Report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (S/2022/761)

United Nations S/2022/761 Security Council Distr.: General 13 October 2022 Original: English United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti Report of the Secretary-General I. Introduction 1. The present report is submitted pursuant to Security Council resolution 2645 (2022), by which the Council extended to 15 July 2023 the mandate of the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH), in accordance with Council resolution 2476 (2019) establishing BINUH, and adjusted the reporting requirements from 120 days to 90 days. The report includes significant developments that have occurred since my previous report (S/2022/481) and provides an update on the implementation of the BINUH mandate. II. Political issues and good governance 2. The current situation in Haiti demonstrates the extent to which political, security, development and humanitarian dimensions are intertwined and mutually reinforcing. Armed gangs have thrived in this environment, increasing their strength and influence. In recent weeks, a dramatic deterioration in security has paralysed the country. Criminal gangs have taken control of vital strategic installations, such as the international port in Port-au-Prince and the country’s main fuel terminal at Varreux. The blockage of the fuel terminal has brought critical services, such as water distribution and sanitation, garbage collection, electricity and health centres, to a virtual standstill. In this context, there has been an emergence of cholera, and the current situation has created the perfect conditions for an exponential increase in cholera across the country. 3. Following the first anniversary of the assassination of the former President, Jovenel Moïse, on 7 July, civil unrest increased around Port-au-Prince, Cap-Haïtien (North Department), Petit-Goâve (West Department) and Jacmel (South-East Department), with major demonstrations protesting rising inflation and acute fuel shortages and calling for the resignation of the Prime Minister, Ariel Henry. 4. The announcement by the Prime Minister on 11 September to remove fuel subsidies triggered a new phase of violent unrest. Roadblocks were set up throughout the country, leading to a full lockdown across the capital and large urban centres. Concerted action by the police to clear roads began on 16 September when an alliance of criminal gangs in the capital took control of the nation’s main fuel terminal at Varreux. Signatories of the various agreements shifted alliances in the face of these growing tensions, adding a new layer of complexity to efforts towards consensus. 22-22985 (E) 171022 *2222985* S/2022/761 5. During the unrest, the Prime Minister expressed empathy for the human suffering and deplored the looting of essential goods and humanitarian aid. He encouraged Haitians not to be misled by violent political rhetoric, to resist vested interests and to come together for the good of the nation. He reiterated his call for a broad and open dialogue with all stakeholders and emphasized the Government’s commitment to strengthening the national police, increasing customs revenues, improving the economy and reducing regressive fuel subsidies. 6. Referring to the socioeconomic grievances underlying the protests, the Prime Minister outlined a six-point social policy plan for the 2022/223 State budget, using additional allocations collected through customs and subsidy reform. The plan consists of: (a) investment in agricultural development and infrastructure; (b) school feeding; (iii) the building of soup kitchens; (d) a fund for creating decent jobs; (e) the cleaning up of the streets; and (f) fiscal interventions that will help to offset the rising cost of living. 7. Many of the country’s leading political figures spoke out during the civil unrest; most urged people to remain calm, while some encouraged demonstrators with overtly inflammatory language directed against the United Nations and diplomatic missions. The Minister of Justice and Public Security issued a statement condemning the violence and promising to hold instigators accountable before the law. 8. Limited progress was made towards reaching a Haitian-led agreement that would enable legislative and presidential elections within a consensual time frame, despite efforts by BINUH to bring key actors to the table. Prior to the unrest, government representatives and several civil society groups and political platforms had worked on broadening consensus for elections and a return to constitutional order. At the end of June, the tripartite committee composed of representatives of academia, faith-based organizations and the private sector issued a report on consultations held with over 170 political parties and civil society organizations, on ending the crisis. The report proposed a new power-sharing arrangement based on a transition period of up to two years. 9. On 14, 15 and 18 July, the Prime Minister, Ariel Henry, convened an opening round of negotiations between signatories of the 11 September political agreement and leaders of the joint delegation of the Commission for a Haitian Solution to the Crisis (known as the Montana Group) and the Protocole d’entente nationale. According to statements issued by both sides, disagreement remained as to whether the executive branch should continue to be led by a Prime Minister alone or be replaced by a temporary, dual-headed leadership consisting of both a President and a Prime Minister. There are also diverging views over including new, additional stakeholders in the talks. 10. The political stalemate prompted a group of private sector actors to come forward in an open letter dated 23 August, asking the Government to mobilize domestic revenue through tax collection, duties and customs as a means of further financing the national police. The call was welcomed by many who expressed support for business leaders to play an influential role in containing the economic fallout from the crisis. 11. There has been no movement on a nomination process to renew the nine - member Provisional Electoral Council, a necessary step for holding elections and a key provision of the 11 September political agreement. As a result, long-term capital investment in the institution and valuable human resources are being jeopardized. 12. In addition to dialogue efforts made within the country, regional organizations have shown their willingness to take a proactive role in assisting the Government of Haiti. At its forty-third regular meeting, held from 3 to 5 July in Paramaribo, the 2/15 22-22985  S/2022/761 Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) adopted a final communiqué expressing grave concern over the deteriorating security situation and confirming the region’s willingness to assist in resolving the crisis, including through a fact-finding mission. Subsequently, the Government of Suriname hosted the fourth virtual meeting of the international partners of Haiti on 8 July with representatives of 17 Governments and international donors, where participants stressed the need for Haitian stakeholders to unite and chart a new way forward and urged contributions to the basket fund for security assistance to Haiti. 13. At the request of the Government of Haiti, a special meeting of the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS) was convened on 17 August. The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Worship of Haiti called upon regional partners to support efforts against arms trafficking. He requested assistance to bolster the national police and urgently provide law enforcement equipment. That request was reiterated on 1 September by the acting Director General of the Haitian National Police at the United Nations Chiefs of Police Summit held at United Nations Headquarters in New York. 14. Subsequently, on 7 October, confronted with the continuing blocking of the port, which the police were unable to stop, and the emergence of cholera, the Government issued a request for the immediate deployment of an international specialized force in sufficient numbers to stop the humanitarian crisis across the country, largely caused by the actions of armed gangs, and to allow for the distribution of fuel and water, the functioning and opening of hospitals and schools and the free circulation of goods and people. On 8 October 2022, the Secretary-General submitted a letter addressed to the President of the Security Council (S/2022/747) on options for enhanced security support to Haiti, as requested by the Security Council in resolution 2645 (2022), following broad consultations by the Secretariat, including a visit to Haiti from 4 to 7 September for discussions with the Government. 15. Throughout this period, BINUH and the United Nations system continued to support renewed dialogue through informal consultations and meetings to identify constructive voices from marginalized communities, women and youth across the political spectrum. In cooperation with Haitian civil society, BINUH and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) held a governance workshop in June on key challenges related to security, constitutional reform and elections. On 13 August, the United Nations supported a forum with LGBTIQ+ groups, people with disabilities, people living with HIV/AIDS and women’s organizations, which focused on the political inclusion of marginalized communities. BINUH supported a civil society gathering on 25 August renewing dialogue with members of the Government, the remaining third of the Senate, signatories of the 11 September political agreement and leaders of the joint Montana Group-Protocole d’entente nationale initiative. The Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs of the Secretariat also supported the deployment of two dialogue experts to explore options in the current political context. III. Violence reduction 16. Major clashes broke out on 7 July in the Cité Soleil commune (West Department) between two rival armed gangs. Between 7 July and 5 August, 221 people were killed (including 14 women and 7 girls) and 183 were injured (including 38 women, 6 girls and 14 boys) and eight men were forcibly disappeared. At least 57 women between 19 and 47 years of age were victims of sexual violence, and some were repeatedly raped. In response, the national police set up a commission of inquiry and interviewed victims and their relatives in collaboration with the National Human Rights Defence Network. 22-22985 3/15 S/2022/761 17. Throughout the clashes, the police had no control of police stations in Cité Soleil and could not remove gang roadblocks along key arterial routes. The police have been unable to access other gang-controlled neighbourhoods such as lower Delmas, Martissant and Village de Dieu in metropolitan Port-au-Prince. Reports of gangs perpetrating crimes using fake police uniforms continue to be recorded, posing further challenges to police effectiveness. The police did, however, achieve visible gains over several weeks against gangs responsible for murders and kidnappings of police officers in Croix-des-Bouquets (West Department) and Petite Rivière de l’Artibonite (Artibonite Department). 18. On 10 June, the Port-au-Prince Court of First Instance was raided and occupied by heavily armed gangs. To date, police have not regained control of the premises. In separate incidents occurring between 9 and 20 June in Port-au-Prince, seven customs officials were abducted and later released for ransom. On 16 June and 9 July, the Haitian National Port Authority was attacked. Serious threats were made against other institutions located in Port-au-Prince, including the National Penitentiary, the Superior Court of Audits and Administrative Disputes and the Central Bank, prompting the police to pre-emptively place static presences and conduct police patrols. 19. Gang violence also spread to the regions beyond the capital. In the Artibonite Department, gangs impeded freedom of movement along the national arterial route, destroying property and kidnapping travellers. In response, the police conducted numerous operations releasing several kidnapped victims, resulting in the death of one police officer and several casualties among gang members. 20. Violent crime, particularly kidnappings and homicides, reached new levels in the municipalities of Cité Soleil, Croix-des-Bouquets, Delmas, Port-au-Prince and Tabarre (West Department). Between 1 January and 31 August 2022, authorities registered 877 abductions, including 182 women, 13 girls and 15 boys. The number of abductions remained high throughout the reporting period, following an earlier record set in May. Physicians and entrepreneurs were increasingly targeted for their higher-paying ransom potential. Police recorded 1,349 intentional homicides countrywide, with the majority in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area (16.8 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants), an increase of 25.5 per cent compared with the same period in 2021. On 20 August, a mother and two daughters were burned alive in their vehicle by gang members in Cité Doudoune (Croix-des-Bouquets, West Department). 21. The illicit trafficking and diversion of small arms, light weapons and ammunition compounded the dire security situation. In July, police made five major seizures of arms and ammunition. In two of these operations, police, jointly with customs officials, seized over 120,000 rounds of ammunition. On 8 July, the Prosecutor for Port-de-Paix was dismissed and subsequently arrested in connection with the release of two suspects in the seizure and alleged disappearance of a large part of the ammunition confiscated. A former senior officer from the Ministry of Justice and Public Security was arrested on 22 July in relation to arms trafficking allegations. Another seizure of illegal arms and ammunition occurred on 12 July aboard a vehicle heading towards the capital from Port-de-Paix. In Port-au-Prince, an inspection of cargo containers with supplies for the Episcopal Church of Haiti on 14 July led to the seizure of 14,682 rounds of ammunition. While the investigation continues, the police have so far made three arrests and issued several warrants. 22. In August, with the support of BINUH, UNDP and the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean, national authorities finalized the national action plan to implement the CARICOM Road Map for Implementing the Caribbean Priority Actions on the Illicit Proliferation of Firearms and Ammunition across the Caribbean in a Sustainable 4/15 22-22985  S/2022/761 Manner by 2030. UNDP and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) assisted authorities in storing and managing weapons and ammunition. The United Nations held a training course for 75 police officers (19 women) on weapons and ammunition management in July and upgraded the security infrastructure of the central armoury and the Firearms Permit Service. 23. Following a request and start-up funding by the Government of Haiti, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) deployed personnel in July to establish an office and begin work on border management and to address illegal trafficking, organized crime and State revenue collection. UNODC is initiating three border management programmes: the Container Control Programme; the Airport Communication Project; and the Global Maritime Crime Programme. The aims of both the Container Control Programme and the Airport Communication Project are to strengthen national capacity to combat illicit trafficking and organized crime and to increase revenue collection. The aim of the Global Maritime Crime Programme is to support the Haitian Coast Guard with regard to maritime law enforcement. Recognizing the linkages between countering corruption and improving security and stability, UNODC, supported by the Peacebuilding Fund and jointly with UNDP and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), initiated an anti-corruption project to support national consensus and coordination on countering corruption, with an emphasis on the inclusion of civil society, women and youth. Moreover, in cooperation with OAS, UNODC is initiating a project on illicit financial flows. 24. Alongside these efforts, United Nations entities (the United Nations Population Fund, UNDP and the United Nations Office for Project Services) continued to implement community-based activities in the Martissant and La Saline neighbourhoods (Port-au-Prince, West Department). Supported by the Peacebuilding Fund and in coordination with the interministerial task force on community violence reduction, the programme is providing vocational training, supporting women -owned microenterprises and facilitating dialogue through community platforms. IV. Security and the rule of law 25. Attrition rates in the national police continued to rise owing to resignations, retirements and deaths, coupled with the slow pace of recruitment. Of 14,161 registered officers, including 1,567 women, some 13,000 were active as at 12 September. The police-to-population ratio stands at an estimated 1.06 police officers per 1,000 inhabitants, below the internationally recognized standard of 2.2 per 1,000 inhabitants. A seven-month basic training course for the thirty-second class of police cadets was launched on 23 July, with 725 cadets reporting to training, including 177 women (24 per cent). From January to September 2022, 17 officers were killed in the line of duty compared with 15 in the same period in 2021, and 16 were suspended owing to investigations. 26. Notwithstanding a 12 per cent budget increase for the fiscal year 2021/22, the police continue to struggle with rising inflation and inadequate budget management, resulting in a scarcity of police equipment and supplies. Limited amounts of police vehicles and protection equipment have hampered their ability to set up checkpoints in gang-controlled areas, including Cité Soleil, where in July the police were unable to secure access points. 27. Despite challenges, the national police implemented an internal reorganization defined by the police’s annual security plan, drafted with the support of BINUH. A recently established, 150-strong anti-gang task force has improved police performance and enhanced internal coordination. The fully vetted task force, which can be further reinforced through donations of equipment and training, is expected to 22-22985 5/15 S/2022/761 grow to 300 strong. The police are also working to implement improved community policing policies countrywide through a recently developed “white book” and policy directive. To improve retention, a ministerial decree was adopted on 20 July awarding benefits to dependants of police officers killed or disabled in the line of duty, a key recommendation of the Facilitation and Dialogue Commission in 2020. A police cooperative was also established where members can benefit from discounted prices. 28. BINUH has continued to advocate for contributions to the UNDP-managed, multi-donor basket fund to support the professionalization of the national police. The fund, seeking $28 million in donations, has so far received around $11 million. A side event was organized by the international partners of Haiti on 23 September on the margins of the high-level week of the seventy-seventh session of the General Assembly. To strengthen police integrity and enhance intelligence-guided intervention capacity, BINUH and UNDP are assisting the police in prioritizing two key projects on police vetting and intelligence-gathering. The ongoing recruitment of 12 additional civilian and seconded personnel for the police and corrections unit of BINUH, mandated by the Security Council in its resolution 2645 (2022), will increase the mission’s capacity to further support police development. 29. BINUH provided technical assistance to the special commission established on 2 May by the Central Directorate of the Judicial Police to conduct investigations into human rights abuses committed during the violence in April and May 2022. The United Nations supported the Ministry of Justice and Public Security and Haitian magistrates in holding an international conference from 9 to 11 August for over 150 justice officials on creating specialized judicial task forces for dealing with sexual crimes, financial crimes and urban violence. 30. Following the 10 June raid and the occupation of the Port-au-Prince Court of First Instance by heavily armed gangs, several urgent hearings were held in alternate locations. A longer-term solution to relocate the Court has not been found. While correctional hearings resumed at the Croix-des-Bouquets Court of First Instance with United Nations technical support and equipment, the effort was temporarily derailed when an armed gang set fire to the Prosecutor ’s office on 25 July, allegedly in retaliation for police operations. Subsequently, the Court moved temporarily to the Tabarre municipal library. In a positive development, the Court of First Instance of Les Cayes (South Department), despite a deputy prosecutors’ strike since April, held correctional hearings in a new chamber in the Les Cayes prison. 31. Empowering women in the judicial sector remains a challenge. BINUH held a series of bilateral meetings with prominent women from the justice sector in May and June and, on 12 July, hosted a discussion on addressing challenges and discrimination. A series of three workshops on leadership for women lawyers and magistrates is planned for the coming months. 32. The entry into force of the new penal code and code of criminal procedure was postponed for two further years by a decree of the Council of Ministers on 22 June. The postponement would allow the Government and practitioners to review some provisions, conduct awareness-raising and training and draft subsidiary implementation decrees. 33. In the ongoing struggle to reduce prolonged pretrial detention, the Ministry of Justice and Public Security adopted an action plan on judicial inspection to increase the accountability of judicial personnel and improve the functioning of courts. In parallel, the National Legal Aid Council, with technical and financial support from the United Nations, held a forum on 15 June for 75 participants to help to identify best practices and harmonize the provision of legal aid. 34. Prisons in Haiti remain overcrowded, unsanitary and underserviced. As at 28 September, Haitian prisons held 11,788 inmates, including 308 women, 266 boys 6/15 22-22985  S/2022/761 and 10 girls, and had an estimated overall occupancy rate of 294 per cent, with 9,861 inmates (83.7 per cent) awaiting trial. Detention conditions across the country continued to deteriorate and were compounded by the prison system’s inadequate budget, food shortages, limited medical supplies and delays in the transfer of prisoners to hospitals, often associated with preventable deaths. Cardiopulmonary arrests, tuberculosis and anaemia caused by malnutrition remain the top three official causes of death in Haitian prisons. Access difficulties caused by the security crisis beginning on 11 September further aggravated the situation, with 19 deaths reported by prison authorities between 11 and 30 September. Most recently, nine deaths in the National Penitentiary from cholera have been confirmed since 1 October. 35. Throughout July and August, corrections authorities faced many challenges in the delivery of daily meals to detainees owing to inflation and contractual conflicts with food suppliers over the payment of arrears. Non-governmental organizations provided some relief through food donations. A video showing emaciated prisoners in Cap-Haïtien (North Department) circulated on 29 June on social media, after which the Minister of Justice and Public Security, in a visit to the prison on 1 July, ordered the release on humanitarian grounds of 37 inmates accused of minor offences. Similarly, authorities in Les Cayes (South Department) released 40 prisoners shortly after. The systemic food and water shortage was exacerbated by the security crisis beginning on 11 September, as barricades blocked access to many prisons, preventing the delivery of supplies. As at 22 September, the Cabaret (West Department) and Jérémie (Grand-Anse Department) prisons had no water, food or cooking gas. 36. The September crisis also heightened security risks as absenteeism of staff coupled with the difficulty of reaching penitentiaries left many prisons manned by only a handful of personnel. The acute staff shortage led to a mass breakout from the Cabaret (West Department) women’s prison on 22 September, where 145 inmates escaped after tying up the only three prison officers present, who had been at their posts continuously since 11 September. 37. With an average of 0.33 m 2 of floor space per inmate, well below the international standard of 3.4 m 2 , overcrowding continues to favour the spread of disease in prisons. Haiti remains among the countries with the lowest coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccination rates, with 1.14 per cent of the population vaccinated. In this context, a prison COVID-19 vaccination programme prepared in early 2022 failed to launch owing to the lack of coordination between public health and penitentiary authorities. The lack of adequate testing prevented authorities from establishing the cause of death of 97 inmates who died in the first six months of 2022. Continuation of HIV treatment is also at risk owing to the lack of proper nutrition and required antiretrovirals. V. Human rights 38. The increased intensity and frequency of attacks by heavily armed gangs have led to a further deterioration of the human rights situation in the country. Armed violence reached unprecedented levels in the marginalized western and northern communes of the metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince and in the Artibonite Department. Increasingly, local populations are no longer collateral victims of armed clashes but are directly targeted by gangs. Following a new modus operandi, armed elements deliberately kill, injure and commit acts of sexual violence during coordinated attacks to expand territorial control in the country’s capital. 39. Between 1 June and 30 September 2022, the BINUH Human Rights Service documented 1,377 killings, injuries and disappearances (1,171 men, 153 women and 53 children) within the framework of armed confrontations between police and gangs 22-22985 7/15 S/2022/761 as well as attacks on populations perpetrated by gangs operating in the me tropolitan area of Port-au-Prince (Pont Rouge, Wharf Jérémie, Cité Soleil, Bel-Air, Delmas and Croix-des-Bouquets) and in the Artibonite Department (Savien and Gros Morne). Following clashes between gangs in Cité Soleil from 8 to 17 July, more than 3,886 people – including at least 700 unaccompanied children – were forced to abandon their homes in the area and find temporary shelter in makeshift sites elsewhere. Approximately 600 of them returned to Cité Soleil amid a lull in confrontations between the opposing gang coalitions, while the children were reunited with their parents in late August. The remaining individuals continue to stay in an improvised internally displaced persons site in Hugo Chavez Park, where they are affected by malnutrition and exposed to diseases. In addition to the displacements, approximately 140 homes were set on fire or destroyed by gang members in a deliberate attempt to punish locals perceived as supporting rival gangs. The violence forced health centres, schools, businesses and other services in affected areas to shut down. 40. During the July confrontations in Cité Soleil, gang members deliberately targeted local populations living under the control of rival gangs, mostly in the Brooklyn neighbourhood. Gang members armed with assault rifles shot at residents indiscriminately, including women and children in their homes and in the streets. Several residents, including sick, disabled and elderly persons, were burned alive in their homes. A reported 44 persons were victims of summary execution by gang members when they were intercepted while trying to escape the violence in Cité Soleil and seek refuge and medical care in other parts of Port-au-Prince. 41. Gangs blocked access roads in Cité Soleil, impeding ambulances and medical personnel, including from humanitarian organizations, from reaching the area, thus limiting capacity to treat and evacuate the wounded. As a result, many victims died because they could not be reached. In addition, gangs, especially those belonging to the downtown Port-au-Prince coalition, blocked the main roads connecting the Brooklyn neighbourhood of Cité Soleil with the rest of the capital, both to prevent the local population from accessing local markets and to stop goods from entering the area: a deliberate attempt to cause food insecurity and limit access to water in pursuit of territory appears to have been committed, with a view to coercing the local population to confront a rival coalition controlling the area where they lived, to help to remove the rival gangs from the territory. 42. During these clashes, women, girls and LGBTIQ+ individuals were particularly exposed to sexual violence perpetrated by gangs, while men and boys were also targeted. Data collected by BINUH indicate that gangs have continued to use sexual violence deliberately as a means to terrorize and subjugate the population. No fewer than 57 women and girls were raped in their homes, on their way to work, while running household errands or as they tried to flee the area. In some cases, these acts of sexual violence occurred in front of the victims’ children and partners. The case of a 25-year-old woman who was repeatedly raped on her husband’s corpse by gang members in front of her three children, before the house was set on fire, is i llustrative of the level of brutality of the gangs’ actions. Victims of sexual violence have suffered incredible physical and mental harm, and some were mutilated and executed after being raped. The unprotected sexual violence also exposes victims to the risk of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases and infections. On 21 and 22 July, to strengthen a multisectoral response to alarmingly high rates of sexual violence, BINUH organized a round table with representatives of approximately 70 State institutions and civil society organizations responsible for preventing sexual violence and providing psychomedical and socioeconomic services to survivors and families. The discussions held during the round table allowed for the establishment of a road map for a sector-based response. 8/15 22-22985  S/2022/761 43. OHCHR, working with civil society, is coordinating a multisectoral response for identified sexual violence survivors, although none of the survivors, notably, have sought legal assistance, fearing retaliation and stigmatization. In support, the Spotlight Initiative, a partnership between the European Union and the United Nations to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls, has provided technical capacity-building assistance to key ministries and municipalities to strengthen the institutional response. In addition to medical and psychosocial support to survivors, the Initiative has provided community education and targeted income - generating training programmes to promote the economic empowerment of survivors, including those with disabilities. 44. Armed violence linked to gangs has had devastating consequences for children. Many were killed or injured in crossfire while in their homes, in school or on the streets. Boys and girls are frequently coerced into joining gangs or engaging in gang activities. Gang members usually offer money or food to vulnerable children to join gangs or threaten retaliation against their families if they refuse to comply. 45. Gangs adversely affected local economies through extortion, illegal taxation and the disruption of logistical and supply chains. Since mid-June, armed gangs have been attacking barges docked in downtown Port-au-Prince to force traders to transport goods bound for the southern departments of Haiti by road, where gangs coer ce them into paying a “transit tax”. Gang violence in Cité Soleil also interrupted the distribution of fuel from the country’s main fuel terminals for almost a week in July, triggering violent protests by citizens throughout the capital. 46. No progress was made in the investigations into the La Saline (2018) and Bel-Air (2019) massacres and the assassination of Monferrier Dorval (2020), the former head of the Port-au-Prince Bar Association. Investigations into the assassination of the former President, Jovenel Moïse, led by the Haitian justice system, also did not yield any significant results. Despite the appointment of a fifth investigating judge on 30 May and a series of hearings of suspects held in detention, the criminal masterminds, those who carried out the killing and their accomplices are still at large. Meanwhile, the legal deadline for the conduct of the investigation has passed without the judge issuing his statement of findings. 47. As part of its continued efforts against impunity, BINUH issued a report on 1 August detailing human rights abuses committed during the wave of violence between 24 April and 16 May, which caused 322 casualties in the communes of Cité Soleil, Croix-des-Bouquets and Tabarre (West Department). In the report, BINUH established how the two main gang coalitions were involved in harrowing abuses against the population, targeting children as young as 1 year of age. It also offered a series of recommendations addressed to the police, the judiciary and other authorities responsible for supporting victims and investigating crimes. 48. BINUH continued to support the General Inspectorate of the national police to investigate human rights violations linked to excessive force or extrajudicial executions by police officers. A total of 51 individuals were killed during police operations, and 47 investigations were opened by the General Inspectorate, including four for summary executions. Following demonstrations in September, when police efforts to disperse crowds resulted in injury to several dozen demonstrators, including three journalists, the General Inspectorate began an investigation into the alleged use of live ammunition. On 31 August, the General Inspectorate finalized its investigations into 15 previous cases that occurred between 2019 and 2022 and forwarded its recommendations to the acting Director General of the national police. To date, very few investigations have been carried out into the killing of alleged gang members during police operations. 22-22985 9/15 S/2022/761 VI. Unemployment, youth and other vulnerable groups 49. Falling living standards continue to undercut modest development gains and stymie progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals. Haitians struggled in the face of galloping inflation, which reached 30.5 per cent in July. Tax revenues collapsed in recent years under the strain of social unrest, collection problems and the security crisis. However, national authorities project that these revenues will rebound slightly owing to new administrative measures and restored flows of remittances. Meanwhile, the lack of progress on key development priorities, including decent work opportunities for all and the provision of basic services such as drinking water, is further fuelling instability and uncertainty. 50. A staff-monitored programme designed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Haitian authorities was approved on 17 June 2022 and runs to 31 May 2023. The programme aims to help the Government to restore macroeconomic stability and lower inflation: a key goal given the heavy burden of inflation on the poor. It also prioritizes enhancing governance in the public sector, mobilizing domestic revenues, building capacity and boosting social spending. 51. Fuel became scarce starting in July, when gangs prevented trucks from leaving the main sea terminals of Haiti, affecting the country severely. Many businesses closed and streets emptied as authorities grappled with the proliferation of a black market and ordinary Haitians contended with exorbitant prices and occasionally perilous conditions to obtain gas. This new wave of shortages was reportedly attributed to the delayed payment of subsidies from the Government to the country’s main fuel distributors, in turn exacerbated by rapid currency depreciation a nd high levels of inflation. By some estimates, the regressive fuel subsidy regime of Haiti absorbed up to one third of domestic revenues, crowding out more productive investment in health, education and other social sectors. According to IMF, these subsidies are also inequitable, with over 90 per cent of the benefits going to the top 10–20 per cent of earners. In his addresses to the nation on 20 July and again on 11 and 18 September, the Prime Minister restated the Government’s intention to adjust the fuel subsidy regime, as recommended by the IMF staff-monitored programme, and stabilize the national fuel supply. However, beyond a first set of steps taken in April targeting the groups most affected by fuel price adjustments, additional measures have not yet been implemented. On 18 September, the Government set new fixed fuel prices at the pump, with immediate effect, intended to partially offset the subsidy amount paid directly to the intermediary market. 52. Economic activity across the entire country has been severely affected by widespread gang violence in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area. Farmers in the south have been unable to reach the country’s central markets with their seasonal harvests owing to gang obstruction of the capital’s main access roads. Key routes to the north have also been repeatedly cut off. High commodity and food prices, owing in part to disruptions to global supply chains, are having a disproport ionate impact on the most vulnerable in Haiti. 53. A dip in remittances, totalling $2.9 billion from October 2021 to July 2022 compared with $3.0 billion over the same period the previous year, further exacerbated the economic situation. In addition, increased inflation continues to erode the spending power of many Haitians. Poverty levels are rising as human development indicators worsen, with estimates showing that 58 per cent of the population was likely to be below the poverty line by the end of September 2022, when the fiscal year ended. 54. Demands for social protection, especially by the most vulnerable, have mushroomed, although a lack of data prevents a comprehensive picture. Agriculture and agribusiness continue to offer the most immediate potential to address high 10/15 22-22985  S/2022/761 unemployment, especially among youth and women, and to improve resilience to economic shocks. Working in coordination with the National Commission for Food Security, the United Nations country team supported a multisectoral plan to operationalize the national policy for food sovereignty, food security and nutrition. The United Nations is also supporting implementation of the national policy for social protection, adopted in 2020, by supporting the drafting of a national action plan covering health care, cash transfers, education, employment, job training, social services and institutional reforms to create a rights-based social protection system. The Government allocated $30 million in the 2021/22 national budget to support the plan. VII. Basic social service delivery and resilience 55. Multiple and overlapping crises stemming from insecurity, political instability and natural disasters drove mounting humanitarian needs, hindering progress towards long-term development. Insecurity and violence fuelled by warring gangs hindered humanitarian access in and around Port-au-Prince. The insecurity destabilized livelihoods and undermined access to essential services, exacerbating vulnerabilities in a context already marked by inflation, fuel scarcity and a slow post-earthquake recovery. 56. Up to half of the population of Port-au-Prince, or 1.5 million people, have been directly affected by recent gang violence. Thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes, leaving hundreds of children separated from their families and/or unaccompanied. As of October 2022, in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area, 21,684 people (approximately 6,000 households) were displaced in 36 sites across the capital. In addition, approximately 66,000 displaced persons are residing with host families in the metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince. More than 1,700 schools in gang- controlled areas have been temporarily or completely closed, depriving over 500,000 children of their right to education. 57. Deportations have doubled, with more than 21,215 Haitian migrants repatriated by air and sea in 2022, as at 30 September 2022, compared with 10,152 during the same period in 2021. Between 16 July and 10 October 2022, 1,857 Haitian migrants were forcibly returned to Haiti, including from the Bahamas, Cuba, the Turks and Caicos Islands and the United States of America. According to the Support Group for Returnees and Refugees, a Haitian organization, more than 18,000 Haitians were repatriated or returned by land from the Dominican Republic during the month of July, and 16,600 in August, both at official and non-official border crossing points. Despite the worsening security situation in the country, IOM estimates that over 7,000 people were repatriated from the Dominican Republic to the Haitian border area in September. Collaboration between Turkish authorities, the Haitian National Office for Migration and the Haitian Ombudsman, with support from IOM, enabled a group of 301 Haitian migrants, who had been promised job opportunities by unscrupulous agencies, to return to Haiti on 28 July. Some 1,000 more Haitians in Türkiye are requesting similar support. 58. An estimated 4.5 million people were acutely food insecure according to the March report of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC). A new IPC analysis is currently ongoing, with figures expected to increase significantly. Up to 5.6 million people are resorting to crisis coping mechanisms to make ends meet. Ongoing gang violence in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area and increased social unrest are further driving persistent malnutrition. A recent assessment in Cité Soleil revealed that 20 per cent of children under 5 years of age suffer from acute malnutrition, while a countrywide nutrition survey is under way. Alarming levels of malnutrition also threaten the hard-won gains of the national HIV programme, 22-22985 11/15 S/2022/761 causing discontinuities in treatment that are likely to lead to increased drug resistance and ensuing spikes in HIV infection levels, particularly among youth, women and the LGBTIQ+ community. 59. In July, multi-agency United Nations teams began delivering life-saving aid to the communities in Cité Soleil, one of the poorest and most gang-ridden communes in Port-au-Prince. To better address immediate basic needs in these areas, the United Nations is increasing its capacity to improve monitoring and analysis and strengthen strategies for increased humanitarian access. In parallel, responding to the immediate humanitarian needs while contributing to reducing violence, restoring social services and creating an environment of stability and social cohesion, the United Nations continues to work towards a comprehensive response through the provision of health care, education, child protection and support services to victims of sexual and gender- based violence. 60. The recent wave of civil unrest, which began paralysing the country on 12 September, has further undermined the Haitian population’s access to basic services, accentuates their vulnerabilities and severely constrains humanitarian actors. Humanitarian partners have encountered difficulties in reaching beneficiaries in camps for internally displaced persons to provide water, sanitation, food and health care. While access to health services has been further compromised by movement limitations, medical facilities have also been particularly affected by fluctuations in the water and electricity supply. Moreover, several warehouses belonging to humanitarian partners and United Nations entities have been looted by protestors, creating serious concerns about the humanitarian capacity to respond to increased needs. 61. The dire situation also likely contributed to the emergence of cholera in Haiti, with two cases confirmed on 2 October, after over three years without a single reported case. As at 11 October, the Haitian health authorities reported 32 confirmed cases, 18 deaths in hospitals, 215 hospitalized suspected cases and 266 total suspected cases. The cases were identified using the cholera surveillance mechan ism, established by the Haitian authorities and supported by the United Nations. The first cases were identified in Cité Soleil and Carrefour Feuilles in the metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince, although suspected cases have also been identified in the Centre department. 62. Government efforts, supported by the United Nations and national and international partners, are focusing on limiting the spread of the disease, treating patients and informing the population on preventive measures and immediate life - saving actions. Additional support will consist of expanded monitoring, increased water and sanitation provision, the development of cholera treatment centres and reinforced case management. 63. The country’s humanitarian response remains seriously underfunded despite increasing needs. As at 11 October, humanitarian funding reached $103 million, including $8.5 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund, equivalent to one third of the required funding for the $373.2 million 2022 humanitarian response pla n. The Fund’s rapid response mechanism also agreed to provide $5 million to finance life-saving assistance in Cité Soleil following the violent inter-gang clashes of July 2022, and $7 million to support an immediate response to the cholera outbreak in October 2022. 64. Humanitarian assistance continues to be provided to the survivors of the earthquake of 14 August 2021. A year on, assistance has reached more than 484,000 people, including 21,700 displaced persons and 116,300 people in hard-to-reach areas. Post-earthquake reconstruction efforts in the southern peninsula have been hampered by gang activity blocking the road from Port-au-Prince to the south. As a result, 2,528 people remain displaced in the south out of 35,000 displaced following 12/15 22-22985  S/2022/761 the earthquake. Over 1,200 schools in the most affected departments of South, Grand- Anse and Nippes have yet to be rebuilt, leaving an estimated 340,000 children with inadequate learning environments, with some unable to access education altogether. To help to strengthen response efforts, on 2 June, the Government of Haiti convened an aid effectiveness committee to discuss the main pillars of the reconstruction and recovery framework. 65. Considering the multiple crises facing the country, the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training postponed the start of the school year by one month to 3 October. This goal will have to be further postponed. Nevertheless, the Ministry aims to reopen schools progressively and in areas less affected by the crisis when conditions allow. To prepare for the 2022/23 school year, food was prepositioned to ensure that school meals could be ready. Although food stocks dedicated to the feeding of approximately 1,650 schools were lost in the looting of the World Food Programme (WFP) warehouse in Gonaïves, WFP continues to rebuild capacities to ensure school meals for children throughout the year. The school meals initiative is the largest social safety net programme in Haiti and represents an essential service given worsening food security conditions. In addition, the United Nations continues to support the Ministry with rebuilding and reopening schools in areas affected by the August 2021 earthquake, as well as schools affected by gang violence around Port - au-Prince. 66. Most of the food served in schools is imported, but local-level food value chains hold potential. The United Nations is working to revitalize smaller-scale farming and strengthen local value chains by organizing local producers and increasing agricultural productivity. In addition to increasing the provision of fresh and nutritious food corresponding to local preferences, strengthening local food value chains can increase the incomes of small-scale, traditional female traders who are the backbone of local economies. 67. United Nations entities and partners have intensified preparedness and response efforts through the provision of support to health facilities and health governance, as well as the deployment of mobile clinics. In addition, two key policy documents, the community health strategic plan for the period 2020–2030 and the health facilities assessment in urban areas in the metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince, were recently updated and completed; these strategic documents are helping to guide the Government’s public health actions. VIII. Sexual exploitation and abuse 68. During the period from 1 June to 31 August 2022, BINUH registered no new allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse involving personnel from past or present missions. 69. Under the guidance of the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary - General, Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator, United Nations agencies, funds and programmes continued to make progress towards finalizing referral pathways for victims. The system-wide coordinator on protection against sexual exploitation and abuse continued to engage in awareness-raising activities, holding three sessions for Haitian government officials and civil society representatives. 70. The Victims’ Rights Advocate of the United Nations, accompanied by the Senior Victims’ Rights Officer and a legal officer from the Office of Legal Affairs of the Secretariat, visited two Member States between 20 and 30 June to seek their good offices to resolve outstanding paternity and child support claims of children born as 22-22985 13/15 S/2022/761 a result of sexual exploitation and abuse. The Senior Victims’ Rights Officer continued to support UNDP in assisting mothers and their children born of sexual exploitation and abuse by United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti personnel. From 18 to 21 July 2022, the Senior Victims’ Rights Officer visited the South and Grand-Anse Departments to meet with mothers unable to travel to Port-au-Prince owing to insecurity. As the security situation in the country has continued to deteriorate, it has become extremely difficult to support, or even maintain contact with, the mothers. IX. Observations 71. In this time of unprecedented crisis, Haiti urgently needs unity to make progress across the multidimensional challenges it faces. Above all, I call upon all Haitians to spare no effort to foster dialogue to achieve a Haitian-led and owned solution encompassing all aspects of the situation – ranging from constitutional to security issues – and leading to the full restoration of democratic institutions in 2023. I also look forward to the update on the political process and efforts to reach an agreement that the Government is to provide to the Security Council by 17 October 2022, as requested by the Council in resolution 2645 (2022). 72. I condemn the wave of violence over the past several months, which has taken a heavy toll on the civilian population, particularly those living in abject poverty. While efforts are under way to improve the capacity of law enforcement and tackle community violence, more must be done to address the impunity of armed gangs and of those who back them. Attacks upon State institutions must cease immediately. I condemn in the strongest terms the reports of widespread sexual violence by armed gangs. The perpetrators of these heinous crimes must be held to account. Furthermore, I am appalled by the attacks on humanitarian facilities and supplies. Humanitarian partners must be protected. I urge the Haitian authorities to ensure respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms and ensure humanitarian access to communities wracked by violence. 73. I am deeply concerned by the emergence of cholera, which comes at a time when the most vulnerable populations already face dire humanitarian conditions, further exacerbating the population’s vulnerability and needs. The blocking of the Varreux terminal, the main entry point for fuel in Haiti, remains a great concern. The call on 6 October by the United Nations for the immediate opening of a humanitarian corridor to allow fuel to reach hospitals and water treatment facilities must be heard. 74. I remain extremely concerned that prisoners across the country have been experiencing hunger, with some prisons running out of food entirely during the crisis. The chronic and deleterious state of pretrial detention and its dire consequences in terms of prison overcrowding and conditions continue to plague the prison system, which is especially grave, given the occurrences of cholera. I once again call upon the Government to enhance its support for the national justice system and ensure that judicial and penitentiary institutions are provided with the resources necessary to guarantee safe and adequate conditions for both corrections personnel and detainees. More efforts are needed to sustainably address this long-standing issue, including by reviewing the prisons’ budget management mechanism and ensuring that proceedings take place within a reasonable time frame. 75. Support to the Government’s efforts to ensure that the national police have the means to counter gang violence is crucial, along with measures to build greater cohesion and operational capacities within the force. In tandem with the results achieved, it is also critical that the national authorities adopt multifaceted and comprehensive violence reduction strategies at the political and institutional levels, 14/15 22-22985  S/2022/761 aimed at providing not only much-needed security to communities affected by violence, but also socioeconomic alternatives for communities at risk and protection for the most vulnerable, especially women and youth. I urge the Government to redouble its efforts in these mutually reinforcing areas and to avail itself fully of the support from Member States, the United Nations system and regional and international partners. To succeed and maximize impact on the ground, it is paramount that these efforts be well coordinated and steadily funded, including with the support of the international community. 76. In that respect, I am grateful to those donors who have engaged early with the joint programme in support of the Haitian National Police, the “basket fund”. Achieving results will require sustained and coordinated action to deliver tailored support to Haitian law enforcement while simultaneously addressing police reforms and longer-term drivers of violence. Investment in institutions, infrastructure and human capital is key. I urge international partners to continue to meet regularly to evaluate progress and ascertain current needs, and to add their contributions to the joint programme without delay. 77. UNODC continues to make progress with regard to the request of the Security Council to strengthen support to Haitian authorities in enhancing border management and control, thanks to a catalytic financial contribution of $1 million by the Government of Haiti. Moreover, UNODC is implementing an anti-corruption project with the Peacebuilding Fund, UNDP and OHCHR. I encourage Member States and other partners to fund these critical efforts, particularly given the recent seizures of illicit arms and ammunition at Haitian ports of entry and abroad. 78. I recognize the efforts made by national authorities to align their legislative and regulatory frameworks in relation to firearms and ammunition with current regional and international standards. I commend the finalization of the national action plan to implement the CARICOM Road Map for Implementing the Caribbean Priority Actions on the Illicit Proliferation of Firearms and Ammunition across the Caribbean in a Sustainable Manner by 2030 and call upon the United Nations system to support the national authorities in implementing its goals and objectives. 79. Further to my letter dated 8 October 2022 addressed to the President of the Security Council (S/2022/747) providing options for enhanced security support to Haiti, I strongly encourage the Security Council to act with urgency in considering the Government’s request for support. Improving national policing capacities alone will not be sufficient to bring about the transformative change Haiti needs to sustainably address the multifaceted security crisis. Greater efforts are essential to support preventive and accountability measures against criminality and gang violence, including community violence reduction programmes, socioeconomic opportunities and substantial measures to improve the functioning of the penal chain, particularly in anticipation of increased arrests as a result of bolstered anti -gang operations by the national police. 80. I would like to express my solidarity with the Haitian people during this devastating crisis. I would also like to acknowledge the tireless efforts and dedication of United Nations personnel in Haiti, under the leadership of my Special Representative. The United Nations will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with Haiti to support a nationally-owned effort for the benefit of all its people. 22-22985 15/15