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Abinader emphasises Haiti’s stability is crucial for regional security

Loop News

September 25, 2024 6:51 PM ET

3 mins read

Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader is pushing for world leaders to do more to help with stabilising the situation in Haiti.

In his speech at the United Nations General Assembly this morning, Abinader said stability in Haiti is a “necessity for security in my country and in the entire region.”

Abinader said the Haiti crisis needs special attention and cannot be ignored as it continues to put pressure on the Dominican Republic and its neighbours.

He explained that in 2023, “medical care for Haitian immigrants represented 9.9 per cent of the total services provided through our health system, and between 2019 and March 2024, patients of Haitian nationality constituted a significant part of the care in the public hospital network.”

“In addition, there are currently nearly 200,000 foreign minors in the Dominican public educational system, of which it is estimated that 147,906 are of Haitian origin. These data reflect the solidarity commitment of the Dominican Republic, but we cannot do it alone.”

The Dominican president said there now appears to be a path toward peace and stability in Haiti, with the creation of a Presidential Transitional Council and the Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS).

But he noted only 400 of the 1,000 MSS officers needed to be effective in Haiti have been deployed.

“The resources required to achieve the full deployment of the force and achieve the objectives of peacekeeping and support for the eventual holding of elections have not yet been deposited in the trust fund for Haiti,” Abinader commented.

“It is unacceptable,” he said, “that at this point, countries that have had an impact on the Haitian situation or that have committed to solving it have not fully fulfilled their promises.” 

Abinader thanked Kenya for sending law enforcement and the United States for helping with funding and logistics.

He also highlighted the efforts of Jamaica, the Bahamas and El Salvador, which have already sent their contributions, and  Caricom for its efforts in favour of dialogue and consensus in Haiti.