anniversary of the assassination of Dessalines only at MUPANAH
Due to the protests of recent weeks in the country, President Jovenel Moïse was unable to visit the Pont-Rouge and Marchand-Dessalines, this past Wednesday, October 17, on the occasion of the 213th commemoration of the assassination of the Emperor Jean-Jacques Dessalines.
The President commemorated the anniversary by placing a wreath of flowers at MUPANAH.
“Through this gesture, we wanted to honor the memory of Jean-Jacques Dessalines, the founding Father of the Fatherland and especially to show us worthy of the legacy he has left us,” said the head of state on his twitter account. Continue reading