Canada has sanctioned two more Haitian “elites” for their alleged complicity in the humanitarian disaster. On Friday, Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly stated that Charles Saint-Remy, a close friend of former president Michel Martelly, and former legislator Arnel Belizaire had their Canadian assets frozen. Both are accused of using their high-profile positions “to protect and support the illicit activities of armed criminal gangs, including through drug trafficking and other acts of corruption.”
Joly said Canada was “continuing to battle corruption in Haiti by imposing additional sanctions against elites who are backing the criminal gangs that are terrorizing the country.” Canada and other nations will help Haitians overcome this crisis and restore peace and security. 15 Haitians are presently under federal sanctions since November 2022. They include former legislators, ministers, and other “upper” class Haitians.
Haiti is unstable. Haiti has been under political and economic turmoil since July 2021, when Jovenel Moise was assassinated. After the polls were canceled, the opposition demanded Moise’s resignation. Haiti was the first emancipated slave nation after its independence from France in 1791–1804. Since then, it has seen a U.S. occupation, expensive French reparations, and power disputes. The 2010 Haiti earthquake killed nearly 300,000 people, according to the authorities.
Canada gives the most development aid to Haiti. Canada had granted the nation $1.5 billion since the 2010 earthquake, including $345 million in humanitarian relief and $1.15 billion in development assistance as of 2021. Humanity crisis
The UN warned that gangs may control 60% of Port-au-Prince after a year of murders, abductions, and sexual assaults. In January 2022, a Montreal journalist was murdered near Port-au-Prince.
In September 2022, Prime Minister Ariel Henry abolished fuel subsidies, which led to a former police officer turned gang leader barricading a fuel facility and double-digit inflation. Haiti lost its last two senators on January 10, leaving it without a House or Senate representative. The US has detained hundreds of Haitian and Cuban migrants recently. In Haiti, cholera is rising. I’m excited for Haiti. The World Food Programme (WFP) claimed a record 4.7 million Haitians were severely hungry in October 2022.
Jean-Martin Bauer, WFP director for Haiti, told CTV News Channel on Saturday that violence has made humanitarian aid distribution harder. He said the WFP was attacked twice in September and lost one office. Bauer says this has complicated and costlier humanitarian aid in Haiti. Bauer continued, “We are out there every day trying to bring resources to the Haitian populace.” Our partners help us do it, and we must keep going.
Despite Prime Minister Henry’s appeal for greater help, Canada sent armored vehicles to Haiti on Wednesday. Bauer said Haiti “can’t wait” for security and humanitarian supplies. On Wednesday in Mexico City, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the transfer of armored vehicles to Haiti included humanitarian aid. Bauer stated, “We need to have the Western nations include a humanitarian component to their action in Haiti” to expedite initiatives.
