Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has called for a clear plan of action before any mission to help Haiti goes forward.
Trudeau was speaking in the province of Manitoba, a day after his government sent a delegation to assess the humanitarian and security crisis in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) member state.
“I’m so pleased that there is such an interest by the Caribbean countries to be part of any solution,” Trudeau told reporters. “But, of course, before we establish any sort of mission, we need to see a clear plan of action.”
Concerning the possible deployment of armed forces, Trudeau said information is needed before such a decision is made.
Haiti’s government is pleading for military assistance from abroad to confront gangs who have blocked the entrance to a fuel terminal in the capital Port-au-Prince. The blockade has led to shortages of gasoline and diesel and halted most transport, in turn creating shortages of basic goods, including clean water.
On Thursday, during an official visit from U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Ottawa, Canada said it had sent officials to Haiti to assess the situation, saying it will not sit idly by while gangs threaten women and children there.
Also on Thursday, the United States said it was confident of securing a U.N. Security Council resolution and finding nations to lead a task force in early November to address the crisis in Haiti, the poorest nation in the Americas.
So far, no country has offered to lead the force, although The Bahamas has said it could send troops or police if asked to do so.
A record 4.7 million people in Haiti are facing acute hunger, including 19,000 in catastrophic famine conditions for the first time, in a slum controlled by gangs in the capital.
The UN World Food Program and Food & Agriculture Organization said unrelenting crises have trapped Haitians in a cycle of growing desperation, without access to food, fuel, markets, jobs and public services, bringing the country to a standstill.
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