The Coordination Europe-Haiti (CoEH) raises alarm over the worsening security and humanitarian crisis in Haiti, where human rights are gravely endangered, particularly for women and children. The international security mission remains ineffective, while poverty and mass displacement continue to rise. The CoEH calls on the European Union to support a transition that breaks with old practices, strengthen Haitian institutions, and invest in sustainable solutions focused on the population and youth. It emphasizes the urgency of addressing humanitarian needs while adopting a holistic approach to break the cycle of violence and despair.
Here you can read the text of the letter of appeal sent to the European Union:
Brussels, 11 November 2024
In October 2024, the Coordination Europe-Haïti (CoEH) convened a general assembly to address the unprecedented security and humanitarian crisis ongoing in Haiti. We expressed our deep concern over the continued deterioration of the situation, particularly in terms of security, access to sufficient, healthy, and nutritious food, education, and human rights—especially for children and women who are victims of gender-based violence (GBV). Through this letter, we call on you once again to take action to help achieve a real solution that respects the legitimate aspirations of the Haitian people.
The Multinational Security Support Mission in Haiti (MMAS), intended to aid in restoring security and regaining control of areas occupied by armed groups, is unfortunately proving to be inadequate, under-resourced, nearly invisible, without a clearly defined strategy, and ineffective in its actions. However, transforming this mission into a genuine United Nations peacekeeping operation, an option currently under discussion in the Security Council, is not, on its own, the solution.[1] What is missing is a holistic strategy that addresses the multiple social, political, and economic causes of insecurity in Haiti and proposes targeted actions to combat them. For a sustainable solution, it is essential to broaden the concept of security beyond a purely force-centred approach.
Indeed, in this context of generalized violence and misery, many families are forced to relocate, either within the country (with over 700,000 internally displaced persons as of October 2024) or abroad.[2] The government of the Dominican Republic, Haiti’s closest neighbouring country, has exacerbated the already dire security and humanitarian situation in Haiti by violently deporting up to 10,000 people per week, often solely based on their skin colour.[3]
In the face of this tragedy, the Haitian people display remarkable resilience in their struggle for survival. The CoEH remains in solidarity with this courageous population but is deeply concerned for the future of the country, especially for children, deprived of their fundamental rights, often forcibly recruited into criminal activities, denied food, or subjected to violence and sexual assault.[4]
We are also alarmed by the loss of livelihoods for many families, the challenges faced by farmers in selling their crops due to road blockages, the decapitalization of traders, and the collapse of many small and medium-sized businesses, all contributing to an increase in poverty. The deterioration of the Haitian economy, marked by negative growth year after year and a high inflation rate (projected at 26% for 2024), is a further aggravating factor in the crisis.[5]
Faced with these enormous challenges, the international community, especially the Core Group, unfortunately continues to support or even impose a predatory political-economic elite more concerned with its own interests than with the urgent needs of the population. Corruption remains pervasive, as evidenced by the scandal involving the National Credit Bank (BNC), which directly involves three members of the Presidential Transition Council (PTC), as well as the appointment of individuals already marred by scandals to commissions supposedly leading the country towards a better future.[6] The new executive—composed of the Presidential Transition Council and the Prime Minister with his government—only perpetuates the same practices and policies that have led Haiti into this vicious circle.
The CoEH reaffirms that the Haitian people deserve better and can take control of their own destiny if given the opportunity. It is crucial to learn from past mistakes, especially the intervention after the 2010 earthquake when international organizations lacking knowledge or experience of Haiti created ephemeral parallel structures, weakening state institutions and undermining civil society organizations.[7] This time, international aid must strengthen Haitian institutions and civil society actors rather than weaken them further. It is particularly essential to stop imposing actors and policies that have contributed to sustaining and/or prolonging this interminable crisis.
Considering the tragic situation faced by the Haitian people, the CoEH appeals to the European Union to apply its core values and principles in its policy towards Haiti. Specifically, the CoEH calls on the European Union to:
- Remain in solidarity with the Haitian people, even if the current geopolitical context imposes other priorities. Do not remain indifferent to the numerous human rights violations in Haiti, especially those affecting women, children, and migrants.
- Actively support initiatives aimed at a transition that breaks with old practices, the only approach capable of liberating the country from this infernal cycle of failure and suffering. A lasting solution to the crisis will only be possible if a departure from past practices begins now, and if new actors and directions are chosen to break this destructive cycle.
- Unlock substantial funds to assist Haiti, both the government and Haitian civil society organizations, in addressing the humanitarian crisis and the immense challenges the country faces. The current security-focused response, primarily emphasizing force intervention, will not alone resolve the insecurity in the country.
- Particularly support initiatives aimed at young people, especially access to education, to offer them alternatives to joining armed gangs or emigrating. We also encourage the EU to continue supporting actions that alleviate the suffering of the Haitian people and the recovery of economic activities for farmers, small and medium-sized enterprises, and traders.
For the COEH,
Christophe Mohni Ornella Braceschi
Coordinator CoEH President Collectif Haïti de France/Steering Committee Member
[1] International Crisis Group: Weighing the Case for a New Peacekeeping Mission to Haiti, 01.11.2024, https://www.crisisgroup.org/latin-america-caribbean/caribbean/haiti/weighing-case-new-peacekeeping-mission-haiti
[2] International Organization for Migration (IOM): Haiti Situation Report September 2024, 15.10.2024, https://haiti.iom.int/sites/g/files/tmzbdl1091/files/documents/2024-10/2024-09_sitrep.pdf
[3] Associated Press: Dominican Republic starts mass deportations of Haitians and expels nearly 11,000 in a week. 8.10.2024, https://apnews.com/article/dominican-republic-deportations-haiti-0e46f10ca79a34d05f9ff0cf5e00a971
[4] Human Rights Watch: Haïti : Des enfants pris au piège de la violence criminelle et de la faim. 9.10.2024, https://www.hrw.org/fr/news/2024/10/09/haiti-des-enfants-pris-au-piege-de-la-violence-criminelle-et-de-la-faim
[5] International Monetary Fund: World Economic Outlook Haiti (October 2024), https://www.imf.org/external/datamapper/profile/HTI
[6] Associated Press: Investigators in Haiti accuse three members of transitional presidential council of corruption, 2 October 2024, https://apnews.com/article/haiti-corruption-council-bank-902994c1b5d43865a3e220bf4093e45a
[7] See Frédéric Thomas, L’échec humanitaire. Le cas haïtien. Bruxelles 2013 and Jake Johnston : Aid State: Elite Panic, Disaster Capitalism, and the Battle to Control Haiti. New York 2024.
