9 erring body care centers shut in Riyadh    20,000 military emblems confiscated in Riyadh    Al-Samaani visits headquarters of Hague Conference on Private International Law    KSrelief provided over $7bln to support children around the world    Al-Jasser: Saudi Arabia to expand rail network to over 8,000 km    OMODA&JAECOO: Unstoppable global cumulative sales over 360,000 units    Saudi Arabia sees 73.7% rise in investment licenses in Q3 2024    Al Hilal doesn't need extra support to bring new players, CEO says    Rust premieres at low-key film festival three years after shooting    Fate of Gaetz ethics report uncertain after congressional panel deadlocked    Ukraine fires UK-supplied Storm Shadow missiles at Russia for first time    Netanyahu offers $5 million and safe passage out of Gaza to anyone returning a hostage    Indian billionaire Gautam Adani indicted in New York on fraud charges    Rafael Nadal: Farewell to the 'King of Clay'    Indonesia shocks Saudi Arabia with 2-0 victory in AFC Asian Qualifiers    Sitting too much linked to heart disease –– even if you work out    Yemeni Orchestra's captivating performances in Riyadh, showcasing shared cultural legacies    Future of Ronaldo's Al Nassr contract remains undecided, says Saudi Pro League CEO    GASTAT report: 45.1% of Saudis are overweight    Denmark's Victoria Kjær Theilvig wins Miss Universe 2024    Order vs. Morality: Lessons from New York's 1977 Blackout    India puts blockbuster Pakistani film on hold    The Vikings and the Islamic world    Filipino pilgrim's incredible evolution from an enemy of Islam to its staunch advocate    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



UN maternity aid looted in Port-au-Prince as Haiti crisis deepens
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 17 - 03 - 2024

A container carrying essential items for newborn babies and their mothers – including resuscitators and other critical supplies – was looted in Port-au-Prince on Saturday, aid agency UNICEF said in a statement, as gang violence and a humanitarian crisis worsen in the Haitian capital.
In addition to maternity and neonatal supplies, the looted container also held "early childhood development and education and water equipment," UNICEF said. More than 260 humanitarian-owned containers at the port are now controlled by armed groups that breached the main port last week, the UN's child agency added.
The theft of the supplies "occurs at a critical moment when children need them the most," said UNICEF representative Bruno Maes in Haiti. "Looting of supplies that are essential for life saving support for children must end immediately and humanitarian access must remain safe," Maes added.
"Depriving children of vital health supplies amidst a collapsing healthcare system is a violation of their rights." Since January, violence in Haiti has exacerbated an already crumbling healthcare system.
Three out of four women and children in the Port-au-Prince area do not have access to basic public health and nutrition, according to UNICEF.
There are only two functional surgical operating facilities available in the capital. Six out of 10 hospitals across the country are unable to function due to electricity, fuel and medical supply shortages.
The bloodshed has continued in recent days, with several "bandits" killed during a police operation in a Port-au-Prince neighborhood where gang leader Jimmy "Barbeque" Cherizier lives and operates, the Haitian National Police (HNP) announced on Saturday.
Authorities said they exchanged fire with Cherizier's men in the operation carried out on Friday, to "thwart the actions of armed gangs." Police also said they seized firearms and unblocked roads in the Lower Delmas neighborhood.
"New strategies are being implemented by the police institution with the aim of reclaiming some areas occupied by these armed gangs in recent days, in order to facilitate the free movement of peaceful citizens," a statement from the HNP read.
Two police sources told CNN on Friday that authorities had launched the operation in Lower Delmas as special forces pursued Cherizier.
The HNP did not specify if police had located Cherizier but said a report on the progress of the operations would soon be made public.
Haiti has struggled to resolve a long-running political and humanitarian crisis and 80 percent of Port-au-Prince is currently controlled by gangs, according to UN estimates.
Inside the country, few safe spaces remain. All roads leading out of Port-au-Prince these days have been blocked by gangs. National police have fought back but with limited resources.
All access to ports and the international airport has been blocked. Nothing is coming in either. Grocery stores are running out of food, gas stations are out of fuel and hospitals are short on blood.
"Failure to stop the violence and reopen critical logistics routes will significantly exacerbate the healthcare crisis," said Maes. "We are witnessing a humanitarian catastrophe, and there is little time left to reverse it."
A CNN crew was able to land in Port-au-Prince by helicopter on Friday following days of on-again, off-again plans that required detailed security arrangements and multiple layers of diplomatic approval.
Meanwhile, the first flights of a UN air bridge between Haiti and the neighboring Dominican Republic have been completed, UN sources told CNN. For now, the only option for coming into and leaving Port-au-Prince is a private evacuation helicopter, available to wealthy foreigners and diplomats – where a single seat currently can cost more than $10,000.
Medical supplies would be the first freight, sources said, with UN workers being rotated in and out of the country. — CNN


Clic here to read the story from its source.