US Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries Warns Republicans That Haiti’s Crisis is ‘a Human Rights Emergency’

WASHINTON, DC – The leader of the Leader of the House Democratic Caucus, Hakeem Jeffries, has warned that the political and socio-economic crisis in Haiti, is “a human rights emergency,” as criminal gangs continue their efforts to topple the Ariel Henry administration.

“The security situation in Haiti is unpredictable and dangerous,” said Jeffries, who represents the 8th Congressional District that encompasses parts of Brooklyn and Queens in New York, with a heavy concentration of Caribbean immigrants, including Haitians.

“The humanitarian catastrophe unfolding represents both a human rights emergency for people in Haiti and a pressing threat to security and stability across the Western Hemisphere,” he added.

Jeffries has also written to the Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Republican Mike Johnson, warning of the “humanitarian catastrophe” unfolding in Haiti.

“Recognizing the imperative to engage with our Caribbean neighbours on issues related to our geopolitical and national security, I was honoured to lead a bipartisan Congressional delegation to participate in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Heads of Government Conference last summer. It became all the more evident there that our collective future will be safer and more prosperous because of the multilateral partnerships that bind CARICOM and our Hemisphere together,” Jeffries wrote in his letter to Johnson.

He said that, amid the rising unrest in Haiti, CARICOM countries have worked with Haitian stakeholders to chart a “responsible course toward political transition and, eventually, free and fair elections.”

He said in order to create the security environment necessary for Haitian self-determination and to protect the Haitian people from growing violent crime, the Biden-Harris administration has supported the creation of a Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission in Haiti.

Jeffries said the government of Kenya has “admirably stepped up” to facilitate the MSS with support from nations like Canada, Germany, France, Spain and Benin, as well as Caribbean countries, such as Jamaica and Barbados.

“It is imperative that the United States ensures they have the resources to complete the mission. However, months have passed since Secretary (of State) Antony Blinken notified Chairman Michael McCaul of his intent to support the MSS effort.

“The situation on the ground in Haiti has rapidly deteriorated, while House Republicans have refused to deliver the resources necessary to carry out this mission. Now is the time to release the full US$50 million in security support.

“It is not in America’s national security interests to hold up the transfer of funds that support security stabilization in Haiti, particularly given the present crisis on the ground,” the House Democratic Leader wrote, stating that Blinken has “heeded the urgency of recent events” and joined regional leaders in Jamaica last week to tackle the crisis.

Jeffries told Johnson that “Congress must join the Biden administration in their crucial work and meet the moment by fulfilling our essential responsibility to ensure security in the Western Hemisphere and release the full $50 million funding allocation forthwith.”

On Tuesday, the US Embassy in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, issued a Security Alert for US citizens currently in Haiti.

“Do not make plans to travel into Haiti. For US citizens currently in Haiti, the US government is arranging departures from the US Embassy in Port-au-Prince to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic via helicopter.

“Travelers will need to make their own onward travel plans from the Dominican Republic. The overland trip into Port-au-Prince is dangerous. The Embassy recommends you consider the US Embassy Port-au-Prince flights only if you believe you can reach the embassy safely,” the Embassy said.

The United Nations on Tuesday also warned that humanitarians continue to deliver aid in Haiti, where the situation in Port-au-Prince remains tense and volatile in the face of escalating gang violence and political instability.