The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has warned of the danger to Haiti’s security posed by the growing trafficking of drugs and arms, which are »increasingly frequent», in a report published by the organization on Thursday.
UNODC Director of Research Angela Me stressed the value of producing «a rapid report on the trafficking of illicit drugs and firearms» to put the spotlight on how they «enable gang activity in Haiti leading to more violence and a volatile and desperate situation» in order to develop an informed response to the situation.
Gang-related violence in the country was documented in another report by the UN Security Council Secretariat General in January 2023, and proved an increase in aggressiveness to levels not seen before. This document, along with information from intelligence services and security forces, suggested a worrying increase in arms and drug trafficking in Haiti, something this new report proves.
In addition, the press release details, Haiti continues to be an intermediate port for drug trafficking, mainly cocaine and cannabis arriving by sea or air, both to public and private ports, as well as through clandestine airstrips.
Among the reasons for this status as an intermediate point, the UN cites Haiti’s geography, with 1,771 kilometers of coastline and a 392-kilometer land border with the Dominican Republic that is »severely complicated» for the country’s security forces, »without sufficient resources or agents,» which, along with coast guard and customs agents, are frequently targeted by gangs.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
