OAS chief urges international support for Haiti as elections near
OAS Secretary General Albert Ramdin, after visiting Haiti, urged more help for the gang-suppression force and stressed the need for secure elections.
PORT-AU-PRINCE — The head of the Organization of American States (OAS) has called on the international community to step up support for Haiti as the country prepares for its first general elections in over a decade.
Albert Ramdin, the OAS secretary general, spoke on Wednesday at the end of a visit to the Caribbean nation, where he met with the prime minister and other officials. He said Haiti needs more help to combat gangs and reclaim territory, particularly as the Dec. 13 elections approach.
Ramdin stressed that the U.N.-backed security mission currently operating in Haiti requires additional personnel, equipment, and funding. He said the mission's work is essential for improving security and public safety, and for creating conditions that would allow a safe electoral process. "Progress must be visible and measurable as soon as possible," he added.
Among the immediate priorities, Ramdin listed securing the main road to the international airport, maintaining access to the airport and seaport, and restoring safe passage to the country's southern region. Gangs currently control most of the main routes in and out of the capital.
He also urged Haitian authorities to accelerate voter registration and identification efforts ahead of the polls. Haiti has been without a president since Jovenel Moïse was assassinated in July 2021. Since then, gang violence has intensified, displacing a record 1.5 million people.
Ramdin said the OAS would continue to mobilize political, technical, and financial support for Haiti. He also announced plans to work with the Pan American Health Organization to build trauma centers for wounded police officers, who are battling gangs that control an estimated 70% of Port-au-Prince and large areas beyond the capital.
In addition, he intends to set up a delegation of business leaders to explore investment opportunities in Haiti, where poverty, hunger, and unemployment are deepening.
"Haiti is at a decisive point," Ramdin said. "The future of Haiti belongs first and foremost to the Haitian people. But the international community also has responsibilities."