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WORLD NEWS Friday 7 July 2023

The U.N. chief calls for a robust international police force to help

combat Haiti’s armed gangs

By EDITH M. LEDERER three million people, which
Associated Press is only 23% funded.
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. chief said these
U.N. Secretary-General three steps are vital to
Antonio Guterres called break Haiti’s cycle of suffer-
Thursday for a robust inter- ing and create a path out
national force to help com- of the current crisis.
bat Haiti’s armed gangs The gangs have grown in
and restore security in the power since the July 2021
impoverished nation, say- assassination of President
ing that a U.N. expert’s esti- Jovenel Moïse and are
mate that Haiti needs up to now estimated to control
2,000 additional anti-gang up to 80% of the capital.
police officers is no exag- The surge in killings, rapes
geration. and kidnappings has led
Stressing that the U.N. is not to a violent uprising by ci-
calling for a military force or vilian vigilante groups that
a political mission, Guterres have killed nearly 200 peo-
appealed to U.N. Security ple since April in their fight
Council members and po- against suspected gang
tential contributing coun- members.
tries “to act now” to deploy O’Neill said he met with se-
a multinational force to nior Haitian National Police
help the Haitian National leaders, including the in-
Police “defeat and dis- U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks during a press conference at the diplomatic spector general, and they
mantle the gangs.” lounge in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Saturday, July 1, 2023. Associated Press told him they are commit-
The Caribbean nation has ted to seriously looking at
been asking for such a ing Wednesday’s press O’Neill, an American law- U.N. expert’s numbers “do the integrity and compe-
force since last October. conference by the U.N. in- yer who has been working not reflect any exaggera- tence of all officers and for
The U.N. chief, who vis- dependent expert for Haiti, on Haiti for over 30 years tion.” He added that the evidence of misconduct,
ited Haiti’s capital Port-au- William O’Neill, who con- and helped establish the police also need financing, abuse of power, criminal
Prince on Saturday, told re- cluded a 10-day trip to the Haitian National Police in training and equipment. activity or collusion with the
porters that criminal gangs country last week. 1995, told reporters: “I have Guterres called for simul- gangs.
have a “stranglehold” on O’Neill estimated that Haiti never seen the situation as taneous action on three He said the inspector gen-
the population. “The Hai- needs 1,000 to 2,000 inter- bad as it is now.” fronts restoring security, eral told him 80 officers
tian people are trapped in national police with exper- S e c r e t a r y - G e n e r a l working toward a politi- have been suspended and
a living nightmare. Humani- tise in organized criminal Guterres, asked about cal solution that restores are under investigation
tarian conditions are be- gangs and their financing, O’Neill’s estimate, said the democratic institutions and for misconduct or criminal
yond appalling,” he said. as well as in kidnappings right number for an inter- addressing urgent humani- activity, and that police
Guterres spoke ahead of and urban operations. He national force needs to be tarian needs. He called on participation in a vigilante
a Security Council meet- stressed that the quality of assessed but that it should donors to respond quickly justice movement called
ing later Thursday on his the officers is more impor- be “a meaningful number,” to the U.N. appeal for $720 “bwa kale” is also being
report on Haiti and follow- tant than the quantity. and that he believes the million to help more than investigated.q

UAE pledges $15 million to help rebuild occupied West Bank camp

By TIA GOLDENBERG
Associated Press
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — The United Arab Emirates pledged Thursday to give $15 million to
help rebuild the Jenin refugee camp after the most intense Israeli military operation in
the occupied West Bank in nearly two decades.
The funding promise comes after the two-day offensive destroyed the camp’s narrow
roads and alleyways. The operation, meant to crack down on Palestinian militants af-
ter a series of recent attacks on Israelis, sent thousands of people fleeing their homes.
Twelve Palestinians and one Israeli soldier were killed in the fighting.
The UAE’s state-run WAM news agency reported that the money would be granted to
UNRWA, the U.N. agency that assists Palestinian refugees, to rebuild damaged homes
and businesses and for the agency’s services. UNRWA has struggled recently to raise the
funding it needs to keep its day-to-day operations helping millions of people across the
Middle East.
Israel’s fierce incursion this week saw bulldozers tearing through streets to clear a path
for the hundreds of soldiers deployed. Israel withdrew its troops on Wednesday, reveal-
A Palestinian woman walks on a damaged road in the Jenin
refugee camp in the West Bank, Wednesday, July 5, 2023, after ing a scene of destruction.
the Israeli army withdrew its forces from the militant stronghold. Roads in the densely populated area of some 24,000 people were chewed up, with
Associated Press piles of broken asphalt, stones and rocks lying on the sides. Cars, some overturned on
the sides of roads, were smashed and scorched.q