United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for swift international action to help stabilize Haiti, following talks on Sunday with Anthony Franck Laurent Saint Cyr, president of the country’s Transitional Presidential Council (TPC), as the Caribbean nation struggles with escalating violence and a deepening humanitarian emergency.
A UN statement said Guterres “recognised the progress made in the transition roadmap” but stressed the need for unity among Haitian political actors to ensure its successful implementation. Both leaders agreed that urgent international support is essential to restore security, curb gang violence, create conditions for credible and inclusive elections, and boost humanitarian assistance.
The talks come as world leaders gather in New York for the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), where Haiti’s crisis is expected to feature prominently. Guterres has repeatedly warned of the country’s unraveling state, describing it as “shamefully overlooked and woefully underfunded” despite a worsening humanitarian situation.
According to the UN, six million Haitians—more than half the population—need assistance, and 1.3 million have been displaced, while a cholera outbreak and rising malnutrition exacerbate the crisis. Yet, less than 10 percent of the UN’s US$908 million humanitarian appeal has been funded, leaving an estimated 1.7 million people at risk of receiving no aid.
Earlier this month, Tom Fletcher, head of the UN emergency relief agency OCHA, expressed frustration over the global response, saying he felt “ashamed on behalf of the world” for failing to show greater compassion and action.
Guterres and Saint Cyr emphasized that Haiti’s path to recovery hinges on coordinated international engagement and strong domestic cooperation to stem gang violence and lay the groundwork for democratic governance.
