UNICEF Aid Containers With Essential Supplies Looted At Haiti Port

The U.N. children’s agency reported on Saturday that one of its aid containers at the main port of Haiti, loaded with essential items for neonatal, maternal, and child survival, got looted as the gangs increasingly started acquiring control of the capital.

Haiti has long been struggling to resolve a long-standing political as well as humanitarian crisis that UNICEF has warned is bringing about record hunger as well as life-threatening malnutrition in parts of Port-au-Prince (the capital).

Ariel Henry, the unelected Prime Minister, announced this week that he will step down once a transitional council has been appointed. Highly armed gangs now rule much of the city, while rights groups have recorded widespread deaths, sexual violence, as well as kidnappings.

UNICEF stated that one of the 17 containers was looted at the Port-au-Prince port and that armed groups were going to handle 260 humanitarian containers. Looting supplies crucial for life-saving support for children must immediately end, mentioned Bruno Maes, the Haiti representative of UNICEF, in a statement.

The incident occurs at a time when the children require them the most. According to UNICEF, goods inside the looted container included resuscitators and associated equipment. The agency also warned that three of four women in Port-au-Prince lack access to essential nutrition and healthcare.

Some hospitals in Port-au-Prince have been forced to close due to safety concerns, and UNICEF reports that only two surgical hubs remain active. Shortages of fuel, electricity, and medical aid have impacted hospitals nationwide, with six of 10 facilities unable to function optimally, per UNICEF.

Reference: Reuters

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