Haiti: US Sends Assistance, Vows to Pull Visas of Corrupt Haitian Officials; Canada' Carefully Considering' Haiti's Please for Help

Senior U.S. officials said Wednesday that the U.S. government would help Haiti with security and humanitarian aid.

Moreover, they also promised to pull the visas of current and former members of the Haitian government who had ties to criminal groups, Associated Press reported.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity as a U.S. delegation arrived in the Caribbean country immobilized by gangs and antigovernment protests and facing severe water, fuel, and other supply shortages.

The U.S. officials would not say which Haitian officials would have their visas taken away or how many. They also noted that the move also extends to their immediate families.

Also, U.S. officials say that the government is working with Mexico on a U.N. resolution that would suggest specific punishments and other solutions to Haiti's problems.

The officials did not want to talk about how the help would be distributed, but they did say that the U.S. Coast Guard would send out a large cutter at the request of the local authorities.

In response to the cholera outbreak, they only said that bleach, water jugs, and oral rehydration salts would be sent, but they did not say when, how, or what kind of security and humanitarian help will be sent.

Cholera Problem in Haiti Increases

Authorities in Haiti had reported 18 deaths and over 260 suspected cholera cases in Port-au-Prince and adjacent areas as of Sunday.

"Cholera has arrived amid serious ongoing social and political unrest," said Dr. Carissa Etienne, director of the Pan American Health Organization.

Etienne also said the crisis in Haiti complicates their attempts to provide humanitarian assistance and respond to the cholera problem.

She warned on Wednesday that the number of cases is probably much higher because most of them are in areas where street violence and gang activity are getting worse, ABC News noted.

The U.S. assistant secretary of state for the Western Hemisphere, Brian Nichols, arrived in Haiti on Wednesday to meet with politicians and civil society leaders, including Prime Minister Ariel Henry and a powerful group pushing for a two-year transitional government and resisted Henry's request for foreign troops.

Nichols was accompanied by senior White House advisers, the military deputy commander of the US Southern Command, and other officials.

The trip happens a few days after Henry asks for foreign troops to be sent immediately to help with security.

Gangs have blocked off a large gas station, and protests against Henry have worsened the situation.

"The delegation will assess how the U.S. government can continue to provide various forms of assistance and promote accountability for those responsible for criminal acts," the U.S. State Department said.

Canada Is 'Carefully Considering' Pleas From Haiti

As Haiti quickly falls into chaos, a high-ranking Haitian official has asked Canada and the U.S. to put together a strike force to fight the gangs that are causing the humanitarian crisis.

Haiti's ambassador to the U.S. said the two countries should take the lead in fighting Haitian gangs that have restricted access to a major fuel facility, CBC reported.

"We wish to see our neighbours like the United States, like Canada, take the lead and move fast," said Bocchit Edmond about providing security assistance.

He also said that Henry is under a serious threat and that another head of state could be assassinated in Haiti if nothing is done fast, noting Jovenel Moïse assassination in 2021.

Canada's only statement to date regarding the appeal of foreign assistance to Haiti is that it is "carefully considering" it in consultation with "Haitian authorities and our international partners."

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

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